Mattias Ekstrom edges Loeb to take opening Dakar Rally prologue

YANBU, Saudi Arabia: Sweden’s Mattias Ekstrom drove his Audi hybrid to victory in the 13km-long prologue of the Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia on Saturday.
Ekstrom edged out France’s nine-time World Rally champion Sebastien Loeb (BRX) by a second.
“It’s always nice to start in a good way, but, of course, the day is long and the rally is even longer,” said Ekstrom.
“A good end to 2022, but tomorrow is the real start. We’ll have to try and be focused for another two weeks.”