IQUIQUE, Chile (AP) - Eleven-time winner Stephane Peterhansel won the ninth stage of the Dakar Rally on Tuesday, edging him closer to the overall lead in cars with four stages remaining.
The Frenchman finished 2 minutes, 17 seconds, ahead of Nasser Al-Attiyah of Qatar and 11:36 clear of overall leader Nani Roma of Spain.
The stage took riders across the Atacama desert from Calama to Iquique.
Roma leads Peterhansel by 12:10 in the overall with Orlando Terranova of Argentina nearly an hour behind.
In bikes, overall leader Marc Coma of Spain won the stage and stretched his advantage over countryman Joan Barreda Bort to 55:36. Coma won the stage, 5:45 ahead of Cyril Despres of France and 9:00 in front of Spaniard Juan Pedrero Garcia.
Wednesday’s 10th stage heads south from Iquique to Antofagasta.
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