The second-to-last stage of the Dakar 2016 could be the last opportunity for Mini drivers to rise to the lead.
The distance separating leader Stéphane Peterhansel and the other candidates is great, but any setback could be decisive, not least because the levels of difficulty remain high, in a special of 281 timed km that connects La Rioja to San Juan.The margin of error is getting smaller, especially for the most highly rated drivers. Despite having flipped his ALL4 Racing Mini on yesterday's stage, Nasser Al Attiyah continues to stalk the lead, as does South African Giniel de Villiers (Toyota). With the duo Sébastien Loeb and Carlos Sainz (Peugeot) out of the title race, the race is now much more open.
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On motorcycles, the Portuguese driver Paulo Gonçalves is in 8th place and only a perfect race in today's stage can keep his aspirations of reaching the title alive. So far, Toby Price (KTM) seems well positioned to reach his first title, in what is only his second participation.
