CORDOBA, Argentina: Defending champion Carlos Sainz won Sunday's first stage of the Dakar Rally, covering the 222-kilometer distance in 2 hours, 18 minutes, 32 seconds. Sainz's Volkswagen was 1:31 ahead of second-place Stephane Peterhansel in a BMW and 2:16 in front of Volkswagen teammate Nasser Al-Attiyah. American driver Mark Miller was fourth, 4:17 behind. Ruben Farina of Portugal took the stage in the bike category, clocking 1:58:02. He was 29 seconds ahead of defending champion Cyril Despres and had a 1:15 lead on Marc Coma, the 2009 champion. Faria seemed surprised to have won the stage. “I did better today than many great riders,” Faria said. Despres took the wet, slippery day in his stride. “It was a great warming-up exercise - a winding route, big sliding sections, a mix between skiing and riding,” Despres said. “I am in good shape. ... In the beginning of a Dakar, one always wonders: is this going to change much? Even if we tested our bikes, a Dakar will always be a Dakar. The race is on now and staying focused is of the essence.” Sunday's stage from Victoria to Corboda in northern Argentina followed the ceremonial ride from Buenos Aires to Victoria on the opening day. Officials said 407 contestants started the race Sunday, down from the 430 who were enrolled Saturday.
