Gordon sets early pace
Robby Gordon became the first US driver in a car to win a special on the Dakar Rally as he clocked the fastest time on the opening stage of the event.
Gordon, who competes in NASCAR, set the pace in his Volkswagen with a time of four minutes 20 seconds across the six-kilometre superspecial stage near Barcelona.
Japanese driver Hiroshi Masuoka finished two seconds behind Gordon in his Mitsubishi followed by the Nissan of South African Giniel De Villiers.
In the motorcycle race Frenchman David Fretigne came home first with a time of four minutes 11 seconds on his Yamaha, with Cyril Despres second on a KTM and Dutchman Eric Verhoef fourth on his KTM.
In the car category the second Volkswagen of Frenchman Bruno Saby ended in fourth, just five seconds off the pace of the leader, with the Mitsubishi of compatriot Luc Alphand in fifth.
The first woman to cross the line was Jutta Kleinschmidt of Germany, who came home sixth in a Volkswagen with former rally driver Ari Vatanen seventh.
British former world rally champion Colin McRae finished eighth on the special stage, a second ahead of reigning car class champion Stephane Peterhansel, with the top 10 rounded off by Spanish driver Josep Maria Servia.
Mark Round from Huddersfield came home 77th in a Land Rover while Paul Green from Hampshire finished 110th.
In the Bike race Derby’s Mike Extance finished 65th, with Nick Tompkinson 85th, Clive Town 94th and Patsy Quick 128th on her KTM.
Other Brits to complete stage one were Nick Plum, Mike Hughes and Alex Hearn.
