FRENCHMAN Stephane Peterhansel sealed his third Dakar Rally triumph following yesterday’s 15th and final stage in the Senegalese capital.

The 11th stage of the Dakar Rally offered its competitors a well-deserved break from timed action, meaning Mitsubishi’s Stephane Peterhansel retains his lead at the head of the standings with just four stages left to run.

BMW secured their first triumph of the 2007 Dakar Rally after Qatari driver Nasser Al Attiyah surged to victory on the 10th stage in Mauritania.

SOUTH AFRICAN Giniel de Villiers took the lead on day seven of the Dakar Rally after Volkswagen teammate Carlos Sainz lost nearly five minutes in the sand dunes of Mauritania.

JEAN-LOUIS SCHLESSER finally broke the Volkswagen stranglehold on the 2007 Dakar Rally after winning stage four of the endurance event, but the result was overshadowed by the death of a competitor in the motorbike category.

VOLKSWAGEN driver Giniel de Villiers won the third stage of the Dakar Rally as the German manufacturer continued its dominance of the annual endurance event.

Reigning champion Luc Alphand is looking to join the ranks of motorsport’s elite by claiming victory in the 2007 Dakar Rally, which gets under way in Portugal tomorrow.

FORMER skiing champion Luc Alphand admitted his relief at winning the Dakar Rally, although the event was overshadowed by three deaths during the race.

Former skiing champion Luc Alphand admitted his relief at winning the Dakar Rally, although the event was overshadowed by three deaths during the race.

Stephane Peterhansel’s chances of a third successive victory in the Dakar Rally suffered a blow when problems to his rear left wheel lost him three hours on stage 12 winner Luc Alphand.

STEPHANE PETERHANSEL lost his way on stage 11 of the Dakar Rally but remains on course for a third successive victory.

Stephane Peterhansel lost his way on stage 11 of the Dakar Rally but remains on course for a third successive victory.

STEPHANE PETERHANSEL has called for a combined Mitsubishi effort to defeat Volkswagen’s main challenger Giniel de Villiers in the Dakar Rally.

Stephane Peterhansel claimed his second successive four-wheeled Dakar title after he finished 11th on the 16th and final stage of the event on Sunday.

The two-wheeled Dakar Rally resumes today after a day of mourning for the late former champion Fabrizio Meoni.

Stephane Peterhansel retained his overall lead in the Dakar Rally today as Giniel de Villiers took victory on stage 12.

Alastair Moffitt

Former world champion Colin McRae is the overall leader in the Dakar Rally, after winning his second special stage on day five between Agadir and Smara.

Former world champion Colin McRae is tonight the overall leader in the Dakar Rally, after winning his second special stage on day five between Agadir and Smara.

Robby Gordon became the first US driver in a car to win a special on the Dakar Rally as he clocked the fastest time on the opening stage of the event.

Colin McRae suffered a double dose of bad luck on the Dakar Rally today.

Colin McRae scored his first-ever stage victory on the Dakar Rally today to finally banish memories of his sand dune difficulties.

TWO-TIME defending champion Hiroshi Masuoka of Japan surged into the lead in the Dakar Rally after winning the sixth stage, a 351km special from Ouarzazate to Tan-Tan in Morocco.

Colin McRae scored his first podium finish on the Dakar Rally today to put his speeding penalty to the back of his mind.

Colin McRae continued his impressive early form in the Dakar Rally today to ensure he finished the European leg of the event in the top 10.

Former World Rally Champion Colin McRae acquitted himself well on his first taste of the Dakar Rally – but he expects matters to get much harder when the event hits Africa.

JAPANESE driver Kenjiro Shinozuka, the 1997 auto champion, made a winning start in the 1.5km prologue of the 26th Dakar Rally which got underway despite heavy snow yesterday.

Colin McRae made a creditable start to his first-ever Dakar Rally by posting the 28th quickest time on today’s first stage.

STEPHANE PETERHANSEL snatched the lead of the Dakar Rally yesterday with the fastest time on stage two.