INQUIRER Sports

JACOBACCI -- Spanish Volkswagen driver and former world rally champion Carlos Sainz won the third stage of the Dakar Rally on Monday to consolidate his overall lead after a 551-km special stage between Puerto Madryn and Jacobacci.

Sainz, just as on Sunday, got the better of South African Volkswagen racer Giniel De Villiers by 3min 26sec with Frenchman Stephane Peterhansel of Mitsubishi third 4min 56sec adrift.

Overall, Sainz leads De Villiers by 5min 45sec with three-time car champion Peterhansel 8min 47sec off the pace.

Spain's Marc Coma of KTM won the third motorcycle stage as fellow KTM rider Cyril Despres, who won the event in 2005 and 2007, lost more ground.

Coma saw off KTM pair Norwegian Pal Anders Ullevalseter and Spaniard Jordi Viladoms by 17min 49sec.

Despres is languishing in 33rd spot after a dreadful start and the Frenchman now trails Coma by more than an hour and a half.

Coma has established a 39min 11sec lead over Frenchman David Fretigne (Yamaha) and leads Dutchman Frans Verhoeven (KTM) by 41min 14sec.

The 2009 edition of the grueling race has been switched this year from Africa to Argentina and Chile because of security fears.

It features 540 competitors from 50 countries and covers 9,000 kilometers spread over 13 stages - three in Chile and 10 in Argentina - with the finish scheduled for Buenos Aires on January 18.

The 2008 Dakar, which was to have started in Lisbon before heading to Africa, was cancelled the day before the scheduled start because of specific terrorist threats made against the event.

It was the first cancellation in the history of the race since its inception in 1979 due to security concerns after four French tourists were murdered in Mauritania.