BBC SPORT | Motorsport | Vatanen claims third stage win

Dakar Rally (stage 15)

Finland's Ari Vatanen won the 15th stage of the Dakar Rally on Friday, the Nissan driver's third victory of the race.

Overall leader Stephane Peterhansel finished sixth over the 477-kilometre stage in his Mitsubishi, nearly 15 minutes behind Vatanen, but stayed 25 minutes and 50 seconds ahead of second-placed Hiroshi Masuoka.

Italian Miki Biasion was Vatanen's nearest challenger, finishing six minutes and 23 seconds behind the Finn who posted a time of four hours, six minutes and 51 seconds over the journey from Luxor.

South African Giniel de Villiers came third, ahead of Frenchman Jean-Pierre Fontenay, who lies third overall, Japan's Masuoka and France's Peterhansel.

In the bike class, Fabrizio Meoni claimed the stage win.

But the Italian remains over half an hour behind leader Richard Sainct after a time-consuming crash on Thursday's stage 14.

On Saturday's penultimate stage, the competitors travel 365 kilometres across Egypt from Abu Rish to Sharm El Sheikh.

Stage 15 results:

Cars:
1. Ari Vatanen (Finland), Nissan, four hours six minutes 51 seconds
2. Miki Biasion (Italy), Mitsubishi, six minutes 23 seconds behind
3. Giniel de Villiers (South Africa), Nissan, 12:49
4. Jean-Pierre Fontenay (France), Mitsubishi, 13:12
5. Hiroshi Masuoka (Japan), Mitsubishi, 13:30
6. Stephane Peterhansel (France), Mitsubishi, 14:53
7. Luc Alphand (France), BMW, 18:51
8. Thierry de Lavergne (France), Nissan, 19:23
9. Carlos Sousa (Portugal), Mitsubishi, 24:15
10. Stephane Henrard (Belgium), Volkswagen, 28:09

Leading overall standings:
1. Peterhansel, 43 hours 25 minutes 41 seconds
2. Masuoka, 25 minutes 50 seconds behind
3. Fontenay, 2:23.47
4. Biasion, 2:30.25
5. Sousa, 3:02.54

Motorbikes:
1. Fabrizio Meoni (Italy), four hours 42 minutes 25 seconds
2. Per-Gunnar Lundmark (Sweden), one minute 47 seconds behind
3. Marc Coma (Spain), 3:56
4. Cyril Despres (France), 4:32
5. Richard Sainct (France), 5:23
6. Jean Brucy (France), 6:50
7. Jean de Azevedo (Brazil), 9:29
8. Pal Ullevalseter (Norway), 11:59
9. Jose Manuel Pellicer (Spain), 12:48
10. Francois Flick (France), 14:41

Leading overall standings:
1. Sainct, 48 hours 8 minutes 23 seconds
2. Despres, 10.29 behind
3. Meoni, 33.58
4. Brucy, 1:13:06
5. de Azevedo, 1:28.48


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