American rider saw his comfortable motorcycle class lead slip away in the dash to the checkers following a navigation error.

As the Dakar Rally hit the dunes in the final stage of the event's first half, Nasser Al Attiyah came to the fore once more, while America's Ricky Brabec and Sara Price also score stage wins.

X-raid Mini driver Guillaume de Mevius takes stage 1, completing an epic comeback for his co-driver that exemplifies the indomitable spirit of Dakar winners.