Dakar Rally 2013: Stages 1 to 8 - in pictures

Dakar Rally competitors hold a minute's silence out of respect for motorcyclist Thomas Bourgin who was killed in a collision with a Chilean police car ahead of the seventh stage Photograph: Franck Fife/AFP/Getty Images

Stage 8: Salta to Tucuman, Argentina Mini driver Stéphane Peterhansel heads towards some very dark clouds Photograph: Franck Fife/AFP/Getty Images

Martin Amengual, rear, is helped oiut of the mud by Paco Martínez Photograph: Franck Fife/AFP/Getty Images

Guilherme Spinelli is stuck in a flooded river. Heavy rain meant that the first of the day's two timed sections was cancelled Photograph: Franck Fife/AFP/Getty Images

Stage 7: Calama, Chile to Salta, Argentina,The alpacas seem nonplussed as Cristian Saenz and co-pilot Antonio Valdés pass them in their Predator en route to the Jama border crossing during the untimed stage Photograph: Ivan Alvarado/Reuters

A mechanic works on the car of Guerlain Chicherit and co-driver Jean-Pierre Garcin, both of France, at the Dakar Rally encampment in Salta, Argentina, at the end of the stage Photograph: Victor R. Caivano/AP

Stage 6: Arica to Calama, Chile Fuel for bike and rider as Jan Wouter Offringa prepares for the start of the stage Photograph: Victor R. Caivano/AP

Robby Gordon steers his Hummer through a gorge Photograph: Franck Fife/AFP/Getty Images

Lucio Alvárez and co-driver Ronnie Graue of team Toyota try to move their stranded car Photograph: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

Stage 5: Arequipa, Peru to Arica, Chile Francis Gadioux takes a quick nap during breakfast ahead of the start of the stage Photograph: Franck Fife/AFP/Getty Images

Riaan Van Niekerk falls with his KTM bike Photograph: Jacky Naegelen/Reuters

Stage 4: Nazca to Arequipa, Peru Claudio Clavigliasso races his Can-Am quad on a beach Photograph: Victor R. Caivano/AP

Gravity and their buggy's powerful engine help Nasser al-Attiyah and co-pilot Lucas Cruz down a dune Photograph: Franck Fife/AFP/Getty Images

Alessandro Botturi slices through the dunes Photograph: Franck Fife/AFP/Getty Images

Qatar's Nasser al-Attiyah and co-pilot Spain's Lucas Cruz power their buggy up a mountain Photograph: Pool/Reuters

Ferdinand Kreidl kicks up dust on the way up a mountain during the fourth stage Photograph: Victor R. Caivano/AP

Stage 3: Pisco to Nazca A rider crosses the dunes Photograph: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

Vladimir Vasilyev overturns Photograph: Paolo Aguilar/EPA

Stage 2: Pisco to Pisco, Peru These motorcyclists seem to be going in completely different directions Photograph: Jacky Naegelen/Reuters

David Casteu speeds through the desert on his Yamaha Photograph: Franck Fife/AFP/Getty Images

Quad biker Todor Hristov, right, and Lucio Alvárez in his Toyota go over a sand dune Photograph: Felipe Trueba/EPA

Claudio Rodríguez powers his Honda down a dune Photograph: Jacky Naegelen/Reuters

Honda's Javier Pizzolito and his shadow transverse a sand dune Photograph: Franck Fife/AFP/Getty Images

Stage 1: Lima and Pisco, Peru Peruvian fans take pictures of the podium during the departure ceremony Photograph: Ernesto Benavides/AFP/Getty Images

Teruhito Sugawara gets airborne in his Hino Photograph: Felipe Trueba/EPA

Enrique Okumura rides his quad bike across a dune during the first stage Photograph: Victor R. Caivano/AP

Yamaha's David Casteu cruises down a sand dune Photograph: Franck Fife/AFP/Getty Images

Carlos Sainz comes over the top of a dune Photograph: Franck Fife/AFP/Getty Images

View of tyre tracks in the sand Photograph: Franck Fife/AFP/Getty Images

The tattoo of a crew member of the team Race 2 Recovery prepares one of the cars ahead of the start of the race. The Race 2 Recovery team consists of British and American soldiers who have suffered serious injuries in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan Photograph: Franck Fife/AFP/Getty Images

Fans of the rally Dakar pose for a picture as they attend events in Lima promoting this year's rally Photograph: Paul Vallejos/EPA