Sainz takes Dakar lead

Former world rally champion Carlos Sainz took the lead in the Dakar Rally yesterday after drivers and riders arrived on African soil following the overnight crossing from Spain. Volkswagen's South African Giniel de Villiers, last year's overall...

Former world rally champion Carlos Sainz took the lead in the Dakar Rally yesterday after drivers and riders arrived on African soil following the overnight crossing from Spain.

Volkswagen's South African Giniel de Villiers, last year's overall runner-up, won the third, 205km, stage from Nador to Er Rachidia in Morocco with a time of two hours 46 minutes and 12 seconds.

However Spanish team-mate Sainz, who made his Dakar debut last year and set the pace in Sunday's second timed stage in Portugal's Algarve region before the drive to Malaga, was second quickest.

The double world champion leads De Villiers by one minute and two seconds with Carlos Sousa, the overnight leader, falling back but still anchoring a Volkswagen 1-2-3.

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