Peterhansel Retains Dakar Title

Mitsubishi driver, Stephane Peterhansel, has won the Dakar rally for the second consecutive year. The Frenchman finished in an overall time of 52 hours, 31 minutes and 39 seconds – 27 minutes and 14 seconds ahead of compatriot Luc Alphand. Third place was taken by Vokswagen’s Jutta Kleinschmidt, with Giniel de Villiers of Nissan and Volkwagen’s Bruno Saby taking fourth and fifth places.

At the finish, Stephane Peterhansel told BBC news it was a huge relief just to have finally finished. “We were very stressed this morning and everything went well so it’s really a big, big relief,” he said.

This year BF Goodrich supplied all of the main manufacturers’ and some private teams. The teams tackled the notoriously difficult desert terrain with the company’s Baja T/A Rock tyres in 235/85 R16.