Dakar sixth stage canceled due to extreme weather

[January 07, 2017]    (Reuters) - The sixth stage of the Dakar Rally was canceled on Saturday due to extreme weather conditions in Bolivia, with competitors heading for a rest day in La Paz before resuming the race on Monday.

Mohammed Abu-Issa of Qatar drives his Mini with his copilot Xavier Panseri. REUTERS/Ricardo Moraes

Scouts sent out by organizers to check the 786km stage from the mining town of Oruro to La Paz reported steadily deteriorating terrain.

Friday's fifth stage had already been cut short due to bad weather, with Britain's Sam Sunderland leading the motorcycle standings on a KTM and French Peugeot driver Stephane Peterhansel on top in the car category.

(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Ed Osmond)

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