Peterhansel closes in on Dakar win
PARIS, France (Reuters) -- Stephane Peterhansel closed in on Dakar Rally glory with another solid performance in Friday's 15th stage through Mauritania.
The Frenchman finished a good second to Mitsubishi teammate and defending champion Hiroshi Masuoka and with only two days left he is nearly 56 minutes clear of the Japanese driver in the overall standings.
Peterhansel, bidding to become the first man to win in both car and motorbike categories, led for the first 100 km on the 651-km stretch between Tidjikja and Nouakchott.
But Masuoka took over to come home more than nine minutes ahead of the Frenchman and well clear of the rest of the field.
With the rally reaching Dakar on Saturday and most major obstacles now left behind, Peterhansel looks all set to be crowned winner on Sunday after a ceremonial 27 km special stage.
Nearest rivals to the top two, Frenchmen Jean-Louis Schlesser and Luc Alphand, lost time after getting stuck in sand halfway through the day.
Briton Colin McRae set off late because of an electrical problem in his Nissan Pickup and then suffered a broken front prop shaft after 138 km.
Spain's Nani Roma, third in Friday's motorbike category to KTM team mate Fabrizio Meoni of Italy, still enjoys a useful overall lead of more than seven minutes.
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