Mitsubishi driver Kenjiro Shinozuka from Japan strengthened his overall leading position when he won the 575-km eighth stage to Agades in the Dakar-Agades-Dakar rally on Saturday.
Ahead of the rest day in the Nigerian town, Shinozuko leads his French teammates Jean-Pierre Fontenay and Bruno Saby by one minute and 42 seconds and by 11 minutes and 38 seconds respectively.
Saturday's stage saw the former leader Fontenay lose more time to his Japanese rival.
The Frenchman came in second, 81 seconds behind Shinozuko, while Saby finished third a further six minutes 24 seconds behind but still in contention for overall victory in Dakar.
In the motorcycle section, Frenchman Stephane Peterhansel, on a Yamaha, had another comfortable victory, winning the stage two minutes and 36 seconds ahead of Spaniard Jordi Arcarons riding a KTM.
Peterhansel, who has won the Dakar rally four times before, can enjoy his day off on Sunday. He leads Arcarons by nearly an hour and an half overall ahead of the return ride to Dakar.
