Al-Attiyah Wins Sixth Dakar Car Title; Benavides Takes Bike Victory

Qatar's Nasser Al-Attiyah claimed his sixth Dakar Rally car title on Saturday, capping a dominant performance in the grueling 14-day event across Saudi Arabia's deserts. In a thrilling finish to the motorcycle category, Argentina's Luciano Benavides edged out defending champion Ricky Brabec by just two seconds to secure his first Dakar victory.

The rally concluded near the Red Sea port of Yanbu after more than 5,000 kilometers of challenging terrain, including sand dunes, rocky tracks and marathon stages. Al-Attiyah, driving a Dacia, entered the final 105-kilometer loop with an insurmountable 15-minute lead built over the previous days. The 55-year-old Qatari, a bronze medalist in clay pigeon shooting at the 2012 London Olympics, avoided any errors to finish atop the podium. His victory marked his sixth car title, adding to earlier successes in the event's history.

Al-Attiyah's path to the win included a pivotal performance on Friday's penultimate stage, a 409-kilometer run from Al Henakiyah to Yanbu. There, he not only extended his advantage but also notched his 50th career stage victory, tying the record in the car category previously held by Finland's Ari Vatanen and France's...