US EditionVariawa Wins Dakar Eighth Stage, Al-Attiyah Retains Overall Lead
Saood Variawa surged from sixth to win stage eight by three seconds while Luciano Benavides took the overall bike lead with 7½ minutes in time bonuses, officials said.
- On Monday, Saood Variawa snatched stage eight from Henk Lategan by three seconds in Wadi Ad-Dawasir, denying Lategan a second straight win.
- Struggling with tyre and navigation issues on Sunday, Variawa suffered mechanical problems including a broken Toyota rear damper 30 kilometers from the finish while Monday's stage featured dunes, valleys and rocks with easier navigation.
- Starting 26th, Saood Variawa climbed from sixth to third after 448 km and second in the 483-kilometer loop, adding to his youth record as the youngest stage winner at 19.
- Benavides took the overall bike lead after winning his second straight stage by 4:50 over Daniel Sanders and gaining all 7 1/2 minutes in bonus time, leading by 10 seconds into the two-day marathon.
- The result tightens the overall standings as Monday was the longest stage of the race and produced the closest top five after eight stages in 26 years, with Nasser Al-Attiyah's navigation error dropping him two minutes behind.
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37 Articles
Boston Herald
Independent EspañolAssociated Press WADI AD-DAWASIR, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Saood Variawa took on Monday the eighth stage from his South African fellow Henk Lategan by three seconds after an impressive retracement at Dakar Rally. Variawa, just 20 years old and participating in his third Dakar, started at 26th place and was in sixth place 100 kilometers from the finish in the 483 km circuit outside Wadi ad-Dawasir. Then he was third after 414 kilometers and second aft…
The eighth stage of the Dakar Rally (Wadi ad-Dawasir - Wadi ad-Dawasir; 481 km) was held on Monday, won by South African Saood Variawa (Toyota Gazoo; 4:20.35).
South African Victory: A Thrilling Stage at Dakar Rally | Sports-Games
Saood Variawa clinched victory in the eighth stage of the Dakar Rally, leading a South African one-two finish with Henk Lategan. Nasser Al-Attiyah's overall lead shrank to four minutes while Mattias Ekstrom and Sebastien Loeb remain strong competitors. Luciano Benavides seized control in motorcycles, with fierce competition ahead.
Saood Variawa has given the surprise in cars after winning the eighth stage of the Dakar Rally 2026. Toyota’s South African has imposed himself on his fellow countryman Henk Lategan after a spectacular final stage, in which he imposed himself for just three seconds, after passing 19th through the first checkpoint. One day there was hardly any movement in the general standings. Carlos Sainz played his cards and finished 6th in the stage, just beh…
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