Highlights

Peterhansel and Despres crowned Dakar Rally champions

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2007-01-22 10:13

France's Stephane Peterhansel, driving a Mitsubishi, and compatriot Cyril Despres, riding a KTM, have been crowned champions of the 2007 Dakar Rally after the 15th and final stage.

It was Peterhansel's third Dakar Rally car crown and ninth overall while for Despres this represented a second title after winning the 2005 edition.

Despres crossed the line after two gruelling weeks of competition which claimed the lives of two competitors more than 34 minutes ahead of team-mate and countryman David Casteu.

The United States biker Chris Blais was 18 minutes further adrift.

Peterhansel and his co-driver Jean-Paul Cottret registered victory with a near seven-and-a-half minute cushion over his Mitsubishi teammate Luc Alphand, also of France.

Another Frenchman, Jean-Louis Schlesser, came in third in a Schlesser buggy, one hour 33 minutes 57 seconds behind Sunday.

Once again the event was marred by tragedy.

South African motorcyclist Elmer Symons, 29, suffered fatal injuries in an accident in the fourth stage and French rider Eric Aubijoux, 42, died of a suspected heart attack in the penultimate stage on Saturday.

Aubijoux was the 49th death in the race since the inaugural edition in 1979.