Very bad day for Audi on the Dakar, this Friday.
Frenchman Stéphane Peterhansel, holder of the record for victories with 14 titles (cars and motorcycles combined), had to retire during the 6th stage after an accident at the wheel of his hybrid Audi during which his co-driver Edouard Boulanger was injured.
The 57-year-old driver was the victim of this accident at km 212, when he was leading the stage between Hail and Ryad, 560 km long.
At the start, he was in second place in the general classification.
Edouard Boulanger "suffers from back pain" and "was airlifted by the Dakar medical service to Buraydah hospital to undergo additional examinations", the organization specified on the official race website.
Complicated weather conditions
A misfortune never coming alone, Peterhansel's teammate Carlos Sainz also "was injured" in the same place, according to the organizers.
The Spaniard and his co-driver are however unscathed.
"They are waiting to be able to repair the vehicle before trying to resume its race", added the race direction.
A stop that will be expensive for the general.
Stage 6 was cut short due to heavy rain this week in Saudi Arabia.
Weather conditions having made the al-Duwadimi camp site, where the finish was initially planned, inaccessible, the timed section was reduced by 100 km to finish the stage in Riyadh.
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