The South African Lategan leads his Saudi rival by 2 1/2 minutes going into the 11th and penultimate stage in the Empty Quarter dunes
Friday’s last stage is a ceremonial drive to the finish in Shubaytah
SHUBAYTAH: Henk Lategan and Yazeed Al-Rajhi will duel in the Saudi sand for their first Dakar Rally title after swapping the lead for a second straight day Wednesday.
The South African Lategan leads his Saudi rival by 2 1/2 minutes going into the 11th and penultimate stage in the Empty Quarter dunes. Friday’s last stage is a ceremonial drive to the finish in Shubaytah.
Al-Rajhi led by seven minutes before the 10th stage, a tricky 120-kilometer loop south of Shubaytah on Wednesday. But he got stuck and relinquished the overall lead back to Lategan.
“We got stuck because we were taking it easy,” Al-Rajhi said. “Everything is going good, that’s the most important (thing). I have a good position, I hope.”
Lategan also took it easy but without finding any trouble, and was 10th on the stage, making up minutes on all of his nearest pursuers.
“It wasn’t the plan to go quickly today,” Lategan said.
On Thursday, he will start 10th and Al-Rajhi 27th and they can push harder by taking advantage of the tracks of those in front.
’Most disappointing day of my life’
Third-placed Mattias Ekström fell two minutes further back to 27 minutes, and five-time champion Nasser Al-Attiyah lost five minutes to drop back to 30.
Al-Attiyah, the only former champion with an outside title shot, got lost about nine kilometers in.
“I’m very disappointed, but what can you do?” Al-Attiyah said. “We had a good pace but we lost a lot of time. This is the most disappointing day of my life.”
Spain’s Nani Roma, one of only three men to win the Dakar in a car (2014) and motorbike (2004), won his first stage in nine years by 18 seconds from Lucas Moraes of Brazil. Brian Baragwanath of South Africa was third.
Sanders on the brink
Australian rider Daniel Sanders was on the brink of his first Dakar title in a motorbike race he’s dominated from stage one.
Sanders was fourth on the 116-kilometer stage but ahead of his nearest rivals, extending his overall lead by about two minutes against Spain’s Tosha Schareina and France’s Adrien van Beveren.
The advantage over Schareina was 16 1/2 minutes, the biggest in the race so far.
“It’s pretty much survival tomorrow and just getting through,” Sanders said. “I think we’ll be all right. I felt really good in the navigation and I was opening a little bit and then, yeah, it felt nice. So yeah, ready for tomorrow.”
Portugal’s Rui Gonçalves won his maiden stage in his fifth Dakar by nearly four minutes from Slovakia’s Stefan Svitko. American Skyler Howes was third.
Dakar Rally comes down to a duel in the sand between Lategan and Al-Rajhi
Dakar Rally comes down to a duel in the sand between Lategan and Al-Rajhi
Police raid Argentine soccer clubs and AFA as part of investigation into alleged money laundering
- The raids were part of a judicial investigation into alleged ties to financial services company Sur Finanzas
- The official said the raided clubs included leading teams Independiente, Racing and San Lorenzo, as well as Barracas Central
BUENOS AIRES: Federal police in Argentina carried out multiple raids Tuesday on the headquarters of the Argentine Football Association (AFA) and at least 17 soccer clubs.
The raids were part of a judicial investigation into alleged ties to financial services company Sur Finanzas, which is under investigation for alleged money laundering and tax evasion. Ordered by federal judge Luis Armella, the more than 30 raids were conducted simultaneously on first and second division clubs and the AFA headquarters in the Argentine capital.
Sur Finanzas, owned by Ariel Vallejo, sponsors AFA tournaments and several first and second division clubs.
A judicial official with access to the case told The Associated Press that police officers are searching for contracts signed by the clubs with the financial firm and other documentation stored on electronic devices. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the matter.
The official said the raided clubs included leading teams Independiente, Racing and San Lorenzo, as well as Barracas Central, which were founded by Matias Tapia, a son of AFA president Claudio “Chiqui” Tapia.
The courts are investigating a complaint filed by the Customs Revenue and Control Agency (ARCA) against Sur Finanzas.
According to the complaint obtained by the AP, the alleged illicit transactions total 818 billion pesos, approximately $560 million.
Police also raided the facilities that the AFA owns in Ezeiza — about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from Buenos Aires — where the national team trains.
Television channels broadcast images of police inside the offices of the sports organization’s headquarters.
Excursionistas, a club in the third division, distanced themself from Sur Finanzas.
“The club do not maintain any type of corporate, financial, or administrative relationship with the company under investigation,” stated a message signed by the board of directors and posted on social media.
