Peterhansel won the 10th stage between Chilecito and San Juan in 04:47:00 to beat his compatriot, Sébastien Loeb, to the overnight station by 7 minutes and 28 seconds.

The podium was once against completed by another Frenchman, with Cyril Despres, claimed third in the stage so 10 minute behind Peterhansel.

The Dakar resumed after the ninth stage was cancelled due to a massive landslide at Peterhansel said restating the event wasn't easy.

"It was really complicated to restart"

"Today was a really complicated with a lot of navigation in the river beds. Everybody was completely lost.

"The biker was in turning back and just when he saw me he put the brakes on and crashed and I stopped on him.

"I saw that his leg was broken but he was still conscious. We stayed for about fifteen or twenty minutes with him to wait for the medical helicopter.

"Afterwards, it was really complicated to restart, to drive at a good speed.

"It wasn't an easy day. We need to do the calculation to know exactly what the time is, probably first, but the main thing wasn't the race today, it was the crash with the biker".

The 2009 champion, Giniel de Villiers of South Africa once again finished a stage in sixth, but has moved up to fifth overall.

The Zimbabwean driver, Conrad Rautenbach, and his South African navigator, Rob Howie, impressed by following De Villiers over the finish line 7th.

Friday’s penultimate stage rides for 759km between San Juan and Río Cuarto.

Morgan Piek OFM Sport