CHATEAU-LASTOURS, France, Dec 30: Two-time winner Jean-Louis Schlesser put his poor start to the Paris-Dakar rally behind him by finishing second in the second special stage here Sunday.

Frenchman Schlesser, the winner of the gruelling event in 1999 and 2000, finished second in the special, 56sec behind Gregoire de Mevius of Belgium over the stony and at times slippery 35-kilometre course in southwest France.

Schlesser had finished 68th in the extremely muddy conditions in the first special in La Souterraine on Saturday but the drive propelled him up to 11th overall.

De Mevius, in a Nissan, leads the overall cars’ standings by 53sec from reigning champion Jutta Kleinschmidt, who finished third on Sunday.

The German said she was happy with the performance of her Mitsubishi as the drivers set out on the 850km liaison stage to Madrid.

“This was a great stage, there were a lot of fans on the course and I had no problem with the car,” said Kleinschmidt.

Experienced French campaigner Richard Sainct won Sunday’s motorcycle section, but Frenchman Cyril Despres and Joan Nani Roma of Spain are equal first in the overall two-wheel standings.

The surprise leader after the first day, 24-year-old Frenchman Pierre Quinonero, slipped to sixth overall.

Veteran French rocker Johnny Hallyday was lying 70th in the car section after Sunday’s special.

On Monday, the rally finally touches African soil as the competitors are transferred to Rabat.

The 24th annual race will also cover Mauritania and Senegal, where it is due to finish on Jan 13.—AFP