Gordon 21 seconds short of first stage win at Dakar

Spain's two-time rally world champion Carlos Sainz further extended his overall lead in the Dakar Rally on Tuesday as he won the 10th stage around Copiapo, Chile.

Sainz, who won his sixth stage of the rally and fourth in a row, beat NASCAR driver Robby Gordon by 21 seconds and finished 7 minutes, 39 seconds ahead of American Volkswagen teammate Mark Miller.

Gordon

Gordon said that it had been a relatively easy stage for him, although he bemoaned the lack of competition between his Hummer and the Volkswagens.

"We had a good day," Gordon said. "We managed to have a problem-free stage. As soon as we are on faster trails, [the Volkswagens] shake us off. They have so much more power than we do."

Gordon is fifth in the overall standings, 1 hour, 34 minutes behind Sainz.

Tuesday's start was delayed by two-and-a-half hours due to a thick fog on the route. Even more fog is scheduled for Wednesday morning, which led officials to cancel Wednesday's 11th stage. Officials do not want to delay the start as they did for the 10th stage.

Thursday's 12th stage will be from Fiambala to La Rioja, a distance of 253 kilometers.

Spanish rider Jordi Viladoms, on a KTM, won the motorcycle section, finishing 1 minute, 6 seconds ahead of Franco-Malian rider Alain Duclos. Viladoms' compatriot Marc Coma retained the overall lead and increased his lead on David Fretigne of France despite finishing 12 minutes, 17 seconds behind the stage winner.

• Spaniard Cristobal Guerrero was in a coma Tuesday after a heavy fall, organizers said. Guerrero, riding a KTM, fell about 160 kilometers into the 430 kilometer stage and was taken to Copiapo hospital where he underwent a brain scan.

The Dakar Rally is being broadcast on Versus, with daily updates on RobbyGordon.com.

Related:
• Gordon an impressive third in Dakar's ninth stage

Wire services contributed to this report.