In memory of Fabrizio Meoni, yesterday's stage of the Dakar 2005 was held with the motorbikes being transferred by plane after an agreement was reached with the organizers.

Stéphane Peterhansel keeps on consolidating his leadership with an advantage of 23.16 over his team-mate Luc Alphand. Giniel de Villers was the winner of the stage but there has been no important change. Nani Roma dropped down from overall fifth to sixth but is still making an excellent debut with the Mitsubishi Repsol.

In Wednesday's 586-km special, the terrain changed completely, with more vegetation, crossings and changes of direction, reaching more inhabited areas. The road was harder with tracks covered with laterite, a kind of gravel used to avoid the formation of mud in the rain season - which  deteriorated the track compared to the indications in the road book.

The stage today will take the participants from Bamako to Kayes including a 370-km special.