The Dakar is on the way

X-raid's Racing Team laid notice of its intent to win the 2009 Dakar Rally, when Qatar's Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah and Swedish co-driver Tina Thörner set the overall fastest time through the opening 371km special stages between Buenos Aires and Santa Rosa de la Pampa on Saturday.

The Qatari was the quickest driver on the course to the opening passage control and then inherited a lead that his team mate Guerlain Chicherit had held through the subsequent two passage controls, when the Frenchman lost his path in the dust, struck a hole and damaged the suspension on his BMW X3 CC.