Sainz restores Volkswagen pride with stage win

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 44-year-old, driving for Volks-wagen, completed the 484km route from Ayoun in two hours 58 minutes 56 seconds as the competitors crossed from Mauritania into Mali.

Yesterday’s result saw Sainz climb a single place in the overall standings into ninth, still about seven-and-a-half minutes behind leader, Stephane Peterhansel, with just three stages remaining.

The Spaniard’s chances of claiming overall glory were all but ended during the ninth stage of the rally, when electrical problems with his VW saw him fall back from fourth to ninth.

Sainz was delighted to prove the competitiveness of his car by claiming stage victory yesterday, and vowed to press hard for more.

He said: “It was a difficult stage both in terms of driving and in terms of navigation. It was also a fast one from the start. Today’s victory is particularly important because the Volkswagen team was a bit down after all that happened.

“By winning, we show again that we are competitive and that the work done was useful. Anyway, it showed to the outside world that the team, the car and the organisation are great performers.

“Our mechanical problems were like a rude awakening and during trials nothing had led us to thinking it might actually happen. I had come to win. Now I will keep fighting for stage victories.”

Carlos Sousa completed a fine day for the German manufacturer by coming home in second, three minutes 53 seconds back, to remain seventh overall.

Mitsubishi’s Luc Alphand finished the day in third place, second for the rally, a minute behind Sousa.

Peterhansel, also driving for the Japanese team, finished sixth and will take a lead of six minutes 29 seconds into today’s 458km stage between Kayes and Tambacounda in Senegal.

In the motorcycle category, overall leader Marc Coma of Spain endured his worst day of the rally to come home in 16th, reducing the KTM rider’s lead to a still healthy 52 minutes 48 seconds.

Victory was taken by teammate and compatriot, Isidre Esteve, who moves up a place to sixth in the standings with his time of three hours 34 minutes 46 seconds.

“Navigation was the most important part of the stage,” he admitted afterwards. “Then there was a lot of dust which made riding hard. I could reconnect with the bikers in the lead at the refuelling point and we drove together from there on. This stage victory is important for me because I came to the Dakar to win. And when you lose two hours (on stage eight), you also lose your illusions and it’s hard to get back in the race.

“I will keep going like this and have fun up to Dakar.”

Portugal’s Paulo Goncalves produced his first top-10 finish of the rally to claim second, three minutes three seconds back, while Poland’s Jacek Czachor was third.

Dutchman Hans Stacey claimed glory on all fronts in the trucks, taking stage victory and maintaining the lead he has held since the fifth day.

The MAN driver cruised to the win by four minutes 53 seconds from TATRA’s Tomas Tomecek and is now an imposing two hours 59 minutes 36 seconds ahead of Russian Ilgizar Mardeev in the rally standings.