Sainz holds a lead of just over 20 minutes over Loeb following Tuesday's 417km test between Ha'il and Al-'Ula, making him the favourite for overall victory with just three stages to run in the 46th edition of the rally-raid.
However, Loeb has arguably been quicker of the two on outright pace in the second half of the rally, winning three of the last four stages in his Prodrive Hunter. The Frenchman could have made it four wins on trot had it not been for navigational problems at the end of Monday's Stage 8.
