Dakar: Sainz moves into the lead with stage four win

The Spanish driver, fourth at the start of the day, completed the 657km special from San Juan to Chilecito in over five hours and 20 minutes.

Sainz, driving the SMG Buggy, beat day-two leader Stephane Peterhansel by over six minutes and Nasser Al-Attiyah by nearly nine.

Sainz won the stage despite finishing the day without power steering in his buggy.

Argentine Federico Villagra was fourth on the stage, while Wednesday's leader Nani Roma lost the lead of the event after finishing over 14 minutes behind Sainz.

The Spaniard, however, is second overall, just over two minutes behind Sainz.

Al-Attiyah is third ahead of Orlando Terranova and Peterhansel, 18 minutes behind the leader.

Friday's stage from Chilecito to Tucuman will be longest of the rally, with 912km to cover, 527 of those timed.

Leading stage four times:

Pos  Driver                Team/Car         Time/Gap
 1.  Carlos Sainz          SMG Buggy         5h20m32s
 2.  Stephane Peterhansel  X-raid Mini        +6m04s
 3.  Nasser Al-Attiyah     X-raid Mini        +8m58s
 4.  Federico Villagra     X-raid Mini        +13m19s
 5.  Nani Roma             X-raid Mini        +14m08s
 6.  Orlando Terranova     X-raid Mini        +16m04s
 7.  Giniel de Villiers    Imperial Toyota    +24m49s
 8.  Christian Lavieille   Haval              +26m59s
 9.  Pascal Thomasse       MD Buggy           +33m37s
10.  Aidyn Rakhimbayev     Hilux Toyota       +34m08s

Leading overall positions after stage four:

Pos  Driver                Team/Car         Time/Gap
 1.  Carlos Sainz          SMG Buggy         14h52m47s
 2.  Nani Roma             X-raid Mini        +2m06s
 3.  Nasser Al-Attiyah     X-raid Mini        +6m56s
 4.  Orlando Terranova     X-raid Mini        +13m08s
 5.  Stephane Peterhansel  X-raid Mini        +18m10s
 6.  Giniel de Villiers    Imperial Toyota    +39m10s
 7.  Christian Lavieille   Haval              +46m20s
 8.  Federico Villagra     X-raid Mini        +47m12s
 9.  Krzsyztof Holowczyc   X-raid Mini        +1h07m00s
10.  Darek Dabrowski       Hilux Toyota       +1h18m44s