Jeddah, Jan 03, 2021, SPA – Veteran Spanish driver Carlos Sainz started defending his title as winner of the last version of Saudi Dakar rally 2020, leading phase I of Saudi Dakar rally 2021 which kicked off from Jeddah today towards Bisha, some 623 km to the south of the Kingdom. French driver Stephane Peterhansel ranked second, Check Martin Prokop third and Saudi Yasser bin Siaidan fifth. The race is scheduled to proceed in the desert to end in Jeddah again on the 15th of January. --SPA 21:59 LOCAL TIME 18:59 GMT 0017 www.spa.gov.sa/w1477943