ATAR (Mauritania), Jan 5: Japan’s Hiroshi Masuoka opened up a commanding lead after the 383km ninth stage of the Paris-Dakar Rally from Zouerat to here on Saturday.

The Mitsubishi Pajero driver now has an enormous 11min 46sec lead over second-placed team-mate and countryman Kenjiro Shinozuka, and a 26min 9sec advantage over defending champion Jutta Kleinschmidt of Germany, in third spot overall, who was second in Saturday’s stage.

Shinozuka, who had cut the gap in the standings down to 87 seconds after Friday’s section, suffered a miserable day on Saturday finishing in fourth spot, over ten minutes off the pace.

Belgium’s Gregoire de Mevius, who was third overall overnight in his Nissan Pick-Up, also came to grief and had to return to Zouerat on a tow rope.

Results:

Cars (leading finishers):

1. Hiroshi Masuoka (Jpn) Mitsubishi 3hr 53min 39sec, 2. Jutta Kleinschmidt (Ger) Mitsubishi at 5:05, 3. Jean-Pierre Fontenay (Fra) Mitsubishi 8:15, 4. Kenjiro Shinozuka (Jpn) Mitsubishi 10:19, 5. Stephane Peterhansel (Fra) Nissan 28:19, 6. Carlos Sousa (Por) Mitsubishi 46:47.

Motorbikes:

1. Kari Tianen (Fin) KTM 4hr 14min 54sec, 2. Jordi Arcarons (Spa) KTM at 3:07, 3. Isidre Esteve Pujol (Spa) KTM 4:49, 4. Giovani Sala (Ita) KTM 7:39, 5. Richard Sainct (Fra) KTM 7:44, 6. Carlo De Gavardo (Chi) KTM 8:15, 7. Joan Nani Roma (Spa) KTM 8:45, 8. Fabrizio Meoni (Ita) KTM 9:50, 9. Alfie Cox (Rsa) KTM 14:53, 10. Eric Bernard (Fra) KTM 25:19.—AFP