Five things we learned from Stage 11 of Dakar 2023

The biggest marathon stages of Dakar 2023, the Empty Quarter, have commenced and this is where the winners of this year’s rally will be decided. The only question is: who will they be?

The top three of Dakar 2023 with three stages to go - (L-R) Kevin Benavides, Toby Price and Skyler Howes

1. A three-way fight for outright honours in the bikes

It’s now down to three riders in the battle for outright honours, with 2’44” between the top three.

Skyler Howes has taken back the overall lead in the general classification, having finished fourth on the stage just one place behind Toby Price. Price rode another solid stage to finish in third, 18” behind fellow Aussie Daniel ‘Chucky’ Sanders.

The gap between the top two is now only 28 seconds, and lurking in the wings is Kevin Benavides.

The Argentinian headed into the stage as the overall leader but he couldn’t capitalise on this small advantage, dropping to third overall after finishing 10th on the day.

Not only is it a battle of the top three, it’s a battle for manufacturer supremacy with Husqvarna and KTM in the mix. The final three stages will be worth watching.

2. Loeb eyes second overall as he creates more Dakar history

Sebastien Loeb and Fabian Lurquin storm through the Empty Quarter to their fourth Dakar stage win in a row and the fifth for this year's event. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP) Source: AFP / FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images

Sebastien Loeb has pulled off one of the most impressive comebacks in this year’s rally.

Having suffered the triple puncture in the second stage that dropped him over an hour behind, followed by a rollover during the fifth stage which lost him another half-hour, the nine-time World Rally champion has been driving like a man possessed.

With the high-profile retirements of Stephane Peterhansel and Carlos Sainz Snr amongst others, Loeb has worked his way back into the top three of the cars component of the rally. And he’s done so with his fourth stage win in a row, equalling a record that is shared with Sainz Snr, Ari Vatanen and Jacky Ickx. For the rally itself, this is his fifth stage win this year.

He is now only 9’37” behind Brazilian rookie, Lucas Moraes, but is still 90 minutes behind current overall leader, Toyota Gazoo Racing’s Nasser Al-Attiyah.

An outright win is highly unlikely now, but stranger things have happened.

3. Molly bounces back from deeply difficult Stage 10

Molly Taylor and Andrew Short en route to eighth on stage 11 for South Racing Can-Am. Photo: Florent Gooden/DPPI/LiveMedia Credit: IPA/Sipa USA

With the chances of a top 10 finish in the T4 Modified Production SSV class now gone after Stage 10, Molly Taylor and Andrew Short are now making the most of what is left in this year’s Dakar.

Heading into the stage in 15th position, the pair recovered strongly from the previous day’s dramas to finish eighth on the day, only 12 minutes behind eventual stage and overall leader, Rokas Baciuska. In terms of the general classification, Taylor and Short have moved up one spot to 14th.

Coincidentally, this currently equals Molly’s debut effort 12 months earlier. Here’s hoping she can do one better near the end of the rally,

4. Austin Jones takes lead in T3 as Yamaha lock out top three in the stage

In the grand scheme of things of cars and buggies, Yamaha is a manufacturer that is mostly associated with motorcycles. Their foray into four-wheeled motorsport was limited to its brief entry into Formula 1 as an engine manufacturer during the 1990s. In terms of results, it was mostly disastrous.

But that’s now changing with the Dakar Rally. Partnering with the experienced X-Raid team from Germany, the Japanese manufacturer embarked on a five-buggy attack in the T3 Lightweight Prototype class, and it’s starting to pay dividends, with the first three places of Stage 11 taken out by the Yamahas, led by Ricardo Porem and Agusto Sanz.

Ricardo Porem and Agusto Sanz claim stage 11 honours in T3 for Yamaha. Photo: Florent Gooden/DPPI/LiveMedia Credit: IPA/Sipa USA

In the general classification, they are currently 10th, 14th, 18th, 19th and 20th.

The current overall leader is American Austin Jones and Brazilian Gustavo Gugelmin for Red Bull Can-Am. The pair have inherited the lead from previous leaders Guillaume de Mevius and Francois Cazalet, and have a 55-minute lead with three stages to go.

Red Bull Can-Am's Austin Jones and Gustavo Gugelmin inherited the outright lead in T3 on stage 11. Credit: IPA/Sipa USA

5. Schey brothers keep powering along in Classic Dakar

Peter and Christopher Schey have kept their Classic Dakar campaign ticking along nicely as the rally quickly draws to a close.

The Victorians aboard their Nissan Terrano had another top 20 finish overnight, completing the eleventh stage in 19th place. In the general classification, they have dropped only one place from when we last checked in on stage eight. They now sit 34th.

Peter and Christopher Schey are currently 34th in Classic Dakar with three stages remaining. Photo: ASO/Photop

It’s been an impressive performance by the brothers, in what is essentially a bucket list item for them. We wish them all the best in the final three stages.

Catch the Stage 11 highlights tonight from 5pm (AEDT) on SBS and any time via SBS On Demand.