Fontenay finishes first

Titleholder Kleinschmidt currently lies in second spot

Click here for Wednesday's times
Click here for overall standings

Frenchman Jean-Pierre Fontenay won Wednesday's stage of the Dakar Rally, but Japan's Hiroshi Masuoka held on to top spot despite finishing third.

Fontenay, driving a Mitsubishi, clocked a time of six hours, 32 minutes and 44 seconds in the 538km leg between Tidjikja and Tichit in central Mauritania.

Titleholder Jutta Kleinschmidt finished second and Masuoka took third spot, six minutes and 39 seconds behind Fontenay.

But the Japanese driver retained a 25 minute 57 second lead over Kleinschmidt in the overall standings, with four days' racing left.

In the bike category, South African Alfie Cox won the stage in six hours 30 minutes and 39 seconds.

Spaniard Joan Roma was second and Italian defending champion Fabrizio Meoni third.

Meoni's overall lead was reduced to one minute.

Thursday's stage is a 450km round-trip starting from Tichit. The race finishes on Sunday in the Senegalese capital, Dakar.

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Leading results from the 11th stage between Tidjikja and Tichit:

Cars:
1. Jean-Pierre Fontenay, France, Mitsubishi, six hours 32 minutes and 44 seconds
2. Jutta Kleinschmidt, Germany, Mitsubishi, 1:39 behind
3.Hiroshi Masuoka, Japan, Mitsubishi, 6:39
4. Kenjiro Shinozuka, Japan, Mitsubishi, 18:08
5. Carlos Sousa, Portugal, Mitsubishi, 18:08

Bikes:
1. Alfie Cox, South Africa, KTM, six hours, 30 minutes and 39 seconds
2. Joan Roma, Spain, KTM, 0:45 behind
3. Fabrizio Meoni, Italy, KTM, 1:06
4. Jordi Arcarons, Spain, KTM, 16:57
5. Giovani Sala, Italy, KTM, 18:16

Leading overall standings after stage 11:

Cars:
1. Masuoka and Maimon, 31:10:41
2. Kleinschmidt and Schulz, 25:57 behind
3. Shinozuka and Delli-Zotti, 29:18
4. Fontenay and Picard, 1:12:11
5. Sousa and Jesus, 3:50:21

Bikes:
1. Meoni, 33:19:08
2. Roma, 1:00 behind
3. Cox, 12:04
4,.De Gavardo, 27:41
5. Arcarons, 38:06

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