Nasser Al-Attiyah won the third stage of the Dakar Rally by 25 seconds from overall leader and Volkswagen team-mate Carlos Sainz.
The Qatari driver covered the 521-kilometre route in Argentina from San Miguel de Tucuman to San Salvador de Jujuy in three hours, 42 minutes and 20 seconds.
Sainz remains three minutes and 34 seconds in front overall, with Al-Attiyah now the Spaniard's closest challenger and Frenchman Stephane Peterhansel, in a BMW, third.
Meanwhile in the bike category, Spanish rider Marc Coma took the stage victory to cut defending champion Cyril Despres' overall advantage to just 14 seconds.
Stage four on Wednesday will see the drivers cross the Andes at an altitude of 4,200 metres and enter the Atacama desert, one of the driest places on earth.
Read more: Al-Attiyah bags stage win
