Defending champion Jutta Kleinschmidt slashed Hiroshi Masuoka's overall lead by more
than half as she won Friday's leg of the Paris-Dakar Rally.
It was the Misubishi driver's second stage win, the first coming in the 10th stage on Monday.
Japan's Kenjiro Shinozuka was second and compatriot Masuoka finished third, trailing last year's champion by over 30 minutes.
Kleinschmidt set a blistering pace in the 461km stretch through Saharan desert between Tichit and Kiffa in southern Mauritania.
The trek was the first part of a two-day "marathon" stage totalling 1,472km.
Narrow lead
Before Friday's race, Masuoka held a 52:22 advantage over Kleinschmidt.
That was reduced to 20:32, although overall standings will not officially change until after the second part of the "marathon" stage.
In the bike category, Italian title-holder Fabrizio Meoni reinforced his narrow overall lead with a time of 6:22:22.
Frenchman Richard Sainct was second, 2:45 behind, and South African Alfie Cox third. All three were riding KTM bikes.
Competitors have to stay in Kiffa for six hours before starting the 1,011km trek to the Senegalese capital, Dakar.
The race finishes on Sunday with a 69km(42.78-mile) stretch around Dakar.
Stage results:
Cars
1.Jutta Kleinschmidt (Ger) Mitsubishi 5hr 50min 05sec
2.
Kenjiro Shinozuka (Jpn) Mitsubishi at 17:00min
3. Jean-Pierre
Fontenay (Fra) Mitsubishi 31:50
4. Hiroshi Masuoka (Jpn)
Mitsubishi) 33:54
5. Carlos Sousa (Por) Mitsubishi 1:21:01
Motorcyles
1. Fabrizio Meoni (Ita) KTM 6hr 22min 22sec
2. Richard Sainct
(Fra) KTM at 02min 45sec
3. Alfie Cox (Rsa) KTM 29:30
4. Isidre
Esteve Pujol (Spa) KTM 40:13
5. Pierre Quinonero (Fra) KTM 40:53
6. Eric Bernard (Fra) KTM 42:04
7. Pal Anders Ullevalseter (Nor)
KTM 44:09
8. Andrea Mayer (Ger) KTM 1:23:47
9. Rodrigo Amaral
(Por) KTM 1:24:02
10. Bernardo Villar (Por) KTM 1:24:28
11. Christophe Meillat
(Fra) Honda 1:31:48
12. Joaquim Gouveia (Bra) Honda 1:47:06
13.
Carlo De Gavardo (Chi) KTM 2:05:25
14. Giovani Sala (Ita) KTM
2:51:19.
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