Overview
- Nasser Al-Attiyah won the 311-kilometer penultimate test to extend his overall car lead to 15 minutes, 02 seconds with only a 108-kilometer loop outside Yanbu remaining.
- The victory was Al-Attiyah’s 50th Dakar stage win, matching Ari Vatanen and Stéphane Peterhansel for the all-time record.
- Nani Roma’s eighth place on the stage cost him more than six minutes in his pursuit, and teammate Romain Dumas handed over a front axle unit afterward so Roma could reach the bivouac without penalty.
- Mitch Guthrie recovered to finish second on the stage, while Mattias Ekström opened the road to third on the day and moved into third overall by 29 seconds ahead of Sébastien Loeb.
- Ricky Brabec turned a 23-second deficit into a 3 minute, 20 second bike lead by starting sixth to leverage tracks and bonuses as Luciano Benavides opened the way.