Sainz tightens Dakar Rally grip after stage win

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

The Volkswagen driver now heads the car category by three-and-a-half minutes from South African Giniel De Villers in another VW, after the stage between Ouarzazate and Tan Tan.

Sainz, the third starter yesterday in the car category, passed Jean-Louis Schlesser and Carlos Sousa before winning the 325km stage by 30 seconds from the Mitsubishi of Stephane Peterhansel – with De Villiers back in third.

Sainz holds a small lead of three minutes over De Villiers in the overall standings, with Portugal’s Sousa third another eight behind.

Spaniard Marc Coma leads the motorcycle standings by almost 10 minutes, after the Repsol KT rider finished second on the special stage.

Coma’s fellow Spaniard Isidre Esteve Pujol, on the Gauloises KTM, won the stage by one minute and 54 seconds and lies second.