With the 2017 Dakar Rally restarted on Thursday after a second stage cancellation on Wednesday owing to a massive landslide, the importance of Thursday’s Stage 10 from Chilecito to San Juan in Argentina grew.
It was a dramatic day with a lot of changes. Highlights will occur on Friday, at 6:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN.
Notes from the day are below:
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In the battle between Peugeot teammates Sebastien Loeb and Stephane Peterhansel, Peterhansel survived an incident while Loeb captured another stage win.
Stage 10 is also underway for cars.
— DAKAR RALLY (@dakar) January 12, 2017
Another episode of the Loeb/Peterhansel blockbuster, or will another racer crash the party? #Dakar2017 pic.twitter.com/pS2deKs1ST
At the first waypoint, Peterhansel took a minute, 36 second lead over Loeb, which left the net between the two of them at this point in the rally a microscopically scant two seconds!
🚩 WP1 - CARS 🚩
— DAKAR RALLY (@dakar) January 12, 2017
Peterhansel has 1'36" on Loeb, which means there are now just two seconds between them overall.
TWO. SECONDS. 🔥 #Dakar2017 pic.twitter.com/BFPfAPwvUT
Peterhansel then had an incident with bike rider Simon Marcic, who was assisted by rescue services and diagnosed with an open tibia-fibula fracture.
.@s_peterhansel had an accident with Simon Marcic (bikes) at km 83. The Frenchman stayed with him until rescue arrived. #Dakar2017 (1/2)
— DAKAR RALLY (@dakar) January 12, 2017
Marcic is injured, but he is well taken care of by the rescue services. More to follow. #Dakar2017 (2/2)
— DAKAR RALLY (@dakar) January 12, 2017
Simon Marcic has been diagnosed with an open tibia-fibula fracture. #Dakar2017
— DAKAR RALLY (@dakar) January 12, 2017
The third member of the Peugeot runners, Cyril Despres, was ahead at the first checkpoint of the stage and build that as the day went on, while Peterhansel looked to recover.
🚩 CP1 - CARS 🚩
— DAKAR RALLY (@dakar) January 12, 2017
1- 📸 @cyrildespres
2- @fuchsrally (+5'42")
3- @YazeedRacing (+6'26")
The third man is the main man thus far. #Dakar2017 pic.twitter.com/2W4SSAJqnl
🚩 ASS1 - CARS 🚩
— DAKAR RALLY (@dakar) January 12, 2017
1- 📸 @cyrildespres
2- @SebastienLoeb (+6'28")
3- @YazeedRacing (+7'16")
Despres closes in on Loeb. #Dakar2017 pic.twitter.com/kdvVQJGBlG
.@s_peterhansel is 5th, 8'06" behind Despres. However, he could (albeit in the conditional) get time back following his accident. #Dakar2017 pic.twitter.com/letuU1YbHm
— DAKAR RALLY (@dakar) January 12, 2017
Loeb and Peterhansel both closed on Despres as the day went on.
🚩 WP8 - CARS 🚩
— DAKAR RALLY (@dakar) January 12, 2017
1- @cyrildespres
2- 📸 @SebastienLoeb (+3'44")
3- @s_peterhansel (+6'30")
Loeb is 👀ing another stage win. #Dakar2017 pic.twitter.com/X6FroWCaUa
By the end of the stage, Loeb overcame the deficit to Despres in order to secure his fourth stage win of this year’s rally, and thus match the total he achieved last year.
🏁 STAGE 10 - CARS 🏁
— DAKAR RALLY (@dakar) January 12, 2017
1- @SebastienLoeb 🇫🇷
2- @cyrildespres 🇫🇷 (+2'33")
3- @s_peterhansel 🇫🇷 (+6'45")
His fourth stage win. #Dakar2017 #LO4B pic.twitter.com/OPmaQVyG3j
Peterhansel retains the lead with two stages remaining, following a time adjustment.
Peterhansel's time has been adjusted after his accident. #Dakar2017
— DAKAR RALLY (@dakar) January 12, 2017
Stage 10: Winner (7'28" lead on Loeb)
Overall: 1st (5'50" lead on Loeb) pic.twitter.com/eKPEnz6vUA
The day was also difficult for MINI’s Mikko Hirvonen, who was stuck for three hours in a ravine.
Some (bad) news from @MikkoWRC: The Finn has been stuck for 3 hours in a kind of ravine earlier today. He just reached ASS1. #Dakar2017 pic.twitter.com/c1cKcmGvaI
— DAKAR RALLY (@dakar) January 12, 2017
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The day in bikes saw KTM’s Sam Sunderland consolidate his lead, while one of the podium contenders was knocked unconscious and one of the day’s podium finishers evacuated to a hospital on a brutal day in this category.
Sunderland has a 30-minute lead and change while Michael Metge claimed his elusive first win of the rally. Joan Barreda, the Honda rider who lost an hour to a penalty early in the race, was second today with Stefan Svetko in third.
Svetko was evacuated to the hospital after the day’s stage.
Today's third, @stefansvitko 🏍, has been evacuated to hospital. He reportedly felt exhausted after the stage. More to follow. #Dakar2017 pic.twitter.com/IF8cj42nMO
— DAKAR RALLY (@dakar) January 12, 2017
Worse was the luck for Pablo Quintanilla, who had been second for most of the rally but fell off his bike and was diagnosed with head trauma and a loss of consciousness.
Just in: Pablo Quintanilla 🏍, second overall, withdraws from the #Dakar2017 after feeling unwell. Further information to follow. #Dakar2017 pic.twitter.com/IuuX0fD9T8
— DAKAR RALLY (@dakar) January 12, 2017
Pablo Quintanilla has been diagnosed with a head trauma and a loss of consciousness. It is confirmed that he fell off his bike. #Dakar2017
— DAKAR RALLY (@dakar) January 12, 2017
Get back on your feet soon, @quintanilla102 !!! All the best! https://t.co/wKm1LH0ATi
— Matthias Walkner (@MatthiasWalkner) January 12, 2017
Sunderland seems poised to capture the win but isn’t backing down just yet, knowing how brutally tough this Dakar has been in the bike category.
BIKES - @Sundersam knows a 30-minute lead means nothing on the Dakar. / Treinta minutos de ventaja no se podrían ser suficiente. #Dakar2017 pic.twitter.com/wtcSCsPiYD
— DAKAR RALLY (@dakar) January 12, 2017
BIKES 🏍 - @joanbangbang88 wants to have no regrets. / Joan Barreda no quiere tener cosas que lamentar. #Dakar2017 pic.twitter.com/FpaSWuUKeh
— DAKAR RALLY (@dakar) January 12, 2017
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It was a Russian double in the quads and trucks, with Sergey Karayakin (quads) and Eduard Nikolaev (trucks) taking their respective class wins today.
🏁 STAGE 10 - QUADS 🏁
— DAKAR RALLY (@dakar) January 12, 2017
1- @Karyakin_s 🇷🇺
2- @IgnacioCasale 🇨🇱 (+10'46")
3- @PabloCopetti 🇦🇷 (+1h22'09")
It's a duel for the 🏆 now. #Dakar2017 pic.twitter.com/AAByd7e96L
🏁 STAGE 10 - TRUCKS 🏁
— DAKAR RALLY (@dakar) January 12, 2017
1- Eduard Nikolaev 🇷🇺
2- Dmitry Sotnikov 🇷🇺 (+7'01")
3- Airat Mardeev 🇷🇺 (+7'41")
A Russian treble. #Dakar2017 pic.twitter.com/bTcrI0Y10x
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STAGE MAP
🏁 Stage 10 🏁
— DAKAR RALLY (@dakar) January 12, 2017
📍 Chilecito 🇦🇷 - San Juan 🇦🇷
🚙🏍🚛 751 km (SS: 449 km)
😎 @VisitArg#Dakar2017 pic.twitter.com/oR1jRwwaen
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STAGE RECAPS
Stage nine (cancelled due to weather) and (VIDEO)
Stage eight (VIDEOS)
Rest day VIDEOS
Stage seven
Stage six (cancelled due to weather)
Stage five (shortened due to weather)
Stage four and (VIDEOS)
Stage three and (VIDEOS)
Stage two and (VIDEOS)
Stage one and (VIDEOS)