+ Click to Enlarge NEW LEADER: Luc Alphand won stage 12 and took the overall lead of the Dakar rally. Pictures: AFP

January 12, 2006

Paris, France - Luc Alphand became the new leader of the Dakar rally on Thursday after winning the 12th stage from the Malian capital Bamako to Labé in Guinea.

The Mitsubishi driver was lying second at the start of the day, 25 minutes behind overnight leader and team mate Stephane Peterhansel; he covered the 368km in 4hr 22min46.

Peterhansel lost the advantage after hitting a tree and damaging the left rear wheel of his Pajero, 278km into the timed section.

He got the car going again, driving on the front wheels only, but stopped again at 294km, shortly after checkpoint two.

With the aid of his service crew he limped across the finish line more than three hours behind the leaders and is now fourth overall, 2hr 51min behind Alphand and 1hr 31min behind third-placed Nani Roma.

Guerlain Chicherit (BMW) came in second, only 56 seconds behind Alphand, with South African Giniel de Villiers 3min21 off the pace in third after another storming drive.

Peterhansel's mechanical woes moved De Villiers up to second overall, 20min31 behind Alphand.

Motorcycles

Cyril Despres, riding a KTM, won the motorcycle section, in his fourth stage win of the rally. The defending champion came in 1min45 ahead of fellow KTM riders Marc Coma and Chris Blais, who was 2min29 off the pace.

After his huge crash in Mauritania when he dislocated his left shoulder, Despres will be pleased he didn't withdraw from the rally as he clinched his fourth stage victory.

Pal Anders Ullevalseter was lying fourth at the start of the day but struggled in the stage and lost 1hr 25min, dropping down to sixth overall, three hours behind Coma who holds the overall lead with a 32min39 cushion over Despres.

Carlo De Gavardo got water into the engine of his KTM crossing a river, which cost him 44min. He held onto fifth but American Chris Blais, who unexpectedly grabbed fourth on Wednesday's 11th stage, did even better to move into third on the stage and fourth overall, 21min35 behind third-placed Giovanni Sala.

Friday's 13th stage is a 567km run from Labé in Guinea to Tambacounda in eastern Senegal. - Sapa-AFP

Stage 12 classifications from the
Dakar rally, Thursday, January 12, 2006.

CARS
1 Luc Alphand (France) Mitsubishi - 4:22:46
2 Guerlain Chicherit (France) BMW - 4:23:42
3 Giniel de Villiers (South Africa) VW - 4:26:07
4 Bruno Saby (France) VW - 4:27:18
5 Mark Miller (United States) VW - 4:29:42
6 Nani Roma (Spain) Mitsubishi - 4:30:50
7 Eric Vigouroux (France) Chevrolet - 4:31:04
8 Thierry Magnaldi (France) Schlesser-Ford 4:31:17
9 Carlos Sainz (Spain) VW - 4:33:34
10 Jean-Louis Schlesser (France) Schlesser-Ford - 4:34:54

Overall cars classification
after Stage 12
1 Luc Alphand (France) Mitsubishi - 46:25:52
2 Giniel de Villiers (South Africa) VW - 46:46:23
3 Nani Roma (Spain) Mitsubishi - 47:46:38
4 Mark Miller (United States) VW - 49:25:45
5 Jean-Louis Schlesser (France) Schlesser-Ford - 50:10:45
6 Carlos Sousa (Portugal) Nissan - 51:30:58
7 Bruno Saby (France) VW - 54:25:20
8 Guerlain Chicherit (France) BMW - 54:31:02
9 Thierry Magnaldi (France) Schlesser-Ford - 54:38:17
10 Carlos Sainz (Spain) VW - 56:12:55

MOTORCYCLES
1 Cyril Despres (France) KTM - 4:52:14
2 Marc Coma (Spain) KTM - 4:53:59
3 Chris Blais (United States) KTM - 4:54:43
4 Jean de Azevedo (Brazil) KTM - 4:55:15
5 Jonah Street (United States) KTM - 4:58:57
6 Helder Rodrigues (Portugal) Yamaha - 4:59:49
7 Jordi Viladoms (Spain) KTM - 5:00:48
8 Paulo Goncalves (Portugal) Honda - 5:04:05
9 Janis Vinters (Latvia) KTM - 5:07:45
10 Alain Duclos (France) KTM - 5:14:41

Overall motorcycles classification
after Stage 12
1 Marc Coma (Spain) KTM - 47:01:21
2 Cyril Despres (France) KTM - 47:34:00
3 Chris Blais (United States) KTM - 49:08:11
4 Alain Duclos (France) KTM - 50:59:56
5 Jean de Azevedo (Brazil) KTM - 51:08:21
6 Helder Rodrigues (Portugal) Yamaha - 51:13:49
7 Janis Vinters (Latvia) KTM - 53:32:45
8 Jordi Viladoms (Spain) KTM - 54:19:07
9 Jonah Street (United States) KTM - 56:29:43
10 Paulo Goncalves (Portugal) Honda - 61:41:43

For earlier days' news and results, go to our special Dakar Rally section.

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