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.