LA PAZ, Jan. 11 -- Spain's Carlos Sainz edged closer to the overall Dakar Rally lead by holding off Peugeot teammate Stephane Peterhansel to win Thursday's sixth stage here.

Sainz finished the 313-kilometer timed section of the route from Arequipa in Peru to Bolivia's capital in two hours 53 minutes and 30 seconds.

Race leader and defending champion Peterhansel took second place, more than four minutes behind, and Qatar's Nasser Al-Attiyah was third, five minutes off the pace in his Toyota.

China's BP Yong Racing driver Yong Zhou finished 32nd and his countryman He Zhitao was 45th for Boundless Young Racing.

Peterhansel, who is aiming for a 14th Dakar title in all categories, leads Sainz overall by more than 27 minutes. Dutchman Bernhard Ten Brinke is third, one hour and 20 minutes in arrears. Yong is 23rd overall and He 42nd.

In the motorcycle category, French KTM rider Antoine Meo rose to seventh in the standings after crossing Thursday's finish line in 1:54.10.

China's Zhang Min crossed the finish line in 57th place, with his countryman and Daming Racing teammate Zhao Hongyi 103rd.

Benavides leads the general standings, almost two minutes ahead of France's Yamaha rider Adrien Van Beveren. Zhang is 80th overall and Zhao 85th.