Dakar Rally : Peterhansel in Lead After Second Stage

Topics:  Dakar Rally

Voice of America
January 3, 2003

French rally driver Stephane Peterhansel has the lead after a 43-kilometer second stage of the Dakar Rally from Narbonne, France, to Castellon, Spain.

Richard Sainct of France has the lead in the motorcycle category aboard a KTM.

Peterhansel, in a Mitsubishi Pajero, clocked 38:48 for the timed special section of the stage. South Africa's Giniel de Villiers, in a Nissan, was second, 17 seconds back. Another Mitsubishi driver, Hiroshi Matsuoka of Japan, was third.

Sainct finished with a time of 41:40 in the motorcycle category, 15 seconds ahead of South Africa's Alfie Cox, also on a KTM. Cyril Despres of France was third, 37 seconds off the leader.

The third section carries the rally from Castellon to Valencia, Spain. The competitors will board a ship for Tunisia Saturday as the rally heads into North Africa. The 8,500-kilometer event ends in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, January 19.