Web posted
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Carlos Sainz wins fourth stage of Dakar Rally
The official Dakar 2009 website
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) -- Spaniard Carlos Sainz won the fourth stage of the Dakar Rally on Tuesday, holding off Nasser Al Attiyah of Qatar to maintain the overall lead.
Sainz, who also won the rally's second stage, finished the 236-mile ride in 3 hours, 42 minutes, 57 seconds in his Volkswagen -- six seconds ahead of Al Attiyah, who won the first and third stages through Argentina and Chile. Organizers shortened the leg from 285 miles for administrative reasons.
Luc Alphand of France was third in the stage across the Patagonian steppe from Ingeniero Jacobacci to Neuquen in Argentina. Mark Miller from the United States was fourth, 4:20 behind his Volkswagen teammate, Sainz.
The Spaniard is 3 minutes, 46 seconds ahead of Al Attiyah for the overall lead.
The rally is being held in South America for the first time after being canceled in 2008 because of the threat of terrorist attacks along its traditional route through Africa.
Argentine dust rather than African sand has been an added obstacle. A persistent drought has turned much of the soil to dust, forcing drivers to navigate through clouds of brown dirt.
Cars, trucks and motorbikes have often disappeared behind the dust, spraying thousands of fans who have gathered to watch along the route, now passing through isolated towns and villages in southern Argentina.
Spaniard Marc Coma won the motorbike stage in 4:09:32. Cyril Despres of France was 1:17 back in second place, followed by Jonah Street of the United States. All three are driving for KTM.
It was the third stage win for Coma, who leads Street by nearly 43 minutes overall.
English driver Paul Green remains in serious condition in an Argentina hospital after flipping his Rally Raid UK truck Saturday during the first stage.
The 30th edition of the classic rally started from Buenos Aires on Friday with 177 cars, 217 motorbikes, 81 trucks and 25 quad bikes and features drivers from 49 countries. After 14 stages covering 5,950 miles, it will finish on Jan. 18 in Buenos Aires.
The route Wednesday covers 314 miles from Neuquen to San Rafael.
Dakar Rally restarts in South America
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) -- Moved from Africa due to the threat of terrorism, the Dakar Rally started Friday with a symbolic drive in Argentina's capital before heading out on an adventure that will cover nearly 6,000 miles.
The rally crosses the Pampas, heads into Patagonia, arrives at the Andes next Thursday, drives into Chile the following day, cruises alongside the Pacific Ocean for five days and finally heads back to Buenos Aires on Jan. 18.
"The drivers will discover a new territory, another landscape, but they are imbued with the same spirit of competition and adventure," rally director Etienne Levigne said.
The 2008 race was canceled because of security fears after four French tourists and three Mauritanian soldiers were killed before the start. The French government warned of a terrorist threat, and the race was called off for the first time in its 30-year history.
Levigne promised it would race again, and moved the rally to South America with the hope of returning to Dakar in 2011 or 2012.
Dakar's South American version will include an unofficial 530 vehicles made up of 82 trucks, 188 cars, 30 quad bikes and 230 motorcycles, nearly all of them shipped from Europe. The race will cover 14 stages and 5,949 miles.
After a parade from the Obelisk in the center of Buenos Aires to a park in Palermo, where the race officially started on Saturday, the first stage was 455 miles south to Santa Rosa.
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