Jan 7 (Reuters) - Spanish motorcycle rider Carles Falcon was flown to hospital with serious injuries after he crashed near the end of Sunday's second stage of the Dakar Rally in the deserts of Saudi Arabia.
Race director David Castera told reporters Falcon had lacked a pulse but was resuscitated by the first doctor to arrive on the scene.
French veteran Stephane Peterhansel took the 50th car stage win of his record-breaking Dakar career as familiar names moved back into the reckoning and Spain's Carlos Sainz took over at the front for Audi.


Peterhansel, known as 'Monsieur Dakar' after 14 overall victories on two wheels and four between 1991 and 2021, finished the stage from Al Henakiyah to Al Duwadimi 29 seconds clear of compatriot and nine times world rally champion Sebastien Loeb.
The stage win was the 83rd of Peterhansel's career across two and four wheeled categories and the Audi driver now shares the car record with Finnish great Ari Vatanen. The 58-year-old moved up to ninth overall.


Three times Dakar winner Sainz, 61, was eighth fastest on the 463km stage.
Saudi Arabia's Yazeed Al Rajhi slotted into second place overall in his Toyota, one minute and 51 seconds behind the Spaniard, with Loeb moving up from 19th to third with four minutes and 17 seconds to make up.
Defending champion Nasser Al-Attiyah of Qatar was fourth on the stage, ending up seventh overall and more than 12 minutes off the lead.

"We pushed from the beginning, but after we broke the rear we stopped for more than 10 minutes to repair," said the five times winner.
"With all the problems yesterday and today we are still in the game, it's only 12 minutes in the overall."
Overnight leader Guillaume de Mevius dropped from first to fifth after having to go first on the road and losing 27 minutes to Peterhansel.
"A difficult day for us for sure," said the Belgian.
"We started in front so, the first 200 km was OK I think. And after 200, a little bit more, Carlos passed us when we got lost.
"Then we were in the dust of Carlos and then we got lost a second time and then we got a puncture and then everything after was more difficult."
Botswana's Ross Branch was 11th in the motorcycle stage but retained the overall lead on two wheels with Chile's Jose Ignacio Cornejo two minutes and 55 seconds behind.
American rider Mason Klein, third overnight, hit mechanical trouble and spent two hours on repairs.

Calling all hot dog lovers!
Oscar Mayer is hiring folks to become a member of its coveted "Hotdogger" class — and get behind the wheel of its Wienermobiles. Measuring 27 feet long and 11 feet high — or 60 hot dogs long and 24 hot dogs high, per Oscar Mayer — the Wienermobiles have been on the road since 1936.
The gig pays $35,600 as a base salary, but also includes a weekly allowance of $150 for meals and personal travel, 18 days of paid time off, full health benefits, and all hotel expenses covered.


The new cohorts will continue the 88-year-old tradition of driving the yellow and orange vehicles, as well as handing out Wiener Whistles to meat lovers across the country. They will also be expected to create social content, the company says.
Recent classes of Hotdoggers have also visited Puerto Rico, married 12 couples in Las Vegas and helped introduce the first-ever hot dog-flavored popsicle, per the brand.


Hot dog fans are invited to apply to represent the 37th class for one year in a full-time, paid gig behind the wheel of the iconic Wienermobile. Applications for the position, officially titled Wienermobile Spokesperson, are now open here through Jan. 31, a representative confirmed to PEOPLE.
Hotdoggers traverse an average of 20,000 miles each year, visit at least 40 cities and represent Oscar Mayer at more than 1,200 events, the company says.

“The title of a Hotdogger is a rare and coveted position unique to those seeking adventure and a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” Ed Roland, senior manager of brand communications at Oscar Mayer, said in a press release.
“Statistically speaking, more people have visited space than driven the Wienermobile!” he said. (It is also harder to be accepted as a Hotdogger than earn admission to an Ivy League university, per Oscar Mayer.)
Added Roland: “We take pride in welcoming the next class who will continue to uphold the tradition of sparking smiles and bringing buns of fun to fans across the U.S."
Besides a deep love of hot dogs — and hot dog puns — qualifications for the position include strong communication skills and a bachelor’s degree, preferably in public relations, journalism, communications or marketing.

A B-1B bomber crashed as it was attempting to land at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., on Jan. 4.
All four crew members ejected safely from the aircraft and survived, Ellsworth Air Force Base said in a statement.
The incident occurred during poor weather in below-freezing temperatures with dense fog limiting visibility, according to local weather reports. Radio traffic from local first responders said there was an “active fire” after an “explosion.”
“An Air Force B-1B Lancer assigned to Ellsworth Air Force Base crashed at approximately 5:50 p.m. today while attempting to land on the installation,” the base’s 28th Bomb Wing said in a Jan. 4 statement. “At the time of the accident, it was on a training mission.”
The airbase is closed to flight operations, according to a Notice to Airmen/Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) advisory issued soon after the incident. The NOTAM was extended on Jan. 5.
One Airman is currently being treated at a local hospital for non-life threatening injuries, the 28th Bomb Wing said in a Jan. 5 statement. The other three crew members were treated on base for minor injuries. A typical B-1 crew consists of two pilots and two weapons systems officers, all with ejection seats.
A spokesperson for the wing told Air & Space Forces Magazine they could not provide further details of the incident.
Located in the Black Hills of South Dakota, Ellsworth Air Force Base is near Rapid City. It is one of only two B-1 bases. The 28th Bomb Wing operates over 20 B-1s, according to the base. The Air Force has 45 B-1s in its inventory.
The aircraft was initially designed to operate as a supersonic, nuclear-capable bomber with variable-sweep wings. But the fleet has been used hard over the last two decades in the Middle East after being converted to a purely conventional bomber. The aircraft is known to have a poor mission-capable rate.
Ellsworth is slated to receive the first operational B-21 Raider stealth bombers, which are scheduled to fully replace the B-1.
“The Air Force will conduct a thorough investigation to determine the cause of the accident,” the 28th Bomb Wing said.