Dakar Rally: Al-Attiyah leads, trouble for Roma, Peugeot off pace

Although two of the nine Minis entered by X-raid reached Villa Carlos Paz in first and second with Al-Attiyah and team-mate Orlando Terranova, Roma's example came to a halt just a few miles from the Buenos Aires start.

Roma had to wait on the stage for technical assistance, losing over six hours to the leaders and all realistic chance of back-to-back wins.

Argentinean crowd favourite Terranova trails Al-Attiyah by 22 seconds after the first stage in his homeland, while Robby Gordon - who has had opening day disasters on the last two Dakars - fared much better this time and holds third.

Peugeot's factory Dakar return got off to a quiet start, with Carlos Sainz and Stephane Peterhansel driving conservatively in eighth and 10th places, feeling the relatively quick 106-mile stage did not suit the two-wheel-drive 2008 DKR as well as others ahead will.

Their team-mate Cyril Despres is already 10 minutes off the pace as he begins his transition from the motorcycle category to tackling the event in a car.

LEADING POSITIONS AFTER STAGE ONE: