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Dakar Day 6: Giniel still splitting Minis

IQUIQUE, Chile - Qatar's Nasser al-Attiyah edged closer to a second Dakar Rally victory on Friday (Jan 9) when he won his third stage out of six along Chile's Pacific Ocean coast.

Al-Attiyah, who won the 2011 Dakar, also took Stages 2 and 4 and thishis latest triumph means the Mini team, which swept the 2014 podium, has won all the stages so far.

The Qatari took honours after the 318km timed stage from Antofagasta to Iquique on the shore of the Pacific with his main rival and 2009 winner South African Giniel de Villiers second in a South African-built Toyota Hilux.

FIFTH PODIUM FOR GINIEL

It was De Villiers' fifth podium finish this week while 2014 champion Nani Roma, in another Mini, was third. Nevertheless, Roma's hopes of hanging on to his 2014 title have already been shattered because he lost six-and-a-half hours on the opening stage.

In the overall standings, al-Attiyah stretched his lead by 37sec over De Villiers to more than 21 minutes.

Saudi Arabian rookie Yazeed Alrajhi, in another Toyota, was seventh on the stage, more than eight minutes off the pace and almost30 minutes behind al-Attiyah in the overall standings. He remains in third overall.

Stephane Peterhansel, the best-placed Peugeot driver after the retirement of 2010 champion Carlos Sainz, finished half an hour behind al-Attiyah to stand at close to two hours off the lead.

THE BIKES

Portugal's Helder Rodrigues (Honda) won the motorcycle stage though Spaniard Joan Barreda is still the overall two-wheeled leader...

It was Rodrigues' first stage win of the 2015 race, finishing in 3hr40min10.

Australia's Toby Price (KTM) was 1min10 behind while Portugal's Paulo Goncalves (Honda) was 1min42 off the lead.

Barreda was sixth on the stage on his Honda, more than seven minutes behind Rodrigues, but still extended his overall lead over defending champion Marc Coma to 12min27 sec.

Coma (KTM) was eighth on Friday.

Stay with Wheels24 for daily coverage of the 2015 Dakar Rally.

Dakar Rally results on Friday after Stage 6 from Antofagasta to Iquique in Chile (688km stage / 318km timed):

Auto
Stage

1 Nasser Al-Attiyah/Matthieu Baumel (QAT/FRA/Mini) 2hr37min18
2 Giniel De Villiers/Dirk Von Zitzewitz (RSA/GER/Toyota) +37sec
3 Nani Roma/Michel Prin (ESP/FRA/Mini) +1min24
4 Robby Gordon/Johnny Campbell (USA/USA/Gordini) +1min45
5 Orlando Terranova/Bernardo Graue (ARG/ARG/Mini) +5min48
6 Bernhard Ten Brinke/Tom Colsoul (NED/BEL/Toyota) +8min04
7 Yazeed Alrajhi/Timo Gttschalk (KSA/GER/Toyota) +8min15
8 Krzysztof Holowczyc/Xavier Panseri (POL/FRA/Mini) +11min58
9 Erik Van Loon/Wouter Rosegaar (NED/NED/Mini) +13min18
10 Christian Lavieille/Pascal Maimon (FRA/FRA/Toyota) +13min23.

Overall (after six stages)

1 Nasser Al-Attiyah/Matthieu Baumel (QAT/FRA/Mini) 19hr30min44. (penality: 2:00)
2 Giniel De Villiers/Dirk Von Zitzewitz (RSA/GER/Toyota) +11min12
3 Yazeed Alrajhi/Timo Gttschalk (KSA/GER/Toyota) +28min44
4 Krzysztof Holowczyc/Xavier Panseri (POL/FRA/Mini) +1hr00min53
5 Bernhard Ten Brinke/Tom Colsoul (NED/BEL/Toyota) +1hr04min23
6 Erik Van Loon/Wouter Rosegaar (NED/NED/Mini) +1hr06min43
7 Christian Lavieille/Pascal Maimon (FRA/FRA/Toyota) +1hr27min22
8 Carlos Sousa/Paulo Fiuza (POR/POR/Mitsubishi) +1hr42min45
9 Ronan Chabot/Gilles Pillot (FRA/FRA/SMG) +1hr49min27
10 Stephane Peterhansel/Jean Paul Cottret (FRA/FRA/Peugeot) +1hr49min41.

Motorcycles
Stage

1 Helder Rodrigues (POR/Honda) 3hr40min10
2 Toby Price (AUS/KTM) +1min10
3 Paulo Goncalves (POR/Honda) +1min42
4 Pablo Quintanilla (CHI/KTM) +6min11
5 Stefan Svitko (SVK/KTM) +6min42
6 Joan Barreda (ESP/Honda) +7min20
7 Jeremias Israel Esquerre (CHI/Honda) +8min58
8 Marc Coma (ESP/Ktm) +9min14
9 Ruben Faria (POR/KTM) +9min34
10 Ivan Jakes (SVK/KTM) +13min59

 Overall (after six stages)

1 Joan Barreda (ESP/Honda) +21hr38min35
2 Marc Coma (ESP/KTM) +12min27
3 Paulo Goncalves (POR/Honda) +17min12
4 Pablo Quintanilla (CHI/KTM) +29min57
5 Toby Price (AUS/KTM) +33min44
6 Helder Rodrigues (POR/Honda) +36min04
7 Ruben Faria (POR/KTM) +40min27
8 Stefan Svitko (SVK/KTM) +41min27
9 Alain Duclos (FRA/Sherco TVS) +52min56
10 Jeremias Israel Esquerre (CHI/Honda) +1hr00min48

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