Loeb regains lead as Walkner’s Dakar ends early

Spain’s Carlos Sainz scored victory in stage seven of the Dakar Rally on Saturday as his Team Peugeot Total team mate Sebastien Loeb regained the overall lead.

Sainz, the 2010 champion, scored a solid victory over the 336km course from Uyuni in Bolivia to the Argentine city of Salta with Loeb 38 seconds in arrears.

Reigning champion Nasser Al-Attiyah was third in the Mini while Team Peugeot Total’s Stephane Peterhansel, who had taken the lead off Loeb with a stunning win in Friday’s stage six, was fourth.

Loeb now holds a two minute 22 second lead over Peterhansel with the fast-improving Sainz over four minutes back in third place overall.

Sunday was a rest day.

There was another French winner in the bikes category when former endure world champion Antoine Meo won his first ever stage.

The stage was marred by a nasty accident for Matthias Walkner which saw him break a femur and withdraw from the race.