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

While the Dakar Rally is a contest of endurance, there are times where fortune favors the bold. Wednesday's fourth marathon 452-km (281-mile) stage proved the latter for Henk Lategan, who charged to a decisive victory with his Toyota Hilux. The South African bested runner-up Nasser Al Attiyah by more than...