INTERNATIONAL: Qatar's Nasser Al Attiyah moved ever closer to his fourth Dakar Rally title after gaining a minute on closest rival Sebastien Loeb during Tuesday's ninth stage in Saudi Arabia.

The Toyota driver ended the day 39 minutes and five seconds clear of the nine-times world rally champion with three stages remaining before the annual endurance event ends in Jeddah on Friday.

South African Giniel de Villiers led a Toyota factory team to a one-two-three finish in the 287km timed stage that started and ended in Wadi Ad Dawasir after a desert loop over dunes and through canyons.

Compatriot Henk Lategan, winner of last week's fifth stage, came second.

Loeb, who had to change a punctured tire, was fifth for the Bahrain Raid Xtreme team.

KTM's Austrian Mattias Walkner took over at the top of the motorcycle standings with Britain's 2017 winner Sam Sunderland 14th in the stage and dropping to second and two minutes 12 seconds adrift.

The stage was won by Chilean Jose Ignacio Cornejo riding a Honda.