Rallying - Dakar Rally - Stage 3 - Bisha to Al Henakiyah - Saudi Arabia - January 7, 2025 Overdrive Racing's Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Timo Gottschalk in action during stage 3 REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov
(Reuters) - Five-times winner Nasser Al-Attiyah hit trouble in the Dakar Rally on Wednesday, the latest frontrunner to struggle in the Saudi Arabian sands after the departures of Sebastien Loeb and defending champion Carlos Sainz.
The Qatari, driving a Dacia Sandrider, started the day in second place and chasing Toyota's South African leader Henk Lategan but dropped to seventh and 35 minutes adrift after suffering wheel issues.
