Australian Daniel Sanders has had his motorcycle lead in the Dakar Rally cut by over three minutes but was adamant it was all part of his grand plan to earn a rare wire-to-wire triumph.
Following the rest day, 30-year-old Sanders, who's seeking to become the first bike rider for 16 years to lead from start to finish in the great race, began the second week by taking things a bit easier in stage six from Ha'il to Al Duwadimi on Saturday.
He had half an eye on a potentially brutal Sunday and didn't push as hard as he could have on his Red Bull KTM, wanting to secure a good starting spot in stage seven, considered one of the defining circuits of the race around Al Duwadimi, a 412km slog with hugely difficult navigation and some mountain racing.
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