The 2016 Dakar returns to action with a special that will make the first contact with the dunes, a real test of the pilots' preparation.
The 8th stage of the Dakar 2016 starts this Monday with a special linking the province of Salta to Belén, covering a total of 393km of sandy terrain that could cause navigation problems.After a balanced first week, Carlos Sainz and Stéphane Peterhansel will definitely try to keep pace with Sébastien Loeb, who heads the overall standings. Mini's Nasser Al-Attiyah is one of the few drivers who has meddled in Peugeot's trident domain. In fact, the French team seems to be clearly at a higher level compared to the other teams, having won all the stages so far.
RELATED: 15 facts and figures about the 2016 Dakar
On motorcycles, Paulo Gonçalves starts in first position in the general standings with a 3m12s advantage over Tobey Price (KTM). Despite the good race so far, the Portuguese remains cautious: "I think the second week will be even more difficult than the first, so it's important to be focused and with a lot of energy."
