DAKAR — Defending champion Stephane Peterhansel overcame a 34-second overnight deficit to storm into the lead of the Dakar Rally on Sunday as former winners Carlos Sainz and Nasser al-Attiyah fell worryingly off the pace.
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Frenchman Peterhansel, a 10-time champion on the world’s toughest auto endurance race, took his Mini to victory on the second stage, a 242km timed run in and around Pisco, in 2hr 35min 38sec.
South Africa’s Giniel De Villiers, another experienced Dakar campaigner in his Toyota, was second on the day, 2min 35sec behind, while French driver Ronan Chabot, in an SMG, was third, 3min 52sec off Peterhansel’s pace.
Overnight leader Sainz, the 2010 champion, endured a nightmare session, getting lost as he tackled a tricky dune at the 75km mark, and finished outside of the top 10.
“We need to have a look at the GPS, there may be something wrong with it,” said former world rally champion Sainz, who lost around 18 minutes.
