Lithuanian driver Rokas Baciuška has proved he’s a contender in the Dakar Rally after winning the longest stage in the Saudi Arabia desert.

Nine-times world rally champion Sebastien Loeb rolled his Dacia in the Saudi desert on Tuesday as the Dakar Rally continued to take a toll of the big names after the exit of 2024 winner Carlos Sainz.

His Ford Raptor was in no fit state to continue after being flipped on its head the day before. Read more at straitstimes.com.

Dakar Rally drivers and riders recount Stage 2 of the event, where competitors took two days to traverse nearly 1000 km.

Defending champion Carlos Sainz is nearly an hour off the pace in the Dakar Rally after his car flipped in the Saudi Arabia dunes.

Carlos Sainz's defence of his Dakar Rally title ended prematurely on Monday when the Spaniard was forced to pull out after the marathon 48-hour stage won by Lithuanian driver Rokas Baciuska."It's the end of the adventure for four-time Dakar winner and defending champion Carlos Sainz and his co-driver Lucas Cruz.

Local favourite Yazeed Al-Rajhi won the 48-hour second stage of the Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia on Monday, despite a penalty for speeding, as South African Henk Lategan took the overall lead for the factory Toyota team.

After Sainz, Loeb also takes a big hit to his car in what is proving to be one of the toughest Dakar events in recent history

The return journey to Bisha to complete the 48 HR Chrono expedition to the northeast of the city required passing through a 90-kilometre portion of grey dunes which may have given some of the competitors grey hairs.