Ventura climbs onto the stage eight podium as Campbell holds his overall lead

As the finish line in Yanbu draws ever closer, all eyes turned to stage eight of this year’s Dakar Rally.

Riders faced a punishing 483 km loop in Wadi ad-Dawasir, a stage designed to test every skill.  Lightning-fast tracks sliced through the vast desert oasis, while sweeping, ever-shifting dunes in the breathtaking Dawasir region pushed competitors to their limits.  A few rugged sections kept riders on edge before a final, high-speed dash through the sand to the finish.

Martim Ventura completed an impressive fightback through the dunes, finishing stage eight just 15 seconds behind Rally2 stage winner Neels Theric. The 25-year-old continues to impress in his first Dakar Rally, climbing the provisional overall leaderboard. Starting the day in seventh, Ventura now sits fifth, just two minutes off fourth, marking a remarkable recovery after dropping to ninth on stage four.

Rally2 leader Preston Campbell has weathered the pressure so far, maintaining his grip at the top.  He rode a consistent pace to finish fourth, 3’31” behind the stage winner.  While his main rival Toni Mulec gained a minute and a half on him today, Campbell still holds a healthy 9’36” lead as the rally edges toward its final stages.

Stage nine plunges riders back into the brutal marathon challenge, a test that could once again shake up the leaderboard.  The day begins with a 120 km liaison before 418 km of high-stakes, timed racing, finishing with a second 188 km liaison to the marathon bivouac.  Every second will count, but the real battle over the next two days will be staying sharp and keeping their bikes intact through the punishing conditions.