Flash Gordon closes the gap
American cuts advantage of overall leader Peterhansel
Last Updated: January 10, 2012 9:43pm
Robby Gordon: Won stage nine to close gap on rival Stephane Peterhansel
American Robby Gordon won Tuesday's ninth stage of the Dakar Rally, but French rival Stephane Peterhansel maintained his overall lead in the car category as he came home second.
At the wheel of his Hummer, Gordon took the 556-kilometer (345-mile) special stage in 4 hours, 35 minutes and 21 seconds.
Peterhansel finished one minute and 38 seconds behind, with Joan Roma of Spain over eight and a half minutes behind the leader.
Gordon's victory sees Peterhansel's lead in the overall standings shaved to just under six minutes.
Earlier, defending champion Nasser Al-Attiyah was forced out of the race when his temperamental Hummer experienced yet more mechanical problems.
Despres moves clear on the bikes
In the motorbike category, Cyril Despres regained the upper hand in his intriguing duel with rival Marc Coma on Tuesday.
The French KTM rider, and three-time champion, responded to Coma's win on Monday by taking the ninth stage from Antofogasta which ended with a dramatic descent down an 800 metre high dune.
Despres, who timed 5 hours, 4 minutes and 33 seconds, finished just under four minutes clear of Coma, enough to displace the Spaniard at the top of the overall rankings.
With five days of racing now left to go Despres holds a narrow two-minute advantage over Coma.
