The 11th stage of the Dakar Rally offered its competitors a well-deserved break from timed action, meaning Mitsubishi's Stephane Peterhansel retains his lead at the head of the standings with just four stages left to run.
A leisurely 280km connection between Nema and Ayoun was all that was demanded of the remaining competitors on Wednesday after safety concerns forced officials to scrap the planned stage between Timbuktu and Nema back in December.
Eight-time Dakar winner Peterhansel holds a 10-minute lead over team-mate and reigning champion Luc Alphand heading into Thursday's 12th stage, while third-placed Jean Louis Schlesser is over an hour further behind in his Ford-powered buggy.
The race swung in the favour of the Mitsubishi duo on stage nine after early pace-setters in the Volkswagen, Carlos Sainz and Giniel de Villiers, hit mechanical problems on the stage between Tichit and Nema.
Reigning champion Marc Coma (KTM Repsol) remains in charge of the motorbike category with a 54-minute advantage over KTM Gauloises rider Cyril Despres, while Dutchman Hans Stacey (MAN) maintains his near three-hour advantage in the truck class.
Thursday's stage sees the competitors get to grips with quick Malian tracks on the 484km run between Ayoun and Kayes, which features a 257km timed special.
