Defending Dakar Rally champion Stephane Peterhansel of France won the 483 kilometre 10th stage of the Dakar-2005 rally.

Driving a Mitsubishi, he completed the stage in 5 hours 22 minutes 58 seconds to finish 1min 27sec clear of team-mate Luc Alphand.

Germany's Jutta Kleinschmidt came third, 30min 27sec off the pace.

Peterhansel kept a grip on the overall lead in the race, 21min 28sec ahead of former skiing great Alphand and 1hr 10mins 45sec clear of Kleinschmidt.

Earlier Monday, motorcyclist Cyril Despres, riding a KTM, made it a one-two for France when he won the 10th stage of the motorbike rally and regained top spot in the overall standings from overnight leader, Italian Fabrizio Meoni.

While amateur Spanish rider Jose Manuel Perez, 41, who crashed during last Thursday's stage, died of his injuries in hospital on Monday.

(Photo Source: AFP)

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