Spanish competitors Isidre Esteve Pujol and Carlos Sainz claimed
the motorbike and car sections of the fifth stage of the Dakar
rally in Ouarzazate on Wednesday.
As the rally resumed a day after the death of 29-year-old South
African rider Elmer Symons, Pujol, riding a KTM, finished in front
of overall leader Marc Coma and Cyril Despres of France after the
325km timed section.
In the car section, Sainz in a VW came in ahead of France's
Stephane Peterhansel and South Africa's Giniel De Villiers to
consolidate his overall lead.
Pujol's first victory of this year's Dakar, and seventh overall,
allowed him to remain second but cut his deficit behind Coma by
nearly two minutes to 9min 56sec.
The two Spaniards have already created a gap between them and
the rest of the field as the rally waves goodbye to Morocco
entering Mauritania.
Coma and Pujol are virtually the only riders not to have
committed an error so far and third-placed Frenchman David Casteu
is way back at 37:41.
Following about 100km of Wednesday's stage, Coma and Pujol rode
practically together until the finishing line.
Despres, winner here last year, took third but lost more
valuable time to Coma and Pujol and lies 47:33 behind the
leader.
Sainz, a former champion in the world rally championship, won
the sixth Dakar stage of his career.
He made the most of rapid and twisting roads which suited him
perfectly to overtake Jean-Louis Schlesser and Carlos Sousa on the
way to the second timing point at 163km.
Sainz eventually crossed the line with a mere 30sec advantage
over Peterhansel and 1:41 from VW teammate Villiers.
Off the road the Vatican decried the death of Symons on Tuesday
in what it called a "bloody, irresponsible" race.
The Vatican newspaper Osservatore Romano said on Thursday that
Symons died in a race that has "precious little to do with healthy
competition.
"The trail of blood that lengthens from one year to the next ...
emphasizes the undeniable component of violence underlying any
attempt to export 'Western' modes to a human and ecological context
that has little to do with the West," the weekly said in an article
datelined Rabat.
Chinese drivers bounced back a bit yesterday, as Liu Bin of Team
Mitsubishi Ralliart finished 58th in 4hr 56min 54sec to move up to
No 50 overall.
Fourth-time competitior Lu Ningjun of Triangle Tire Team sits
129th in the standings.
(China Daily via AFP January 12, 2007)