Dakar Rally after Stage 14

Three Mitsubishis and a Nissan crashed when they hit a sand dune at speed and rolled over. Dominique Serieys, co-driver for 1997 rally winner Kenjiro Shinozuka in one of the Mitsubishis, was among those injured. The Japanese driver led the race from the second stage in Senegal to Monday's 11th stage, the first after a five-day interruption in Niger owing to torrorist threats. He was one of the race favourites even though he lost considerable ground on Tuesday when he was overtaken by last year's winner Jean-Louis Schlesser in his prototype Buggy and fell some 15 minutes behind. Spaniard Miguel Prieto, driving a Mitsubishi, and Belgian Gregoire de Mevius, in a Nissan, were also involved in the crash.

Organisers said those involved were driving about one kilometre off the recommended route in the race road book with Sousa's car in front. The rally was continuing on Thursday with the 14th stage from Khofra to Dakhla including a 789 km timed section, the longest of the race.

OVERALL STANDINGS (after stage 14) CARS

1 250 SCHLESSER / MAGNE      Schlesser-Renault  37h 41' 56" 
2 270 PETERHANSEL / COTTRET  SBM                37h 55' 12" 
3 251 FONTENAY / PICARD      Mitsubishi         38h 13' 44" 
4 253 SERVIA / LURQUIN       Schlesser-Renault  38h 22' 16" 
5 256 KLEINSCHMIDT / THORNER Mitsubishi         38h 41' 26" 
6 271 MASUOKA / SCHULZ       Mitsubishi         39h 30' 17" 
7 255 DE LAVERGNE / DUBOIS   Nissan             39h 32' 35" 

BIKES

1 001 SAINCT      BMW    40h 25' 25" 
2 005 GALLARDO    BMW    41h 09' 54"                                            3 008 LEWIS       BMW    41h 32' 25"                                            4 019 BRUCY       BMW    42h 31' 24" 
5 015 MAYER       KTM    43h 02' 14" 
6 014 BERNARD     KTM    44h 02' 33" 
7 022 FLICK              44h 37' 16" 
8 021 VILAR       KTM    46h 39' 24" 
9 025 GOUVEIAS    KTM    47h 51' 39" 
10 182 LUNDMARK   KTM    47h 54' 29" 
                                       

Harald Bloche - motorsport.com