A dramatic moment was seen on the third stage of the Dakar Rally, when the Dacia of the rally legend was thrown from the hands of its driver.
Sebastien Loeb’s car suffered major damage in the crash. However, the French rider was able to continue the race. PDO
Rally legend Sebastien Loeb crashed his car violently upside down during the third special stage of the Dakar desert rally.
The rally legend competing in Dacia was roasting in the desert at high speed, when the car slipped out of the driver’s hands due to a nasty jerk. The Dacia rolled over violently, suffering extensive damage.
Watch the video of Loeb’s drive out below or click here.
Loeb and the map reader Fabian Lurquin were not injured in the situation. The two were able to continue their journey after eight minutes of repair work, but the journey later stopped along the way as the problems continued. In the end, Loeb lost by more than an hour to the lead.
Loeb’s chances of winning the classic race vanished like a cloud of sand. To top it all off, the race of the nine-time rally world champion could be completely over.
After the special test, the jury of the race took Loeb’s car to a close examination, checking whether the car is safe to continue the rally. Another rally legend, Carlos Sainzthe Dakar rally ended earlier after the car’s safety frame was damaged during the Spaniard’s exit.
Loeb, who has won nine world championships and 80 race victories in the rally, has been chasing the victory in the Dakar Rally for years. The Frenchman has finished second in the race three times, but victory has eluded the king of the rally world in this race as if cursed.
This year’s Dakar Rally is led by a South African driving a Toyota after three laps Henk Lategan.