'Flash Gordon' takes Dakar Rally 4th stage

The Volkswagen Touareg driven by Robby Gordon of US and Dick Von Stitzewitz
of Germany drives through the Khourigba region, east of Casablanca, Morocco,
 during the fourth stage of the Barcelona-Dakar Rally Jan 3. - AP

Morocco - American Robby Gordon, driving a Volkswagen, celebrated his 36th birthday a day early when he won the 123km timed section of the fourth stage of the Dakar rally on Monday.

Gordon timed 1hr 14min 1sec for his second victory of the rally, 53sec ahead of Frenchman Stephane Peterhansel, driving a Mitsubishi, and 1min 8sec in front of Bruno Saby's Volkswagen.

Gordon - nicknamed 'Flash Gordon' after the American cartoon character - also took top spot in the overall standings off Britain's former world rally champion Colin McRae, with a 59sec lead on Peterhansel and 1min 14sec ahead of Saby.

Gordon was not sparing on the accelerator as he passed the Nissan of South African Giniel De Villiers and then tried in vain to pass another Nissan driver Finland's four-time world rally champion Ari Vatanen.

While Gordon - a winner on the ChampCar and Nascar circuits in the United States but competing in his first Dakar rally - criticised Vatanen for blocking him, the Finn laughed it off.

"It isn't true that he lost some time," said Vatanen.

"I thought it was Giniel behind me, I couldn't believe he was able to pass both of us."

Earlier, fog grounded security helicopters meaning the motorbike timed section was cancelled.

However the fog had lifted by the time the cars and lorries were due to start and the Nissan of McRae was the first car to drive off from Rabat but the Scotsman ended the day over three minutes adrift in the overall standings of Gordon in 10th place.

Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin