BISHA, Saudi Arabia — Defending champion Carlos Sainz faced a major setback in the Dakar Rally as his vehicle flipped in the sandy terrains of Saudi Arabia on Sunday, putting him nearly an hour behind the leaders.

Local competitor Yazeed Al Rajhi seized the lead during the mandatory evening rest stop, positioned north of Bisha, as racers tackled the challenging second stage, which spans almost 1,000 kilometers. Al Rajhi established a narrow advantage, leading by merely 79 seconds over five-time champion Nasser Al-Attiyah.

Sainz initially managed to keep pace, trailing the leaders by only five minutes after more than 200 kilometers. However, disaster struck at the 327-kilometer mark when his Ford Raptor overturned in the dunes. It took teammate Mitch Guthrie about 20 minutes to assist Sainz in righting the vehicle. Unfortunately, due to damaged rear components, Sainz limped into the rest area, finishing over 59 minutes behind the leaders.

Sebastien Loeb, another frontrunner and last year’s stage winner, also struggled as he experienced mechanical issues related to the fan system at 409 kilometers, concluding the stage more than 32 minutes slow. Al-Attiyah, who briefly held the lead by four minutes, was ultimately overtaken by Al Rajhi around the 350-kilometer point and could not reclaim dominance.

Sweden’s Mattias Ekstrom managed to secure third place, remaining nine minutes adrift of the leader and being the only racer within ten minutes of Al Rajhi. Seth Quintero, who won the opening stage, fell back significantly, trailing by 48 minutes.

In the motorcycle category, Australian rider Daniel Sanders maintained his competitive edge despite having started at the back of the pack following his first stage victory. Racing on a different route than the vehicles, Sanders led the motorcycle class, holding a slim 40-second margin over American titleholder Ricky Brabec. Ross Branch, who achieved second place last year, lost some ground yet remained in third.

The 48-hour chrono stage, introduced last year, challenges racers with minimal team assistance overnight, aiming to provide what the organizers describe as the quintessential rally-raid experience. This was the stage where Al Rajhi’s vehicle flipped, ultimately leading to his withdrawal from the 2024 rally.

The stage will continue at dawn on Monday.