JEDDAH: Qatar’s Nasser Al-Attiyah won Saturday’s Dakar Rally prologue between Jeddah and Ha’il in the rally class with Australian Daniel Sanders leading the motocycle race.

The second part of the opening stage takes place on Sunday with the final day of action on Jan. 14.

Elsewere, French rally driver Philippe Boutron had to undergo surgery after suffering serious leg injuries in a car explosion and will return to France, race organisers said on Saturday.

Boutron was involved in the non-racing incident along with five unhurt people in his car on Wednesday.