Australian Daniel Sanders is keeping his cool as he rests before the decisive penultimate stage of the Dakar Rally, with a rare motorcycle triumph tantalisingly within his grasp.
Sanders has been brilliant and dominant throughout the two-week rally, and again didn't put a foot wrong on Wednesday's 10th stage, a 115km battle from Haradh to Shubaytah that took the field into the Empty Quarter desert, the largest continuous body of sand in the world.
The Yarra Valley rider now holds what seems like an insurmountable 16 minute 31 seconds lead, going into Thursday's decisive 11th stage in the desert which features a 275km special around Shubaytah, an examination so testing that it's still possible the Aussie's big advantage could be wiped out there.
