After X-raid narrowly missed out on stage wins twice in the first week, the breakthrough came at the start of the second week: Guillaume de Mévius and Mathieu Baumel set the fastest time in the MINI JCW Rally 3.0i on the sixth stage from Hail to Al Duwadimi. João Ferreira and Filipe Palmeiro secured second place in the MINI JCW Rally 3.0d. Denis Krotov and Konstantin Zhiltsov rounded off X-raid’s success with an 11th-place finish in the MINI JCW Rally 3.0i. Lionel and Lucie Baud finished 27th in the MINI JCW Rally 3.0d.
After the serious accident involving Guerlain Chicherit and Alex Winocq at the start of the sixth stage, the X-raid team can give the all-clear: according to initial assessments, both drivers are in good condition.
De Mévius started the stage well-rested after the rest day and pushed hard from the beginning. He remained in the leading group throughout the stage in the MINI JCW Rally 3.0i. On the final kilometers, the Belgian climbed to the top of the leaderboard. At the finish line, he claimed the first Dakar stage win for the new family member, the MINI JCW Rally 3.0i – and X-raid’s first stage win since 2021. With this success, he made a significant leap forward in the overall standings, moving up to 14th place.
His teammate Ferreira took it easy during the first part of the stage after suffering a flat tire. After the neutralization, the terrain changed from rocky to sandy, and the young Portuguese driver pushed hard. He steadily moved up the leaderboard and eventually posted the second-fastest time of the day. In the overall standings, he climbed back into the top 10, securing ninth place.
Vladas Jurkevicius and Aisvydas Paliukenas had to abandon the stage due to technical issues. They used the neutralization to head to the bivouac in Al Duwadimi.
The MINI JCW Rally 3.0i crew of Chicherit/Winocq rolled over 16 kilometers into the sixth stage after hitting a bump they failed to see. Both drivers were able to exit the vehicle on their own and were subsequently taken to a hospital for medical examination. According to the latest reports, neither sustained any serious injuries.
The two X-raid Fenics are still on the stage. Another press release will follow.
What’s next:
On the seventh stage, the drivers will tackle a loop around Al Duwadimi. The 419 km-long stage features a mix of gravel tracks, sandy dunes, and rocky mountain sections.
Quotes from the team
Guillaume de Mévius (#222 MINI JCW Rally 3.0i): “It was a good day for us. We want to push in the second week since the first one didn’t go so well for us. We aim to score some points for the championship and secure a spot in the top 10. It’s also my first stage win at this Dakar and the first for the MINI JCW Rally 3.0i. I’m happy and proud of the team, who worked hard to make this happen.”
João Ferreira (#240 MINI JCW Rally 3.0d): “This stage went pretty well for us. We had a flat tire at the beginning of the special, so we were cautious during the first 200 kilometers. After the neutralization, the tracks became sandy, and we pushed hard. It was a lot of fun.”
Result stage 6
1. G. de Mévius / M. Baumel – MINI JCW Rally 3.0i – 4h 34m 49s
2. J. Ferreira / F. Palmeiro – MINI JCW Rally 3.0d – 4h 36m 23s
3. N. Al-Attiyah / E. Boulanger – Dacia – 4h 36m 50s
4. Y. Al-Rajhi / T. Gottschalk – Toyota – 4h 38m 24s
5. R. Baciuska / O. Mena – Toyota – 4h 40m 20s
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11. D. Krotov / K. Zhiltsov – MINI JCW Rally 3.0i – 4h 44m 04s
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27. L. Baud / L. Baud – MINI JCW Rally 3.0d – 5h 12m 46s
Overall standings
1. H. Lategan / B. Cummings – Toyota – 32h 51m 36s
2. Y. Al-Rajhi / T. Gottschalk – Toyota – 32h 58m 52s
3. M. Ekström / E. Bergkvist – Ford – 33h 14m 03s
4. N. Al-Attiyah / E. Boulanger – Dacia – 33h 22m 01s
5. M. Guthrie / K. Walch – Ford – 33h 41m 52s
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9. J. Ferreira / F. Palmeiro – MINI JCW Rally 3.0d – 34h 38m 49s
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14. G. de Mévius / M. Baumel – MINI JCW Rally 3.0i – 36h 35m 19s
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25. L. Baud / L. Baud – MINI JCW Rally 3.0d – 37h 52m 13s
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tba D. Krotov / K. Zhiltsov – MINI JCW Rally 3.0i – 80h 26m 32s