Six-times Dakar Rally motor cycle winner Stephane Peterhansel, in a South African-built Nissan Hardbody, boosted his chances of overall victory when he won the car section during the sixth stage on Wednesday.
Six-times Dakar Rally motor cycle winner Frenchman Stephane Peterhansel, in a South African-built Nissan Hardbody, boosted his chances of overall victory when he won the car section during the sixth stage of the gruelling event on Wednesday.
Spanish rider Jordi Arcarons on a KTM won the motor cycle section in the stretch between Er-Rachidia in eastern Morocco to the central town of Ouarzazate. It was the first stage to feature the sandy and rocky dunes.
Peterhansel set a time of 3:25:19. Japan’s Kenjiro Shinozuka was second and compatriot Hiroshi Masuoka third. Gregoire De Mevius of Belgium in the other Nissan came in fourth and defending champion Jutta Kleinschmidt of Germany was fifth.
Masuoka leads the race standings ahead of Kenjiro Shinozuka in the Mitsubishi and De Mevius. Peterhansel’s compatriot and two-time former champion Jean-Louis Schlesser abandoned the race after his Kangoo caught fire. Two-time former winner Schlesser and his co-pilot, Henri Magne, were not injured. "The car no longer exists; it was completely burned," race organiser Patrick Zaniroli confirmed. Schlesser was in ninth place after five stages.
In the motor cycle section, Arcarons clocked 3 hours, 40 minutes and 58 seconds in the 338 km timed leg. He beat compatriot Joan Roma and Finland’s Kari Tiainen. Roma is in the overall lead. South African Alfie Cox, on a KTM, dropped down the order to fourth. He is 2min 47sec behind Roma.
The first of two "marathon" stages begins on Thursday. There is a 1541-km stretch through the Sahara from Ouarzazate to Zouerat in Mauritania. After this is an obligatory six-hour rest period at Tan-Tan in southern Morocco after the first half of the stage.
The race finishes on January 13 in the Senegalese capital, Dakar.