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Peterhansel wins Dakar fifth stage
(China Daily)
Updated: 2006-01-06 06:56
TAN TAN, Morocco: Two-time defending champion Stephane Peterhansel, driving a
Mitsubishi, won the fifth stage of the Dakar Rally on Wednesday.
Peterhansel clocked 2hr 34min 40sec in the 350km timed section, 1min 12sec
ahead of American Mark Miller in a Volkswagen, and 2min 20sec ahead of Nani Roma
of Spain, also in a Mitsubishi.
Veteran Spaniard Carlos Sainz retained pole position in the overall
classification, 1min 28sec up on Germany's Jutta Kleinschmidt in a Volkswagen
and 2:07 ahead of Frenchman Luc Alphand, driving a Mitsubishi.
Peterhansel had begun the day behind all his major rivals for victory but by
the end he was into 11th place overall.
"I started 14th on the road behind many cars this morning and managed to make
good progress," said the Frenchman.
"A couple of cars had flat tyres and we moved up the field. On Thursday, I
will start first on the stage and we will enter Mauritania. The race may well
take on a different form from now on.
"I lost 17 minutes in Morocco on Tuesday, but now I have a good chance to
make up that time over the next few days."
Roma was third quickest on Wednesday despite leading at the first passage
control, and will now head into Mauritania in seventh place.
"It was not easy and I had to start at the back of the first group of
drivers," said Roma.
"Mark Miller was in front of me and I was lucky that he was driving quickly.
It was not possible to push too much in the dust. Now I think the race will
change. It will become very difficult over the next three days and I think that
the overall leaderboard will change a lot."
Frenchman Cyril Despres, riding a KTM, clocked 3hr 47min
40sec over the same timed section to win the motorcycle class.
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