FORMER World Rally champion, Carlos Sainz, claimed his third stage victory of the 2007 Dakar Rally as he raced into Kayes almost four minutes ahead of the field.

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.

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.

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.

CARLOS SAINZ returned to form to win the 10th stage of the Dakar Rally yesterday. The former world rally champion was first to the finishing line at Kayes in Mali after the 175-mile stage from the Mauritanian town of Kiffa.

Carlos Sainz returned to form to win the 10th stage of the Dakar Rally today.

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

FORMER world champion Carlos Sainz reclaimed the lead of the Dakar Rally as Mitsubishi’s bid for a sixth consecutive win hit the skids.

Former world champion Carlos Sainz reclaimed the lead of the Dakar Rally as Mitsubishi’s bid for a sixth consecutive win hit the skids.

Nani Roma leads the overall standings in the Dakar Rally for the first time after making his experience count on the first desert stage of the event.

Dakar Rally legend Stephane Peterhansel has warned his rivals he is hungry for even more success as he goes looking for a ninth victory on the desert marathon.

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

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.

STEPHANE PETERHANSEL won stage 13 of the Dakar Rally yesterday to extend his overall lead.

Stephane Peterhansel won stage 13 of the Dakar Rally today to extend his overall lead.

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

SANDSTORMS in the Mauritanian desert forced the cancellation of yesterday’s eighth stage of the Dakar Rally.

DEFENDING champion Stephane Peterhansel moved into the overall lead of the Dakar Rally with his second stage victory on day seven.

Colin McRae will fly back to Britain today after seeing his Dakar Rally hopes disappear in the Saharan dust.

Colin McRae has victory in his sights as he prepares for just his second assault on the epic Dakar Rally.

Colin McRae survived the longest stage of the Dakar Rally with his top-three position intact and admitted he was surprised at the pace of the more experienced competitors.

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 survived the longest stage yet of the Dakar Rally in an impressive sixth overall today.

Colin McRae will cram three days work into one flat-out blast through the African desert today as he looks to build on a fine start to the Dakar Rally.

Colin McRae proved the desert sands of Africa hold no fear as he recorded a best-yet stage finish of fourth on the Dakar Rally today.

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.

REIGNING champion Hiroshi Masuoka won yesterday’s fifth stage of the Dakar Rally in Tunisia to snatch the overall lead of the event from Stephane Peterhansel.

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

The 25th running of the world’s toughest motorsport race, the Dakar Rally, will not end in the West African city on January 19.