MOTORSPORT: Loeb's teammates lie in wait

The Peugeot-dominated Dakar Rally resumes tonight, Australian time, after a day’s rest, with a couple of ominous warnings for leader Sebastien Loeb from his teammates.

The nine-time world rally champion is aware of the pitfalls ahead in this much longer event, but he’s vowed to maintain his attack.

As the field enjoyed the 'breather' at Salta, in north-west Argentina after a brief foray into Bolivia, the most successful competitor in Dakar history, Stephane Peterhansel, let fellow Frenchman Loeb, a rookie on this marathon, know that “the second week is better suited to veterans”.

And Spaniard Carlos Sainz has been the quickest driver in the field in another Peugeot since losing time on the first stage completed last week, taking the win on Saturday’s leg from Uyuni in Bolivia to Salta to be within five minutes of Loeb.

“There is still a long way to go,” Sainz said.

Peterhansel, who has the nickname “Monsieur Dakar” after 11 wins in the world’s most arduous motorsport event on two and four wheels – initially in Africa and, since 2009, in South America – is only 2 minutes 22 seconds behind Loeb.

Last year’s winner, Qatar’s Nasser Al-Attiyah, is more than 17½ minutes in arrears of Loeb’s two-wheel-drive Peugeot 2008 DKR in his four-wheel-drive MINI, hoping at best for a podium if one of the 'Pugs' falters.

Finn Mikko Hirvonen, another Dakar rookie, is fifth, almost 33 minutes behind Loeb, in another of the X-Raid Minis, followed by four Toyota Hiluxes – all of them still within an hour of the lead.

Australians Peter Jerie and navigator Peter Jerie are 33rd in a HiLux, almost four hours and 50 minutes behind the pacesetting Peugeot.

Australian Toby Price is second in the two-wheel division aboard his factory KTM, three minutes and 12 seconds behind Portugal’s Paulo Goncalves on a Honda.

Price has won three of the six bike stages so far and is intent, at least, on repeating the podium finish he achieved on debut last year.

A Bolivian spectator was killed on Saturday when hit by a Mitsubishi driven by Frenchman Lionel Baud.

It was the 64th fatality since the event began in 1979 – and the sixth since it moved to South America.

Twenty three of the deaths have been competitors, while on the prologue reintroduced this year after the ceremonial start in Buenos Aires eight spectators were injured, including a pregnant woman and three children, when Chinese woman Guo Mei Ling  crashed her MINI.

Loeb regained the lead in the cars from Peterhansel with second place to Sainz on the stage into Salta, saying he had applied the “afterburners” after a couple of minor mechanical problems – with his accelerator and turbo management system.

The accelerator started playing up the previous day, when he also had two punctures.

“I didn’t expect to be in the lead on the rest day,” said Loeb, who has stunned rally-raid veterans with his performance in his first Dakar.

“We’ll have to work hard the next few days – the next three stages are packed with pitfalls. They’re tricky.

“Our only strategy is to attack a lot and post solid times.”

The wily Peterhansel has been driving within himself and is content that he is in a good position for the remaining week’s stages to the finish at Rosario, Argentina’s third-biggest city, on January 16.

In particular, this second week will place greater emphasis on navigation – a challenge for Loeb’s co-driver Daniel Elena, who was accustomed to calling pre-prepared pace notes but now has to direct his charge from a roadbook handed to him by event organisers, although he has the assistance of GPS.

MINI man Al-Attiyah is demoralised by the progress Peugeot – winner of four straight Dakars at the end of the 1980s – has made since its return to the event last year, but he was third on the latest stage and still hoping he can sneak a podium at Rosario.

“All we can do now is attack,” Al-Attiyah said.

“There are some extremely hard stages coming.

“Taking the fight to the Peugeots will be tough, but it looks like even they can run into trouble.”

The fourth ‘Pug’, driven by Frenchman Cyril Depres, has had the most mechanical problems among the top runners and is 1¾ hours behind Loeb.

Motorcycle star Price was thrilled to be greeted by Australian flags as he made it to Salta.

“It’s nice to get support when you’re racing so far from home,” Price said.

On Friday he hit a cow just 22km into the loop around Uyuni, which included motoring over the world’s largest salt flats.

“There were a couple of cows stuck in sand. I went to go around one of them, but it pulled in front of me and I hit it,” Price said.

“It wasn’t the best start to the day, but we regrouped.

“The pace of the first week has been pretty high, compared to what last year’s Dakar was.

“I’m happy with my performance, but you must never drop your guard – that’s the best way to make mistakes.

“It’s far from over ... a mechanical or a navigational mistake can destroy everything.

“The second week is when little things go wrong, plus the bikes have been through a lot already in the first week.

“My aim is to finish the race and get a podium.

“It’s going to be a close fight all the way to the finish line.

“It’s a long way away yet. It’s going to be pretty difficult.”