Double champion Hiroshi Masuoka on Thursday ruled out his dream of a third successive Dakar Rally crown when his Mitsubishi was struck down by gearbox trouble.
The Japanese veteran, who had started the day in front, lost more than an hour-and-a-half on the 355km eighth stage between Atar and Tidjikja leaving his French teammate Stephane Peterhansel to take full advantage by reclaiming the lead.
”It’s finished,” was Masuoka’s devastating verdict as he slipped down to third place on a day that saw Japan’s Kenjiro Shinozuka’s dreams of winning go up in smoke when his Nissan exploded in flames.
”I can no longer aim for victory. From now on, it will be impossible to catch Stephane,” Masuoka said.
As his rivals struggled, Peterhansel clinched the stage in a time of 5:1,25, with Germany’s Jutta Kleinschmidt 28 minutes and 51 seconds behind in her Volkswagen. Belgium’s Gregoire de Mevius, in a BMW, was third on the day.
Masuoka will start Friday’s stage, the longest in the race at 736km into Nema, 1:22 off the overall pace, while Peterhansel enjoys a 1:4,38 lead over De Mevius who has now moved to second overall.
Britain’s former world rally champion Colin McRae was also having technical trouble in his Nissan.
After starting the day in third place overall, the Scot was struck by mechanical problems and had yet to make it to the finish, four hours after Peterhansel had completed the stage.
Peterhansel is bidding to become only the second individual in the 26-year history of the Dakar Rally to win the event on both two and four wheels — he holds the record of six motorcycle wins, but only Frenchman Hubert Auriol has ever won in both disciplines.
”I am really happy to reach the bivouac with the fastest time today,” said Peterhansel.
”It was a difficult day and a very tough stage. After 39km we lost the right track a couple of times. The road book was not very clear and we needed to use the GPS. I had one flat tyre, but I am pleased because I am now in a good position.”
The 1997 winner Shinozuka’s race came to a premature end for the second successive year in the eighth stage when his car caught fire at the 312km marker.
In 2003 he was forced out after a far more serious incident, a crash that left him requiring head surgery, which kept him in hospital for three months.
He was lying 15th before Thursday’s retirement, lagging four hours behind the leader.
Spain’s Nani Roma, on a KTM, won the motorcycle stage in 5:38,7, with France’s Jean Brucy, on another KTM, in second place, six minutes and two seconds behind and Richard Sainct, also on a KTM, seven minutes and 58 seconds further back.
Roma also inherited the overall lead with a eight minutes and 16 seconds advantage over Sainct after previous leader Cyril Despres got lost and was already 1:23,08 down at the first control point. — Sapa-AFP