TAMBACOUNDA, Senegal (AFP) - French racers took control of the Dakar Rally standings in cars and motorcycles on Friday after bike champion Marc Coma of Spain crashed out.

His countryman Carlos Sainz, driving a Volkswagen, won the car section of the stage with France's Stephane Peterhansel finishing second to maintain his overall lead.

French rider Cyril Despres, on a KTM, won the motorcycle section and took over the overall lead following Coma's retirement.

But it was Coma's plight that dominated the headlines.

The Spaniard, riding a KTM, lost his direction after 34km of the 458km stage from Kayes in Mali to Tambacounda in Senegal.

While he was following a track parallel to the ideal route, Coma crashed after 57km of the special stage and was taken back to the bivouac by helicopter.

Rally organizers said Coma, 30, was suffering from a head injury.

"However, the Spaniard did not lose consciousness and was able to speak with Team Manager Jordi Arcarons, before being transported to Dakar to undergo further examinations," they added.

Arcarons confirmed that no bones had been broken.

"Marc is hurting a lot but he is okay," Arcarons said. "He hasn't broken anything. He's going to have a series of medical examinations in Dakar and then in Barcelona. "He seemed in good spirits in spite of the circumstances. He didn't really remember how he had the accident but he was riding off-track and hit a tree. The damage to his morale is worse than the physical damage."

Coma had gone into the day's stage more than 52 minutes ahead of Despres, who now leads countryman David Casteu by more than 35 minutes.

"During the last 20 kilometres, I started thinking," said Despres, who visited Coma before his transfer to Dakar.

"I couldn't see the helicopter above me and the people at the side of the road had strange expressions on their faces. I had a bad feeling about it. "I'm glad that Marc wasn't too badly hurt."

Sainz won his fourth stage of this year's rally but sits in ninth at morethan seven hours off the pace.

Peterhansel, a former six-time motorbikes winner and twice car champion, leads fellow Frenchman Luc Alphand, the former world champion skier and reigning champion, by just over 11 minutes.