Invincible Al Attiyah makes it nine wins out of nine stages at the Silk Way rally
Sports Scene
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Driver Nasser Al-Attiyah of Qatar (L) and co-driver Matthieu Baumel (R) of France celebrate on the 2019 Dakar Rally podium in Lima on January 17, 2019. /VCG Photo

Driver Nasser Al-Attiyah of Qatar (L) and co-driver Matthieu Baumel (R) of France celebrate on the 2019 Dakar Rally podium in Lima on January 17, 2019. /VCG Photo

An indomitable Nasser Al-Attiyah continued to lead the cars category at the ongoing Silk Way Rally after the end of the penultimate stage, and remains well poised to win the title after winning each of the nine completed legs so far. The Qatari has a got a new closest chaser in China’s Han Wei as he moved up to second overall on Monday. 

The latest route took the participants 501.2 kilometers, from Alashan in China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region to Jiayuguan in Gansu Province.

Al-Attiyah continued his impeccable romp through the Gobi Desert, by rumbling to another first place finish in three hours, 52 minutes, and 17 seconds. 

Meanwhile Han finished just nine minutes and 12 seconds behind, moving into the runner-up spot. This is his third Silk Way Rally after he finished sixth and third in his previous two attempts even though he was the best among the Chinese contenders on both occasions.

In the bikes section, Andrew Short won his first stage, but it is Sam Sunderland who remains the man to beat in the event. The Brit crossed the line fourth this time, but that was good enough for him to lead the pack by 22 minutes and 51 seconds.  

As for the trucks, Anton Shibalov celebrated his ascension into the overall lead, after Sergei Vyazovich crashed out a day earlier, by claiming his second leg in a row. Today's 10th and closing section will take the drivers along the final 556.66 kilometers to Dunhuang.