Stage win puts Meoni in the hunt

Fabrizio Meoni advanced to the top of the Dakar Rally motorcycle standings for the first time in this year's event, keeping his quest to retain the title on course.

The KTM rider won yesterday's eighth stage from Tan Tan to Zouerat as the race crossed from Morocco to Mauritania. Meoni had been worried that his special tyre mousse – used instead of an inner tube – would break up because of high temperatures and fast speeds on the stage. The Italian stayed with fellow KTM rider Juan Roma to the first check point, but left the Spaniard behind after increasing his speed to around the 190kmh mark as a fuller fuel load meant he did not have to worry about running out.

Roma finished third behind Chile's Carlo de Gavardo, whose second place ensured a KTM one-two-three finish.

Japan's Hiroshi Masuoka retained the car category lead despite finishing sixth, nearly three minutes down on his countryman Kenjiro Shinozuka.