Fiambala (Argentina), Jan 5 (DPA) Frenchman Stephane Peterhansel won the third stage of the automotive portion of the 32nd Dakar rally Monday, between the northwestern Argentine towns of La Rioja and Fiambala.
Peterhansel, who has won the Dakar rally nine times, also rose to the top of the overall table, relegating Qatar’s Nasser al-Attiyah.

The Frenchman, with a BMW, took 2.55:19 hours to complete the 182-km special, and was 5:44 minutes faster than Spain’s Carlos Sainz. Sainz also overtook al-Attiyah in the overall table, and left the Qatari in third place.

Peterhansel, 44, broke a new record in the history of the Dakar rally Monday, with 19 wins in automotive specials and 52 wins in total. He won six motorcycling editions of the rally, and three in a car.

In motorcycles, Frenchman Cyril Despres - who already won the Dakar in 2005 and 2007 - won the stage Monday.

The prestigious yet controversial race is set to cross the Andes into Chile Tuesday, with a tough stage at an altitude of over 4,700 metres. High altitude will test both drivers and vehicles, ahead of the Atacama desert that is set to be the main backdrop for the rally.

The 14-stage, 9,000-km event through Argentina and Chile, considered the toughest road race in the world, is slated to conclude Jan 17 in Buenos Aires. It is the 32nd Dakar Rally.