Dakar Rally veteran Toby Price has cut the gap to this year's race leader to just three seconds after a smart ride on stage nine as the gruelling race resumed after a rest day.
However, the action has been marred by news that a spectator died following an incident on the stage.
"A spectator of Italian origin who was behind a dune had an accident on the rally course," a statement from race organisers read.
"He was evacuated by helicopter for medical assistance but unfortunately died during the transfer."
Price, the Australian two-time winner, trailed Argentine stage winner Luciano Benavides by 62 seconds after Tuesday's 358km special from Riyadh to Haradh.
But he finished one minute 55 seconds ahead of overnight leader Skyler Howes, bringing the American almost within touching distance of Price.
Price's KTM Factory teammate Kevin Benavides, Luciano's elder brother, is third, more than five minutes adrift of the leading duo.
Price, who was fourth overnight, benefited from smart navigation in the Saudi Arabian desert, reading the route better than several key rivals, including compatriot Daniel Sanders, and avoiding the crashes which ruled out yet another contender.
"It's been a good day," the New South Welshman told the race website.
"It was nice to get a good rest day in and come out for a good hit today.
"It was a little bit of a tricky one for navigation. I did go a little bit right just from the lines that I'd seen and was starting to notice we were going off the course a little bit.
"I kind of got a little lucky. I went across one big bank and could see two trees that were marked with the way point. Basically, I just hoped and prayed that it was the right one and went in that direction and it validated pretty much straight away."
Sanders, one of a quintet of stage winners who took a wrong direction, came 18th in the stage and is now ninth, more than 23 minutes behind Price.
Early in the stage Joan 'Bang Bang' Barreda fell and, feeling back pain, was airlifted to hospital in Riyadh.
The experienced Spaniard had been lying eighth at the start of the day.
"It's tough to get this far into the race and have that happen," Price said.
"A few boys had some crashes today, so it's not over until we get to that finishing line."
Young American privateer Mason Klein survived the stage, but lost time after crashing twice and losing his roadbook (which contains the day's route) early on. Having been third he dropped to sixth, more than 18 minutes behind Howes and Price.
The car category stage was won by Frenchman Sebastien Loeb who moved up to third overall. However, he remains well adrift of Toyota's defending champion Nasser Al-Attiyah.
The Qatari, who came eighth on the stage, is more than an hour clear of second-placed Brazilian Lucas Moraes.
The rally ends in Dammam on January 15.
- with Reuters
© AAP 2023