By alley - Jan 12, 2016, 12:31 PM ET

DAKAR: Sainz leads after shortened stage

Carlos Sainz has moved into the lead of the Dakar Rally, with victory on the shortened ninth stage around Belen.

After becoming the first non-Peugeot driver to win a leg of the rally on Monday, Mini's Nasser Al-Attiyah maintained that pace early on Tuesday. The Qatari led by 10 seconds at the first control point, but his closest challenge came from Leeroy Poulter in a Toyota rather than any of the three Peugeot drivers.

In fact, behind Mikko Hirvonen and Orlando Terranova, Cyril Despres was the lead Peugeot in fifth, ahead of Sebastien Loeb and Stephane Peterhansel, with Sainz 10th, three minutes off the pace.

Repeating his Monday exploits, Sainz was the fastest driver of the afternoon, and led by 10 seconds when the day's running was stopped at the second control point, a decision taken due to extreme temperatures.

Mini pair Erik Van Loon and Hirvonen – 17 seconds adrift – were second and third for the day.

Peterhansel lost nine minutes to Sainz and relinquished the lead, through a combination of punctures and getting stuck in sand, with the 2010 Dakar victor now 7m3s ahead.

There is a cloud over Peterhansel's position, with stewards investigating a possible refuelling infringement in an unauthorized zone, following a complaint lodged by Mini.

Al-Attiyah is still third, 14m38s behind Sainz and 20 seconds clear of Hirvonen.

A day after rolling and declaring his bid for victory "finished," Loeb endured another troubled afternoon. The Frenchman became stuck in dunes four times, and had to change a driveshaft on his Peugeot late in the stage, losing another hour and falling to 13th in the standings.

Coverage of the Dakar Rally airs on NBCSN daily at 5:30pm ET:

Date	Coverage	Time (ET)
Mon., January 4	Stage 1 - Rosario to Villa Carlos Paz	5:30 p.m.
Tue., January 5	Stage 2 - Villa Carlos Paz to Termas De Rio Hondo	5:30 p.m.
Wed., January 6	Stage 3 – Termas De Rio Hondo to San Salvador De Jujuy	5:30 p.m.
Thu., January 7	Stage 4 - San Salvador De Jujuy to San Salvador De Jujuy	5:30 p.m.
Fri., January 8	Stage 5 - San Salvador De Jujuy to Uyuni	5:30 p.m.
Sat., January 9	Stage 6 – Uyuni to Uyuni	5:30 p.m.
Sun., January 10	Stage 7 – Uyuni to Salta	6:30 p.m.
Mon., January 11	Rest Day	5:30 p.m.
Tue., January 12	Stage 8 – Salta to Belen	5:30 p.m.
Wed., January 13	Stage 9 – Belen to Belen	5:30 p.m.
Thu., January 14	Stage 10 – Belen to La Rioja	5:30 p.m.
Fri., January 15	Stage 11 – La Rioja to San Juan	5:30 p.m.
Sat., January 16	Stage 12 – San Juan to Villa Carlos Paz	5:30 p.m.
Sun., January 17	Stage 13 – Villa Carlos Paz to Rosario	5 p.m.