VALPARAïSO, Chile - Spanish driver Nani Roma won the Dakar Rally Saturday, 10 years after he clinched the motorcycle title in the grueling event. Roma, 42, overturned a 26-second overnight deficit on his Mini teammate and 11-time champion Stephane Peterhansel to take victory. South Africa's Giniel de Villiers (Toyota) won the stage, the 13th and final one of the race over 157km from La Serena, with Roma in second and former champion Nasser Al-Attiyah of Qatar taking third. Roma becomes just the third man to win the Dakar title on two and four wheels after Peterhansel and Hubert Auriol. His win came after a controversial two days when Mini insisted on team orders which would have seen Roma, Peterhansel and Al-Attiyah complete a podium lockout for the manufacturers. But Friday saw Roma suffer a puncture, allowing Peterhansel to retake the overall lead. It was unclear in the immediate aftermath of Saturday's conclusion whether or not the Mini drivers had received new instructions. Peterhansel, six-time champion on two wheels and five times on four, was fourth on Saturday's stage and took second place overall. “It was a bizarre stage,” Peterhansel had said after completing the penultimate stage Friday. “I even did a U-turn to ask Nani if he wanted to go in front in the dunes, but he didn't want to. “The strategy hasn't changed. The instructions will perhaps be reissued tonight and we will listen to them.” Race organizers had said Thursday they were “disappointed” and “shocked” by Mini's team orders. “We haven't been informed of this decision by the team manager of Mini,” said race director Etienne Lavigne. “But we are disappointed, clearly, because it is not in the spirit of the competition. It's a little shocking. It's not fair. “If I was being mean, I would say to Mini that they can collect the trophy immediately. Fighting without risk is triumph without glory.” Spain's Marc Coma, riding for the KTM team, won the motorcycle title for the fourth time. The Dakar specialist avoided any last day misfortune to add the 2014 title to his successes in 2006, 2009 and 2011. The 13th and final stage was won by France's Cyril Despres, the defending champion, on a Yamaha with Spain's Joan Barreda (Honda) in second and another French rider Olivier Pain (Yamaha) in third. Coma, who had a near two-hour lead over the chasing pack going into the final day, came in 18th. — Agencies
