Peterhansel in sight of victory in Dakar rally

0 Comments | AFP, January, 2005

DAKAR (AFP) — France's Stephane Peterhansel was in sight of his second successive Dakar Rally triumph after safely negotiating the 15th and penultimate stage of the gruelling 2005 event.

South Africa's Giniel De Villiers, driving a Nissan, clinched the stage, a 225km special from Tambacounda, clocking 2hr 21min 15sec to win by 57sec over France's Bruno Saby, in a Volkswagen, with Portugal's Nissan driver Carlos Sousa, 1min further back.

It was the South African's second stage win of this year's event but all the attention was on Peterhansel who came home in fifth place.

He increased his overall lead ahead of Sunday's final stage with the Mitsubishi driver having a 27min 13sec edge over countryman Luc Alphand and a 3hr 23min 17sec advantage over Germany's...