Carlos Sainz of Spain wins Dakar Rally 10th stage to stretch overall lead with 4 stages left

Sainz wins 10th stage to stretch Dakar Rally lead

SANTIAGO, Chile — Carlos Sainz of Spain won the 10th stage of the Dakar Rally on Tuesday to extend his overall lead with four stages remaining in the two-week race across Argentina and Chile.

Sainz finished the 138-mile stage from La Serena to the Chilean capital of Santiago 28 seconds ahead of Stephane Peterhansel of France. He’s 1:02 in front of Volkswagen teammate Mark Miller of the United States.

Sainz leads teammate Nasser Al-Attiyah of Qatar by 10:06 in the overall standings. Miller is 28:19 back.

In motorbikes, Marc Coma won the stage. Cyril Despres of France finished sixth but holds a massive overall lead of 1:22:49 over Pal Anders Ullevalseter of Norway.

Hospital officials said Tuesday that Italian motorcyclist Luca Manca has improved following a life-threatening crash.

The 29-year-old Manca suffered serious head injuries when he fell from his bike last Thursday in northern Chile. He remains on a respirator in an induced coma.