Sainz reverses his helicopter evacuation after capsizing on a dune

The ninth stage of the Dakar, in addition to the victory of Sebastian Loeb – the Frenchman’s third – will be remembered for the return to the race of Carlos Sainz, reversing his evacuation by helicopter to the hospital after a spectacular accident. The ‘matador’, who went all out after the day off, and his co-driver Lucas Cruz rolled over a dune when they were traveling at kilometer six and the man from Madrid got out of his Audi with chest pain in the right side.

When the assistance arrived at the place, it was reported from the organization that Sainz was going to be evacuated by helicopter to a hospital in Riyadh. However, although the man from Madrid got on the aircraft, it did not take off. The medical examination carried out ‘in situ’ determined that he was fine, so he decided to try to resume the march, thus demonstrating his character and status as a motor legend. More than four hours after suffering the setback, he resumed the march with his battered Audi.

Sainz’s challenge is to finish an edition that is being a real torture for him, no matter how promising the beginnings were – he dominated the race the first two days. The first setback for the man from Madrid came on the fourth day, although it was two days later when he said goodbye to his chances of victory in the raid with the accident he suffered together with his teammate Petehansel.

The ‘Matador’ setback on this ninth day has not been the only serious one that has affected the Spanish riders. In fact, first it was Joan Barreda who suffered a fall at kilometer 16 and was forced to abandon. For the man from Castellón it has been the last misfortune in a long list. He first broke the big toe on his left foot when he hit a rock and then suffered a fall in which Toby Price hit the Spaniard’s helmet with his motorcycle as it ran over him.