Mini's driver Stephane Peterhansel (right) of France and co-driver Jean Paul Cottret celebrate winning the Dakar 2013 on Saturday, Jan. 19 after the 14th and final stage of the race between La Serena and Santiago, Chile. The rally began on Jan. 5 in the Peruvian capital of Lima and wound its way south through the deserts and mountains of Peru, Argentina and Chile.
 

Argentina's Marcos Patronelli celebrates winning the 2013 Dakar Rally quad category at the end of the 14th stage Saturday from La Serena to Santiago, Chile.

KTM rider Cyril Despres of France celebrates winning the 2013 Dakar Rally in the motorcycle category as he arrives Saturday during the 14th stage from La Serena to Santiago, Chile.

Honda rider Johnny Campbell of the U.S., right, greets a Honda team member on Saturday, Jan. 19 after the end of the 14th stage of the Dakar Rally from La Serena to Santiago, Chile.

Competitor's trucks and cars sit parked in line before the start of the 14th and last stage of the 2013 Dakar Rally from La Serena to Santiago, Chile, Saturday, Jan. 19. The rally began on Jan. 5 in the Peruvian capital of Lima and wound its way south through the deserts and mountains of Peru, Argentina and Chile.

KTM rider Ruben Faria of Portugal competes at the start of the 13th stage of the 2013 Dakar Rally from Copiapo to La Serena, Chile, on Friday, Jan. 18. The race finishes in Santiago, Chile, on Jan. 20.

Chile's Francisco Lopez rides his KTM across the dunes during the 13th stage of the 2013 Dakar Rally from Copiapo to La Serena, Chile, on Friday, Jan. 18.

A spectator takes in the motorcycles during the 13th stage of the 2013 Dakar Rally from Copiapo to La Serena, Chile, on Friday, Jan. 18.

Motorcyclists compete during the 13th stage of the Dakar Rally 2013 from Copiapo to La Serena, Chile, on Friday, Jan. 18.

France's Michael Metge rides during the 13th stage of the Dakar Rally 2013 from Copiapo to La Serena, Chile, on Friday, Jan. 18.

Robby Gordon and co-driver Kellon Walch drive their Hummer as fans cheer during the 12th stage of the 2013 Dakar Rally from Fiambala, Argentina, to Copiapo, Chile, on Thursday, Jan. 17.

Cyril Despres of the KTM Red Bull Rally Factory Team wipes down after Stage 12 from Fiambala, Argentina to Copiapo, Chile, on Thursday. And it was well-earned, as the Frenchman retained his commanding lead, sitting more than 5-1/2 minutes ahead of teammate Ruben Faria with two days to go.

Marek Spail of Liaz lets no element get in his way as he competes in Thursday's Stage 12.

Driving through the heat of South America and nowhere near the lead can't be fun, but at least Caspar Schellekens of team BAS Dakar has some nice mountains look at as he rides on during Thursday's 12th stage.

With the race nearly 2 weeks old and the finish line only days away, Joan (Nani) Roma and co-driver Michel Perin of team Mini overcome the elements and win Thursday's 12th stage.

Spain's Juan Garcia Pedrero competes during Stage 12 of the Dakar Rally, with a helicopter with a camera in hot pursuit.

No wonder a helicopter wants to shadow and film KTM rider Cyril Despres of France during Thursday's 12th Stage. Despres has a commanding lead of 5:39 with only two stages left.

The good news for Giniel de Villiers of South Africa and Dirk Von Zitzewitz of Germany? They sit in second place in the car division of the Dakar Rally. The bad news? With only two stages to go, they trail leader Stephane Peterhansel of France by 50 minutes, 21 seconds.

A day after winning Stage 11, Robby Gordon and co-driver Kellon Walch of the US nearly repeat the feat on Thursday, finishing second with plenty of people cheering them on.

Kurt Caselli of the U.S rides his KTM during the 12th stage of the Dakar Rally from Fiambala to Copiapo on Thursday.

Wednesday's 11th stage of the Dakar Rally was called after only 33 miles after a pair of rivers on the course from La Rioja to Fiambala in Argentina swelled up. What, off-road machines can't handle a little water, you ask? Check out what happened to Argentina's Victor Mastromatteo and co-pilot Chile's Americo Aliaga following a flash flood.

KTM's Brazilian Jean Azevedo competes during Wednesday's Stage 11. The ominous skies would later lead to flooding that halted the stage.

Marcos Patronelli of team Maffei Dakar kicks up sand Wednesday. Clearly the floodgates had yet to open at this point.

Cars stuck in a river are towed out following a flash flood during the 11th stage. The flooding halted the race after only 33 miles, with American Robby Gordon declared the stage winner.

Dakar Rally director Etienne Lavigne (right) covers his face from sand kicked up by a helicopter lifting the motorcycle of Herve Thierry of France after it fell in the river during the 11th stage of the 2013 Dakar Rally from La Rioja to Fiambala, Argentina, on Wednesday.

Dakar rally director Etienne Lavigne (left) and a medic put a security cable on the car of Pascal Thomasse and Pascal Larroque, both of France, not in picture, in an attempt to pull it out of a river during the 11th stage of the 2013 Dakar Rally from La Rioja to Fiambala, Argentina. The stage was halted as the river flooded onto the route.

Robby Gordon competes during Stage 11 of the Dakar 2013 between La Rioja and Fiambala, Argentina, on Wednesday. Gordon went on to win the stage, which was shortened as rivers flooded the course.

Netherlands' Pieter Versus competes on his Man during the 11th stage on Wednesday. The rally takes place in Peru, Argentina and Chile from Jan. 5-20.

Russia's Boris Gadasin competes on his G-Force Proto during Stage 11 of the Dakar 2013.

Christian Lavieille and co-driver Jean-Michel Polato, both of France, race through the dunes on Wednesday.

Leader Stephane Peterhansel is followed by a helicopter during the 10th stage on Tuesday.

Nani Joan Roma guides his car through a trail during the 10th stage between Cordoba and La Rioja, Argentina, on Tuesday.

BMW's Orlando Terranova takes a tight turn during the Stage 10 of the Dakar Rally.

Toyota's driver Lucho Alarez of Argentina grinds through the 10th stage.

A biker makes for an amazing photo as he cuts through water during the 10th stage on Tuesday.

Robby Gordon and co-driver Kellon Walch of the US race their Hummer across a river during the 10th stage of the Dakar Rally.

Yamaha's rider David Casteu of France competes Jan. 14 during Stage 9 of Dakar 2013 between Tucuman and Cordoba, Argentina. The rally takes place in Peru, Argentina and Chile between Jan. 5 and 20.

Pedro Bianchi Prata of Portugal rides his Husqvarna through a small creek in the ninth stage of the 2013 Dakar Rally from Tucuman to Cordoba, Argentina on Monday. The race finishes Jan. 20 in Santiago, Chile.

A helicopter overflies Tucuman before Monday's Stage 9 of the 2013 Dakar Rally between Tucuman and Cordoba, Argentina.

Horses run during Monday's Stage 9 of the 2013 Dakar Rally.

Leader Stephane Peterhansel and co-driver Jean Paul Cottret compete in their Mini in Stage 9 from Tucuman to Cordoba on Monday in Argentina.

KTM rider Ivan Jakes of Slovakia races past horses during Monday's ninth stage of the 2013 Dakar Rally.

Ronan Chabot and co-driver Gilles Pillot of France race across a creek during Monday's ninth stage.

Fans get up close and personal with the vehicle of Nasser Al-Attiyah of Qatar and co-driver Lucas Cruz of Spain during Monday's ninth stage.

Spectators on horses watch as Leonid Novistkiy and co-driver Konstantin Zhiltsov, both of Russia, race their Mini in Monday's ninth stage.

Paco Martinez of Spain rides his Kawasaki through a flooded river basin during the eighth stage of the Dakar Rally. The stage was canceled due to a flash flood.

Kees Koolen of the Netherlands rides his Honda quad through the mud during the eighth stage in Argentina.

Competitors are forced to wait after a flash flood postponed the eighth stage.

Yamaha rider Sergio Petrone of Argentina wipes mud away from his face after falling on the slippery course.

Robby Gordon's vehicle displays a personalized licence plate on the back of his Hummer, parked at the Dakar Rally encampment in Salta, Argentina, at the end of the seventh stage on Friday, Jan. 11. The race finishes in Santiago, Chile, on Jan. 20.

French Driver Thomas Bourgin, 25, died in a car accident when he collided with a Chilean police car on Friday. Race officials say the incident occurred as Bourgin was travelling from Calama on the Chilean side of the Andes to the start of the seventh stage of the 2013 Dakar Rally. Officials say the police car was going in the opposite direction. Sixty people have died since the first edition of the Dakar Rally in 1979.

Co-driver Jean-Pierre Garcin of France receives a massage at the Dakar Rally encampment in Salta, Argentina, at the end of the seventh stage on Friday, Jan. 11. The race finishes in Santiago, Chile, on Jan. 20.

Check out the bright lights of Arica, Chile, site of Thursday's starting point for Stage 6 of the 2013 Dakar Rally. The stage's finish line is in Calama, Chile — the rally is taking place in Peru, Argentina and Chile from Jan. 5-20.

KTM rider Patrice Carillon of France falls from his motorcycle as he tries to cross a dune during the sixth stage.

Stefano Rampolla (170) and Jan Bastiaan Nijen Twilhaar (179) wait to start the Dakar's sixth stage.

People wait at the bivouac of Calama, Chile, the site of Stage 6's finish line on Thursday, Jan. 10.

Qatar's Nasser Al-Attiyah steers his Buggy on the stage between Arica and Calama, Chile, on Thursday.

Italy's Juan Carlos Carignani attempts Stage 6, which runs between Arica and Calama, Chile, on Thursday.

Argentine co-driver Bernardo Graue (left)  and driver Lucio Alvarez, inside the vehicle, try to free their vehicle as it gets stuck on a dune during Thursday's stage of the Dakar Rally. 

Robby Gordon steers his Hummer during the sixth stage, earning another top five segment finish on Thursday.

Spain's biker Miguel Puertas Herrera competes in the Stage 6 on Thursday. The bike riders are in a tight battle for the race title.

Spain's Juan Garcia Pedrero fights his way through the dust left by others in the desert trek in the Dakar Rally.

Police officers watch as Qatar's Nasser Al-Attiyah competes in the Stage 6 of the 2013 Dakar Rally between Arica and Calama, Chile, on Thursday. Al-Attiyah is currently second overall in the race.

Robby Gordon steers his Hummer during the sixth stage. After an earlier setback, Gordon is making up ground on the field.

Mini's driver Nani Joan Roma of Spain is stuck in the sand during the sixth stage, hampering his overall effort.

KTM rider Riaan Van Niekerk of South Africa falls while riding on fesh-fesh during the fifth stage of the 2013 Dakar Rally from Arequipa, Peru, to Arica, Chile, on Wednesday, Jan. 9. The race finishes in Santiago, Chile, on Jan. 20.

Fans line part of the course as Giniel de Villiers of South Africa and Dirk Von Zitzewitz of Germany race their Toyota during the fifth stage of the Dakar Rally on Wednesday, Jan. 9.

OK, they're probably not seagulls, but these birds fly around as driver Nasser Al-Attiyah of Qatar and co-driver Lucas Cruz of Spain compete in the fifth stage of the Dakar Rally on Wednesday, Jan. 9.

Husqvarna rider Jordi Viladoms of Spain steers his motorcycle in the fifth stage of the Dakar Rally from Arequipa, Peru, to Arica, Chile, on Wednesday, Jan. 9.

... when you have two? Honda rider Javier Pizzolito of Argentina competes in the fifth stage of the Dakar Rally.

Giniel de Villiers of South Africa and Dirk Von Zitzewitz of Germany race their Toyota on a beach during the fourth stage of the 2013 Dakar Rally from Nazca to Arequipa, Peru, on Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2013. The race finishes in Santiago, Chile, on Jan. 20.

A helicopter flies over driver Nasser Al-Attiyah of Qatar and co-driver Lucas Cruz of Spain during Tuesday's fourth stage of the 2013 Dakar Rally. Al-Attiyah and Cruz won the stage to close on leader Stephane Peterhansel.

The Hummer of Robby Gordon and co-driver Kellon Walch is seen overturned on a dune during Tuesday's fourth stage of the 2013 Dakar Rally. The Gordon team got the vehicle flipped back over but lost hours in the process.

Sky, earth and water come together as Gerard de Rooy of The Netherlands and Tom Colsoul of Belgium race their Iveco truck during Tuesday's fourth stage of the 2013 Dakar Rally.

Eduard Nikolaev, Sergey Savostin and Vladimir Rybakov of Russia get major air driving their huge Kamaz truck during the fourth stage of the 2013 Dakar Rally on Tuesday.

Yamaha rider Michael Metge of France, right, TM rider Alessandro Zanotti of Italy, center, and Gas Gas rider Marc Guasch of Spain compete in the third stage of the 2013 Dakar Rally near Nazca, Peru on Monday.

Honda rider Alexis Hernandez tries to fix the suspension on his quad during the third stage of the 2013 Dakar Rally.

KTM rider Kurt Caselli, of the US, left, shakes hands with Yamaha rider David Casteu, of France, before the start of the third stage of the 2013 Dakar Rally.

Husqvarna rider Alessandro Botturi, of Italy, falls from his motorcycle during the third stage of the 2013 Dakar Rally.

Medics, helped by fans, evacuate Leonardo Martinez after he was injured crashing his quad in the third stage of the 2013 Dakar Rally.

Krzysztof Holowczyc of Poland and co-driver Filipe Palmeiro of Portugal compete in the second stage of the 2013 Dakar Rally in Pisco, Peru on Sunday. The race finishes in Santiago, Chile, on Jan. 20.

Honda rider Todd Smith of Australia tries to get his motorcycle out of the sand during the second stage of the 2013 Dakar Rally on Sunday.

Competitors line up their quads and motorcycles for the start of the first stage of the Dakar Rally in Portugal. The race covers a variety of terrain.

Husaberg rider Jan Wouter Offringa of The Netherlands tries to pull up his motorcycle after getting stuck during the second stage on Sunday.

Toyota's Lucio Alvarez and co-driver Bernardo Graue of Argentina splash through the dunes during the opening stage.

KTM rider Cyril Despres of France gets ready for the second stage of the Dakar Rally. Depres was the leader following the stage.

Robby Gordon and co-driver Kellon Walch of the U.S. race his Hummer. Gordon encountered a setback in the opening stage, but is getting ready to head into his best stages of the annual event.

Robby Gordon and co-driver Kellon Walch of the U.S. compete in the opening stage as a helicopter tracks competitors' progress in the annual Rally.

Driver Guerlain Chicherit (right) and co-driver Jean-Pierre, both from France, check their vehicle as they attempt to complete the second stage.

Toyota's Lucio Alvarez and co-driver Bernardo Graue of Argentina (left) and Yamaha's Todor Hristov of Bulgaria (right) compete in the first stage of the 2013 Dakar Rally between Lima Pisco, Peru as the crowd moves in for a close look.