Dakar: Al-Attiyah surges back into lead

Nasser Al-Attiyah reclaimed the Dakar Rally lead by dominating the second stage, on which Stephane Peterhansel, Robby Gordon, Carlos Sainz and Orlando Terranova all had problems.

Having lost his Sunday advantage when he was given a two-minute penalty for speeding in a restricted section, Al-Attiyah started Monday's 322-mile stage in seventh place. But he was a full eight minutes clear of the competition on the run from Villa Carlos Paz to San Juan, thrusting him back into first overall immediately.

Al-Attiyah's X-raid team-mate Terranova had inherited the lead after the WRC2 champion's penalty and was his closest rival on raw pace for much of Monday, only to roll four times in a ditch near the end of the stage. Damage to Terranova's car was minimal, but he lost over 20 minutes and fell to 10th overall.

With overnight second-place man Gordon dropping time from the outset with brake problems, the Toyotas of Giniel de Villiers and Bernhard Ten Brinke moved into second and third overall by the end of the day, with de Villiers 7m42s behind fellow past winner Al-Attiyah.

Peugeot's new 2008 DKR continues to languish down the order. Sainz was delayed in an incident with a motorcycle rider heading in the wrong direction but is still Peugeot's top representative in seventh, albeit already 20 minutes from the lead.

Peterhansel dropped over an hour when he became stuck in gear and is now 22nd, two places ahead of the third Peugeot of car category rookie Cyril Despres.

LEADING STAGE TWO TIMES:

LEADING OVERALL STANDINGS AFTER STAGE TWO: