Finland’s four-time champion Ari Vatanen made his mark on this year’s Dakar Rally with success in the 14th stage on Friday.
This was Vatanen’s 51st career stage win, a record that is being challenged by Stephane Peterhansel, the favourite to take the 2005 title, who notched up his 48th special on Thursday.
Vatanen covered the 630km run between Kayes in Mali to Tambacounda, Senegal, in four hours, 50 minutes and eight seconds to beat Bruno Saby’s Volkswagen by nine minutes and 16 seconds, with his Nissan teammate Giniel de Villiers of South Africa in third, 11,45 adrift.
With only two days left, Peterhansel enjoys a 26,41 lead in the overall standings from his compatriot and fellow Nissan driver Luc Alphand.
De Villiers takes provisional third from Germany’s Jutta Kleinschmidt, who plummeted down the standings after her Volkswagen suffered steering problems.
Jean de Azevedo of Brazil, riding a KTM, won the motorcycle stage in 5:10,56, ahead of Frenchman David Fretigne and Chris Blais of the United States.
In the overall standings, Frenchman Cyril Despres retains the lead ahead of Marc Coma of Spain and South African Alfie Cox. — Sapa-AFP