Dakar 2016: Peterhansel claims stage four, Loeb retains lead

Stage four's other winners across the different classes were Portugal's Paulo Gonclaves (bikes), Argentina's Marcos Patronelli's (quads), and Dutchman Hans Stacey (trucks).

Loeb gave away 27 seconds to Peterhansel, but still leads by four minutes 48 seconds.

"We had a good stage, with no mistakes and a good pace from the beginning," Peterhansel told .

"We aren't too proud yet because we know we were not able to carry out all the tests we wanted [pre-event] and it's just the third day of racing.

"It's the first Dakar special stage I've won win for Peugeot, it's nice," said Peterhansel.

"We worked hard all year, but aren't too proud yet because we know we weren't able to carry out all the tests we wanted, and it's just the third day of racing.

"We had a good special, with no navigational mistakes and a high pace from the beginning. Our work is paying off."

Loeb said that he was pleased with his day's work, despite falling off the pace early on.

"It was quite long, but not as intense as the previous stages. There were lots of pace changes, so it was hard to stay focused," he said.

"I had some trouble with my Sentinel, but apart from this we had fun."

Bike stage winner Goncalves was delighted after winning the stage - but he was given the win after team-mate Joan Barreda was penalised for speeding, Goncalves being elevated to stage victory by four minutes 46 seconds to grab the overall lead in the race.

"It was a good day, bringing the bike home in one piece was crucial. I'm happy for me and Honda," he said.