CRUSHING BLOW OF THE DAY: SEAIDAN FALLS FROM THE TOP
If there was one competitor especially intent on reaching Riyadh in the lead, it was Yasir Seaidan. The man from the Saudi capital, who led during stages 3 and 4, lost his place to Pau Navarro who led by 4’26’’ on the departure from Hail. On a stage entirely made up of dunes today, Yasir Seaidan wiped out his deficit and regained leadership of the race after 253 km by one second in front of the Spaniard. Fifty kilometres further on, he lost three quarters of an hour after being forced to stop and work on his machine. Dania Akeel, his countrywoman, picked up the torch but the Saudi driver fell just 38’’ short of stage winner Ignacio Casale. In the overall rankings at the halfway point, Yasir Seaidan has dropped off the podium which he had occupied since stage two. Following the premature exit of Yazeed Al Rajhi and Dania Akeel’s mishaps that have deprived her of the fight for the podium, Yasir Seaidan is this year’s last hope of a Saudi title.
