Peterhansel closes on Dakar glory
DAKAR, Senegal -- Frenchman Stephane Peterhansel is on the verge of claiming his first Dakar Rally victory on four wheels after safely completing the 191-kilometer penultimate stage.
Peterhansel, who has won the grueling race six times on a motorcycle, ended the leg from Nouakchott to the Senegalese border in ninth place but with an overall lead of 51 minutes, 23 seconds from Mitsubishi teammate and defending champion Hiroshi Masuoka.
Germany's Jutta Kleinschmidt, driving a Volkswagen, won the stage.
"I am absolutely delighted and I dedicate this victory to the whole team," said Kleinschmidt, who finished 59 seconds ahead of BMW's Luc Alphand of France.
Peterhansel is seeking to emulate countryman Didier Auriol's achievement of winning both the car and motorcycle categories of the rally.
In the motorcycle category three-time winner Richard Sainct of France cut his Spanish KTM teammate Nani Roma's overall lead to just five minutes, two seconds ahead of Sunday's 27-kilometer special stage.
