The see-saw battle between KTM riders Marc Coma and Cyril Despres continued with the Spaniard closing the gap again on stage 10 of the Dakar Rally.

Joan Barreda Bort, Coma’s compatriot, stole ahead of both riders to claim the stage win on the 377km route from Iquique to Arica, but starting the day in 17th place and more than three and a half hours adrift in the overall classifications, the real battle was behind him.

Coma finished second on the day, clawing back two minutes and seven seconds on French leader Despres who finished third, and meaning that after more than 33 hours of rallying just 21 seconds separate the pair in the overall standings.

"It's the tone that's been set for the rally and I think we'll keep on battling until the end," said the defending champion Coma.

"We keep trying to make the difference all the time and the entry into Peru will be decisive. The race will hinge on the smallest of margins."

Despres reflected: “It was all going well for me until the 225km point, and I'd managed to keep up a good pace. But I made a small navigation mistake and that's when Marc overtook. At this level, every second counts. I’m just happy to have got through another day.”

Eurosport