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Dakar 2023 Stage 8 Results: Hero's Branch Wins As Loeb Claims 2nd Stage Win
Stage 8 of Dakar 2023 saw the bikes return to racing as Hero's Ross Branch claimed the Indian marque's second-ever stage win. In the cars category, Sebastian Loeb emerged victorious.
Stage 8 of Dakar 2023 saw the bikes return to racing as Hero's Ross Branch claimed the Indian marque's second-ever stage win. In the cars category, Sebastian Loeb emerged victorious after Carlos Sainz got hit with a 5-minute time penalty
Stage 8 of Dakar 2023 saw the riders and drivers once again head down to Riyadh but this time from Al Duwadimi, a journey of 823km which included a 346km special stage.
Bikes
Ross Branch handed Hero Motosoirts its 2nd stage win at Dakar today as he completed the special stage in 3 hours, 46 seconds and 18 seconds. The Hero rider finished the stage 3 minutes and 15 seconds ahead of GasGas rider Daniel Sanders who currently leads the overall standings.
BAS World KTM's private rider Mason Klien continued his impressive performance at Dakar 2023 as he finished the stage 3 minutes and 33 seconds behind Branch. Klein would have finished the stage second and taken back the overall lead if not for a 2-minute penalty for speeding in the road section.
Hero's Sebastian Buhler had a good day in the saddle with the German rider finishing the stage in 3 hours 54 minutes and 31 seconds, 8 minutes and 13 seconds behind his teammate.
Hero's final rider Franco Caimi finished today's stage in 4 hours and 58 seconds, 14 minutes and 40 seconds behind Branch. The lone remaining Sherco rider Lorenzo Santolino (Rui Goncalves retired in Stage 6) finished today's special stage in 3 hours, 55 minutes and 7 seconds, 8 minutes and 49 seconds behind Branch.
In the overall standings, American GasGas rider Daniel Sanders continues to lead Dakar 2023 after Stage 8 with an overall time of 30 hours, 33 minutes and 16 seconds.
Tied for second are KTM's Kevin Benavides and Mon Klein, both sitting 1 minute and 13 seconds behind Sanders. KTM rider Toby Price is still 4th, 2:58 behind Sanders and Honda's Pablo Quintanilla, who sits 3 minutes and 45 seconds behind the leader.
Sherco's Snatolino is 12th overall, 31 minutes and 22 seconds behind Sanders. The best-ranked Hero rider is Caimi with the Argentine sitting 1:16:29 behind the overall leader. Sebastian Buhler is 26th overall, 3:50:57 behind Sanders while today's winner Branch is now 35th overall, 6:22:43 adrift of the leader.
Cars
9 time WRC winner (in a row) Sebastian Loeb found himself promoted to victory today after Audi driver Carlos Sainz was slapped with a 5-minute time penalty. Sainz was caught driving over 40km/h above the speed limit in an area of the special where the limit was just 30km/h.
Loeb and overall leader Nasser Al Attiyah fought for the lead for most of the stage before a late-starting Sainz started lighting up the timing charts at the waypoints. However, Sainz's need for speed across the sands of Saudi Arabia dropped him to the final podium spot with his rivals Loeb and Al-Attiyah benefitting from his speedy antics.
Loeb finished today's stage in 3 hours, 34 minutes and 24 seconds, 2 minutes and 11 seconds ahead of Al-Attiyah. Sainz ended up 3 minutes and 31 seconds behind Loeb after the time penalty.
In the overall standings, Al-Attiyah extended his lead over teammate Henk Lategan by over 2 minutes and is now 1 hour, 3 minutes and 46 seconds ahead of the Swede. Brazil's Lucas Moraes of overdrive Racing is third overall, 1:20:22 behind Al-Attiyah while today's winner Loeb is 4th overall, 1:52:06 adrift of his Qatari rival.
Thoughts About Dakar 2023 Stage 8
Stage 8 of Dakar 2023 saw Hero Motorsport's Ross Branch claim the Indian marque's second stage win at Dakar. Sebastian Loeb won the day in the cars category as Carlos Sainz's need for speed cost him the race after he was hit with a 5-minute time penalty.
Tomorrow is a rest day for the participants of Dakar 2023 with the rally set to resume on Tuesday with a 686km ride to Haradh.
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