Dakar, Jan 19: Stephane Peterhansel the 38-year-old Frenchman followed in the footsteps of his compatriot Hubert Auriol, the first person to win the Dakar Rally on both two and four wheels. "On the liaison section this morning, I couldn't help but think about last year," said a delighted Peterhansel, who had led for most of the 2003 race before breaking down and hitting a rock near the end of the penultimate stage. "It has been a long year to wait for this victory. It's been extremely tough, but I couldn't be happier.
Peterhansel's closest challenger, team mate Hiroshi Masuoka of Japan, finished second overall but was almost 50 minutes behind the Frenchman. Jean-Louis Schlesser, also of France, was third in his Schles-Ford while former world rally champion McRae, in his debut Dakar, finished well down the final standings in 20th.

Bureau Report