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Ex-NASCAR ace wins Dakar rally stage

Competitors cross a dune during the sixth stage of the Dakar rally between Tan Tan in Morocco and Zouerat in Mauritania on Thursday. PHOTO: AFP

Robby Gordon of the US, driving a Hummer, won the sixth stage of the Dakar Rally on Thursday finishing ahead of Jean-Louis Schlesser of France and South Africa's Giniel De Villiers.

It was the race's longest stage over 817km from Tan-Tan in Morocco.

Spanish KTM rider Jordi Villadoms won the motorcycle section ahead of compatriot and race leader Marc Coma and Chris Blais of the US.

KTM riders took the top six places with Villadoms covering the 394km of special stages between Tan-Tan and Zouerat in 3 hours 45 minutes 45 seconds, finishing 57 seconds ahead of Coma with Blais a minute behind.

In the overall standings, Marc Coma maintained his lead in the motorbike section while former world rally champion Carlos Sainz stays in charge of the race for the auto title.

Sainz was fourth overall on Thursday.

"I really went flat out today," said Gordon. "A year ago, on the same special stage, we lost 20 minutes, but this year we won. I was a bit worried about the petrol level so I slowed down at the end."

Frenchmen Guerlain Chicherit and co-driver Mathieu Baumel are helped after an accident during the sixth stage of the Dakar rally on Thursday. PHOTO: AFP

Villadoms was overjoyed with his stage win.

"It's my first ever stage victory," he said.

"I knew I was riding well because I caught up with Cyril Despres. However, I didn't catch up with Marc [Coma] and Isidre [Esteve], so until the finishing line I wasn't aware of it," the Spaniard said.

"I didn't expect to win a stage that quickly. Of course, it's what you aim to do, but for this Dakar, my objective is to help out Marc first and foremost," he said.

For former NASCAR ace Gordon, who finished 17 seconds ahead of Schlesser, it was his third career stage win in the event adding to successes in 2005.
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