2018 Dakar Rally: Stage 2 win and overall lead for Cyril Despres

Cyril Despres was the fastest driver on Stage 2 of 2018 Dakar Rally in the #308 Peugeot 3009 DKR, winning the stage ahead of two compatriots and teammates Stephane Peterhansel and Sebastien Loeb.

Despres needed 2 hours 56.51 minutes for 267 kilometers of loop stage which started and finished in Pisco. Peterhansel was 48 seconds slower while Loeb reached the finish line 3.08 minutes slower then Despres.

For Despres, the five-time Dakar winner in a motorcycle category, it was just the second stage victory with Peugeot in his fourth Dakar attempt with a car since he joined the team in 2015.

Giniel de Villiers, Toyota Hilux, 2018 Dakar Rally

Giniel de Villiers was the fastest non-Peugeot driver at Stage 2

Giniel de Villiers (Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa, #304 Toyota Hilux) finished fourth on Stage 2, ahead of X-Raid’s Orlando Terranova in the #307 Mini John Cooper Works Rally.

The winner of the opening stage Nasser Al-Attiyah finished 8th today, almost fifteen minutes behind Despres. He dropped to fifth place in the overall standings, 12 minutes 15 seconds behind Cyril Despres who is the new overall leader. Peterhansel is second in the classification after two stages, just 27 seconds behind Despres. De Villiers is the third place, ahead of Loeb.