SA team clinch first Dakar stage win

Foreign drivers got the Toyota Gazoo Racing SA team got off to a cracking start at the Dakar Rally at the weekend, while South African contender Giniel de Villiers stayed in touch with the early leaders.

After a 242km liaison section in Peru, the competitors battled it out in a 31km sprint near Pisco on Saturday’s opening stage of the two-week battle.

Two-time former winner Nass- er al-Attiyah of Qatar covered the timed section in 21 minutes, 51 seconds (21:51), with Toyota Gazoo team-mate Bernhard ten Brinke of the Netherlands crossing the line 25 seconds off the pace in second position.

De Villiers, meanwhile, came home in sixth spot with his German co-driver Dirk von Zitzewitz, another 29 seconds behind Ten Brinke.

The South African pairing of Hennie de Klerk and Gerhard Schutte (Volkswagen) were lying 59th of the 88 cars left in the race, while co-driver Robert Howie enjoyed a good start with Argentine driver Lucio Alvarez (Toyota) who settled in seventh position.

In the bikes division, David Thomas (Husqvarna) was the best of the SA contingent, completing the timed section in 29th place. He was nearly five minutes off the pace of British defending champion Sam Sunderland, who covered the stage in 20:56.

The first full stage, which was set to be held late yesterday, consisted of an 11km link section, followed by a 267km special stage.