Ekstrom wins Dakar stage after Loeb loses way

Mattias Ekstrom grabbed victory after Sebastien Loeb got lost on stage eight of the Dakar Rally on Monday while the Benavides brothers took the top two places in the bike competition.

Frenchman Loeb led by two-and-half minutes after 366km of the 458km stage from Al Duwadimi to Hail but went off course, had to double back and lost time.

Swede Ekstrom, whose chances of overall victory were wiped out by suspension problems the previous day, swept into the lead and finished 2min 45sec ahead of Audi team-mate Stephane Peterhansel. Another Frenchman, Guerlain Chicherit, was third at 3min 10sec.

Overall leader Carlos Sainz was fourth at 5min 13sec in his Audi to gain more time on his closest challengers Loeb, who ended up 10th, 11 minutes back and Brazilian Lucas Moraes of Toyota finished seventh, 9min 51sec behind the winner.

"I was really pushing hard all through the stage, but we made a mistake with the navigation and lost around ten minutes, so we again lost quite a lot of time to Carlos," said Loeb.

Sainz said he was aware his luck could change.

Mattias Ekstrom won today’s stage to claim his fifth Dakar stage win, and his second this year 👏#Dakar2024 #DakarInSaudi pic.twitter.com/Ui4aNbPJIg

— Dakar Saudi Arabia | داكار في السعودية 🇸🇦 (@dakarinsaudi) January 15, 2024

"There's still a long way for me and there are long stages to come," the 61-year-old Spaniard said. "You can see how easy it is to lose five or ten minutes on this race. It's so easy, due to navigation, punctures, everything.

"It's very stressful. But it was all good today."

In the bikes, defending champion Kevin Benavides won on a KTM, 31sec ahead of younger brother Luciano on a Husqvarna.

"Today was two completely different specials. The first part was sandy with dunes...then we switched terrain and entered here in this kind of rocky terrain and mountains," said the older Benavides. "I enjoyed my ride today. The last part was fun."

Benavides was handed victory by Frenchman Adrien Van Beveren, who slowed down when in the lead on his Honda to avoid opening the road on stage nine on Tuesday, a 417km run across rocky plateaus from Hail to Al Ula that organisers say will push competitors "to the brink mentally".

"I don't like having to do it. I don't know if it will pay off, we'll see," said Van Beveren, who came home third.

"It's frustrating to have a stage like yesterday where you have to work like crazy, and the next day a short, easy stage where there's no point in attacking."

Overall bikes leader, American Honda rider Ricky Brabec finished at 4min 8sec to gain a few seconds on his closest pursuer Botswana's Ross Branch on a Hero.