Bike death darkens Dakar Rally
South Africa’s Elmer Symons, 29, a debutant at the annual race, was killed following an accident 142km into the 405km special stage between Er Rachidia and Ouarzazate.
The KTM rider was the first competitor to die in this year’s race. One competitor and two children were killed last year.
Schlesser, a two-time Dakar winner, powered to victory in his two-wheel-drive Ford-powered buggy to bring an end to the dominance of the four-wheel-drive entries and improve to seventh place overall.
The one-time F1 driver finished the fourth stage, the second of three in Morocco, in a little under four hours.
Stage one winner Carlos Sousa finished second in the first of the Volkswagens to move third overall, while outright rally leader Carlos Sainz consolidated his position at the top of the leaderboard by bringing his VW Touareg home in third place.
The Spaniard enjoys an almost two-minute lead over team-mate Giniel de Villiers, with the South African forced to settle for fifth place yesterday after winning Monday’s special stage.
Mitsubishi’s unimpressive form continued as Stephane Peterhansel suffered a burned out clutch and eventually arrived in 10th place, some 25 minutes behind Schlesser.
Peterhansel’s team-mates fared little better. Hiroshi Masuoka came in sixth while last year’s winner, Luc Alphand, was one place further back in seventh.
The highest-placed Mitsubishi was fourth-placed Nani Roma, who also leads the Japanese marque’s charge in the overall rankings, also in fourth.
Repsol KTM’s Marc Coma, who won the motorbike category last year without winning an individual stage, claimed his second win in as many days as he powered to the top of the two-wheeled standings.
Spaniard Coma finished 12 minutes clear of compatriot Isidre Esteve, who slips to second overall.
Today’s stage will again take place in Morocco, with a 325km special from Ouarzazate to Tan Tan.
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