Record champion Stephane Peterhansel extended his lead over Mitsubishi teammate and French compatriot Luc Alphand after the 13th stage of the Dakar Rally on Friday.
With two stages to go, the 2004 and 2005 winner moved 11 minutes and 15 seconds ahead of Alphand, with another French driver, Jean-Louis Schlesser, in a Ford-Buggy one hour, 38 minutes and 47 seconds back.
Peterhansel, six-time motorbike winner of the Dakar Rally and twice a car winner, now has a ninth Dakar title in his sights with 241km to go in the timed stages before the event ends in Dakar on Sunday.
He finished the 458km stretch from Kayes in Mali to Tambacounda in Senegal in second place behind Spain’s Carlos Sainz in a Volkswagen.
It was the second straight stage win and the fourth of this year’s rally for the former world rally champion who lies ninth overall with a deficit of 7:37:14. Third was Volkswagen driver Mark Miller of the United States.
Cyril Despres of France on a KTM won the motorbike stage ahead of South African Tom Classen (+3:49) and Chris Blais of the US (+6:07) to take the overall lead for the first time.
Despres is now 35:28 up on compatriot David Casteu and 54:52 ahead of Blais.
Despres benefited from a bad crash by last year’s winner and previous overall leader Marc Coma of Spain, who lost control of his KTM after 57km.
Coma was lifted from the scene by helicopter with a head injury and taken to a hospital in Dakar for treatment, although first reports said the injury was not serious.
Teammate and compatriot Isidre Esteve Pujol, who had won the 12th stage, also crashed out, but was not seriously hurt.
The 14th stage runs on Saturday from Tambacounda to Dakar, a 576km stretch with a 225km timed stage, with the overall standings effectively decided after this stage.
The 15th and last stage of the rally’s 29th edition is in Dakar itself, a 93km stretch with 16km timed. — Sapa-dpa