Nasser Al-Attiyah kept the pressure on team-mate and defending champion Carlos Sainz by sealing victory in stage seven of the Dakar Rally today.

Carlos Sainz moved into the overall lead of the Dakar Rally after stage five today as overnight leader Stephane Peterhansel was delayed by transmission problems to his BMW.

SPAIN’S Carlos Sainz returned to the top of the general standings of the Dakar Rally after winning the seventh stage between Mendoza and Valparaiso yesterday.

NASSER Al Attiyah reclaimed the lead from Carlos Sainz in their Dakar Rally duel last night.

SPAIN’S domination of the first half of the Dakar Rally continued apace yesterday as both former world rally champion Carlos Sainz and Marc Coma won the fourth stage of the car and motorbike disciplines, respectively.

Frenchman Stephane Peterhansel believes rival Carlos Sainz starts favourite for the Dakar Rally which makes its first appearance in South America tomorrow.

TWO days from the arrival in Dakar just as the rally was entering Senegal, the motorbike race was hit by another bombshell yesterday with Marc Coma’s serious crash after only 57 kilometres of the special stage.

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.

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.

CARLOS SAINZ tightened his grip on the Dakar Rally with victory on the fifth stage in Morocco.

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.

Former world champion Carlos Sainz put all of his experience to good use as he won the second stage of the Dakar Rally which crossed from Portugal into Spain.

Arsene Wenger looks certain to turn down his latest opportunity to revive the fortunes of Real Madrid.

FORMER world champion rally driver Carlos Sainz is considering standing for the presidency of Real Madrid at the next election in 2008.

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.

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.

Carlos Sainz kept up his perfect start to the Dakar Rally with a second stage win in Portugal.

Carlos Sainz has been forced to pull out of this weekend’s Rally Australia after injuring his neck in a pre-event accident.

Two-time world rally champion Carlos Sainz has announced his retirement from the sport.

Finn Marcus Gronholm will not go crazy in his bid to retain his Rally Argentina crown.

World championship leader Sebastien Loeb overcame a jittery morning to assert his authority on the Rally of Turkey.

Sebastien Loeb bounced back from a turbulent morning to retake the lead in the Rally of Turkey after Marcus Gronholm floundered under pressure.

SEBASTIEN LOEB’S world championship challenge could be thrown off course as his Citroen team feel the pressure of two title battles at the Wales Rally GB.

Colin McRae has admitted his rally future is hanging by a thread after he was dropped by Citroen for next season.

Reigning world champion Marcus Gronholm is targeting his fourth consecutive victory on Rally Australia as he looks to put the pressure on Peugeot team-mate Richard Burns.

Marcus Gronholm was forced to retire from the Cyprus Rally today after the overnight leader’s Peugeot suffered a drive-shaft problem.

Markko Martin remains on course for his first World Rally Championship victory after consolidating his lead at the head of the Acropolis Rally today.

Marcus Gronholm continued his domination of the Rally of New Zealand after today’s opening stage.

Reigning world champion Marcus Gronholm took a predicted early lead after the opening tests of the New Zealand Rally in Auckland.

THE KBB Doors National Forest Rally Championship continues with Sunday’s Circuit of Wicklow, the second round in as many weeks. Cork’s John McCarthy (Subaru 555) and Limerick’s Dermot Kelly (Escort WRC) are the top two entrants and both are capable of victory.

Citroen have confirmed former world champion Carlos Sainz will join the fledgling team next season.

Carlos Sainz is set to join Colin McRae in leaving Ford after this weekend's Network Q Rally of Great Britain, according to team boss Malcolm Wilson.

Pressure is mounting on Ford’s Colin McRae in Kenya as the Scot hangs on to a diminishing lead in the Safari Rally.

Niall McShea continues to lead the Irish challenge after the conclusion of the second leg of the Network Q Rally of Great Britain. The Fermanagh driver in his Citroen Saxo, co-driven by fellow Northern Ireland man, Michael Orr, finished today's stages in 18th place.

British hopefuls Colin McRae and Richard Burns have been warned to expect a ‘big fight’ for the World Championship by rival Tommi Makinen in the Welsh forests this week.

Richard Burns needs only to repeat his performance of the last three years in the Network Q Rally of Great Britain at the end of this month to achieve his ambition of becoming world champion for the first time.

Tommi Makinen consolidated his advantage in the firstthree stages of today’s second leg of the Safari Rally.

Colin McRae has taken his third consecutive victory in the current World Rally Championship.

Colin McRae, in his Ford Focus RS World Rally Car, maintained his lead through the second leg of the Acropolis Rally.

Ford driver, Francois Delecour, was the star performer during the first two stages to today's second leg of the Acropolis Rally.