Leading Off

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COLOR PHOTO: PHOTOGRAPH BY FREDERIC LEFLOC'H/DPPI Sense of Dune The Mercedes ML 430 driven by Jean-Pierre Strugo and Pascal Larroque of France makes like a sand wedge in the Moroccan Sahara during the Er Rachidia-to-Ouarzazate leg of the ongoing Paris-to-Dakar rally, pictured here and on the following two spreads.

COLOR PHOTO: PHOTOGRAPH BY FREDERIC LE FLOC'H/DPPI Desert Storm Richard Sainct of France leads a pack of motorcyclists creating a dustup in the Sahara, but he had to retire from the rally during the tenth stage because of engine trouble.

COLOR PHOTO: PHOTOGRAPH BY GIGI SOLDANO/DPPI Sandbagged The German team of Sven Quandt and Phillippe Tiefenbach has to withdraw from the rally after going upside-dune in the desert.