Five things we learned from Stage 12 of Dakar 2023

The field of Dakar 2023 has conquered the Empty Quarter and we have a new race leader with two stages to go. This is the low-down from stage 12.

Toby Price en route to third on stage 12 and the overall lead in the general classification. Photo: Fr..d..ric Le Floc...h/DPPI/LiveMedia Credit: IPA/Sipa USA

1. Price finally hits the front, but can he hold on with two stages left?

It’s taken twelve stages, but Toby Price has finally taken the lead of Dakar 2023 and he did it with great aplomb.

With a 28-second deficit to Skyler Howes heading into the stage, Price’s ploy to play the long game has paid off handsomely up to now and he made sure this stage counted. Price led for the first two checkpoints, before he dropped back to finish third for the day behind eventual stage winner Jose Cornejo Florimo and fellow Aussie, Daniel ‘Chucky’ Sanders.

Price in jovial conversation with Daniel 'Chucky' Sanders prior to the 12th stage. Photo: Julien Delfosse/DPPI/LiveMedia Credit: IPA/Sipa USA

But most importantly, he was faster on the stage than Howes and Kevin Benavides. Howes was the overall leader heading into the stage, but finished 56” slower than Price and has dropped back to second overall. The gap between them is the same as it was at the beginning, 28 seconds, but this time with Price in the lead. Benavides remains in third overall and is only 2’40” behind, having finished fifth on the day, only 4” quicker than Howes.

All Toby needs to do is to maintain or extend his lead in the final two stages and win number three is his.

2. Chucky is back to his best, with a top five finish awaiting him. A podium maybe?

Chucky was back to his usual best, storming to second on stage 12. Photo: Fr..d..ric Le Floc...h/DPPI/LiveMedia Credit: IPA/Sipa USA

The charge to win Dakar 2023 is now over for Daniel ‘Chucky’ Sanders, but a top-five finish is very much possible after finishing second on stage 12.

But a podium? It sounds a little far-fetched, but, we’re talking about Chucky here. This is a rider who just doesn’t quit, nor does he know when to slow down. He only knows two things - to go hard and fast. Stage 12 was proof that he was back to his normal self, snatching second place at the end of the stage from his fellow Australian, Toby Price, not that the KTM rider cared too much about that.

Daniel Sanders was all smiles after the 12th stage of Dakar 2023. EPA/Andrew Eaton Credit: Andrew Eaton/EPA

Chucky is currently seventh in the general classification and is 20 minutes behind Price, but the gap between himself and the podium is 17’24”. For the Victorian GasGas rider, it’s game on right through to the end in Dammam.

3. Loeb makes it five stages in a row

Sebastian Loeb and Fabian Lurquin with their stage medals after winning their fifth stage in a row and the sixth of the event. Photo: Julien Delfosse/DPPI/LiveMedia Credit: IPA/Sipa USA

Having created history the day before by winning a fourth stage in a row and now equalling Carlos Sainz Snr, Ari Vatanen and Jacky Ickx, Sebastian Loeb has gone one better and made it five in a row.

In a comprehensive performance, Loeb stormed through the second part of the Empty Quarter marathon to take out stage 12, his sixth stage win of event by 3’19” over Audi’s Mattias Ekstrom and a further 12” over Nasser Al-Attiyah of Toyota Gazoo Racing. The latter remains the current overall leader by 87 minutes with two stages to go.

Loeb has also equalled another record in this rally, joining Vatanen as the only other person to win five Dakar stages in a row. Vatanen achieved this feat in 1989, going on to win the rally for Peugeot.

Ari Vatanen won five stages in a row to take out the 1989 Paris-Dakar Rally for Peugeot. Photo: Francois LOCHON/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images Credit: Francois LOCHON/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images

The Frenchman has also stormed back up into second place, with Lucas Moraes losing eleven minutes on the stage, but his hopes of winning that elusive Dakar will have to wait for another year, as al-Attiyah is almost certain to take out back to back wins.

4. Molly claims another top 10 stage finish with a top 10 overall again possible

The Empty Quarter has proven to be a very happy place for Molly Taylor, with the Australian driver and American Andrew Short hauling in more time to finish the stage sixth in the T4 Modified Production SSV class.

Molly Taylor and Andrew short are now eyeing off the top ten in the general classification, following a sixth place stage finish. Photo: Fr..d..ric Le Floc...h/DPPI/LiveMedia Credit: IPA/Sipa USA

The stage result equals her best finish of sixth back on stage eight and has helped Short and herself move up another place in the general classification to 13th overall. And with the strong performances over the last few days coming to fruition, a chance of finishing in the top ten now seems more than realistic compared to a few days ago.

After the disaster of stage 10, which saw her drop to 15th and fall two hours behind tenth place, the gap between herself and 10th, currently held by Xavier de Soultrait and Martin Bonnet, is now 33 minutes. We’ll be cheering on Molly and Andrew over the final two stages.

5. Schey brothers score another top 20 stage result in Classic Dakar

Peter and Christopher Schey have racked up another top 20 stage finish in the Classic Dakar, with the Victorian pair and their Nissan Terrano coming through in 20th for the day.

The brothers have also improved their ranking in the general classification, jumping up three spots to now sit 31st. A top-30 finish in Classic Dakar now seems very much a reality.

With two stages remaining, we continue to wish them all the best en route to Dammam.

Catch the stage 12 highlights tonight from 5pm (AEDT) on SBS and any time via SBS On Demand.