Dakar Rally leader Al Attiyah disqualified

Dakar Rally car race leader Nasser Al Attiyah has been effectively disqualified for leaving the official route on his way to winning Thursday's sixth stage of the controversial event, organisers said.

"His first place in the stage and in the overall race has been suspended by the race stewards," organisers said.

"The Team BMW X-Raid has decided to anticipate the probable exclusion of the Qatari by withdrawing him from the rally."

After completing the rain-shortened stage from San Rafael to Mendoza, Al Attiyah, winner of the first and third stages, admitted to his mistake.

"We missed a way point," he said.

"Due to the engine overheating, we couldn't go through the dunes. The temperature rose to 120. The engine stopped and I preferred to choose a different route and avoid the dunes."

South Africa's Giniel De Villiers took over the lead from the Qatari with Spaniard Carlos Sainz moving up to second place.

The official standings put De Villiers as the winner of the sixth stage in two hours, 12:33 minutes followed by Mark Miller of the United States 20 seconds behind. Sainz, the early overall race leader, was third.

The race, switched to South America this year because of security worries in Mauritania which caused the cancellation of last year's event, has already claimed the life of a French motorcyclist and left two British competitors badly injured.

Pascal Terry, 49, was found dead in the early hours of Wednesday after going missing during Sunday's second stage.