Racing: Casteu takes early lead in Dakar Rally
20th running of brutal rally raidThe South American-hosted 2010 Dakar Rally has begun in Argentina, with Frenchman David Casteu (Sherco) leading after two of 16 stages.
Casteu holds a two-minute and 10-second (2:10) advantage over two-time champion Cyril Despres (KTM) in the motorcycle division, with stage two winner David Fretigne (Yamaha) in third, a further four seconds in arrears.
Three Australians are competing, with Rob Pollard (KTM) the best of them in 49th overall, ahead of Christophe Barriere Varju (KTM, 80th) and Garry Connell (Husaberg, 112th).
Defending champion Marc Coma, who also won in 2006, was third in the 687km stage two from Cordoba to La Rioja, behind Fretigne and Casteu. However, he is currently languishing in 14th overall after he was penalised 22 minutes on day one for speeding through a village.
Without the sanction, Coma would have been nipping at the heels of Fretigne in the overall classification.
The rally finishes back in Buenos Aires on January 17.
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