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Al-Attiyah clinches Dakar Rally stage 8

Xinhua, January 12, 2016 Adjust font size:

Defending champion Nasser Al-Attiyah rose to third in the overall Dakar Rally standings by winning his first stage of the 2015 edition in Argentina on Monday.

The 45-year-old Mini driver ended the 394km section from Salta to Belen with a time of four hours, 12 minutes and 23 seconds.

The Qatari was just 12 seconds ahead of Spain's Carlos Sainz, whose Peugeot teammate Stephane Peterhansel of France was 19 seconds further back.

Nine-time world rally champion Sebastien Loeb, who entered Monday's eighth stage as race leader, struck disaster when his Peugeot became stuck in sand just kilometres from the finish line.

Peterhansel now leads the overall standings, more than two minutes ahead of Sainz with Al-Attiyah a further 12 minutes adrift. Endit