Pending validation by the race stewards, Frenchman Stéphane Peterhansel (BMW) walked away with his 3rd stage victory on this 32nd edition, his 21st in a car, but more importantly his 54th (a record) on the Dakar in all categories. With a time of 5.06:05, “Peter” beat the leader of the general standings Spaniard Carlos Sainz (VW) by 45" and American Mark Miller (VW) by 1’07. There is no change, however, in the general standings, where “El Matador” Sainz is still out in front with a lead that now stands at 14’35 over his team-mate, Qatari Nasser Al-Attiyah (VW), and 22’28 over another team-mate, American Mark Miller, which means that 3 Race Touaregs still occupy the first 3 places! As regards “Peter”, he is in 4th position, 2.02:25 behind the leader. In the Open category, there was another stage victory, the 7th out of 8 stages, for American Robby Gordon and his Hummer. Lastly, in the production category, the title holder, Frenchman Nicolas Gibon (Toyota), picked up a 2nd stage victory in 2010, 42" ahead of his Japanese team-mate Jun Mitsuhashi (Toyota) and still comfortably leading his category in the general standings.
17:35 - Bike
Stage 8 summaryPending validation by the race stewards, Chilean Francisco Lopez Contardo gave a 2nd special stage victory to the Italian constructor Aprilia on the 32nd Dakar, his 3rd personal triumph in the event. With a time of 5.29:25, “Chaleco”, as he is known in the bivouac, beat Spaniard Marc Coma (KTM) by 42” and Norwegian Pal Anders Ullevalseter (KTM) by 1’22. The consequences for the general standings, dramatically shaken by the 6-hour penalty handed out yesterday to Marc Coma for illegal assistance on the 7th special, are that Frenchman Cyril Despres remains very comfortably out in front with a lead that now stands at 1.20:31 over Norway’s Ullevalseter, the new 2nd-placed rider, and 1.24:21 over Chilean Francisco “Chaleco” Lopez.
17:29 - Truck
Stage 8 summaryPending validation by the race stewards, the five times winner of the event, Russian Vladimir Chagin (Kamaz) grabbed his 7th victory out of 8 specials on the Dakar 2010 and more importantly his 54th in the event (!), equalling the record set earlier in the day by Stéphane Peterhansel! Chagin today beat his team-mate and countryman Firdaus Kabirov (Kamaz) by 12’26. As a result, in the general standings, the “Tsar” now boasts a lead of 1.16:12 over his faithful lieutenant, Kabirov.
17:26 - Quad
Stage 8 summaryPending validation by the race stewards, Argentinean Marcos Patronelli (Yamaha) picked up his 3rd stage victory on the Dakar 2010 by winning the 8th special of this 32nd edition. With a time of 7.25:38, the younger of the Patronelli brothers beat his older sibling Alejandro (Yamaha) by 56” and Frenchman Christophe Declerck (Polaris) by 2’35. There is no change in the general standings, where Marcos Patronelli is way out in front with a lead of 2.23:21 over his “big brother” Alejandro and 3.27:29 over Spaniard Juan Manuel Gonzalez Corominas (Yamaha).
