Dakar Rally leader accuses rival of illegal overtaking

0 Comments | AFP, January, 2004

BAMAKO (AFP) — Stephane Peterhansel maintained control of the Dakar Rally by finishing third in the 12th stage won by fellow Frenchman Luc Alphand - and then accused another top competitor of an illegal manoeuvre.

Alphand, the 1997 World Cup alpine skiing champion, won the 213-kilometre special between Bobo and Dioulasso in a time of 1hr 54min 53sec ahead of French Schlesser-Ford driver Jean-Louis Schlesser at 1min 28sec.

After coming in 5:40 off the pace ahead of Japanese challenger and fellow Mitsubishi driver Hiroshi Masuoka at 6:23 Peterhansel took a swipe at Schlesser.

"He overtook in the zone controlled by GPS and the outskirts of the village," Peterhansel claimed.

"It's not serious, I don't want to make an issue of it, only to say that he's...