Australian Toby Price has taken out stage six of the motorbike category at the Dakar Rally for his third stage win this year.

Price finished in five hours, 51 minutes and 48 seconds came in over a minute ahead of team-mate Matthias Walkner (5:52:53).

Paulo Goncalves (5:53:00) was third on the stage and, despite losing over 10 minutes to Price over the past two stages, the Portuguese Honda rider retained the overall lead.

Price, who added to his wins from the shortened second stage and an impressive victory on stage five, climbed from third to second in the overall standings.

The 28-year-old New South Welshman is now just 35 seconds behind Goncalves, with Walkner over two minutes further back.

In the car category, Dakar legend Stephane Peterhansel proved too strong for Peugeot team-mates Carlos Sainz and Sebastien Loeb around the largest salt flats in the world in Bolivia.

Success for the veteran Frenchman powered him into the overall lead to give him a massive boost in his quest for a 12th success in motorsport's toughest challenge.

The 50-year-old from Alsace lined up for the 542-kilometre timed run in Uyuni, the longest stage of the rally, eight minutes adrift of nine-time world rally champion Loeb.

But, having the fourth stage, Peterhansel now goes into the seventh-stage drive from Uyuni to Salta in Argentina at the head of the pack.

He leads Dakar debutant Loeb, who was hit by a puncture and faulty electrics, by 27 seconds with Sainz third in an all-Peugeot top three.

Peterhansel competed in his first Dakar in 1988, winning the first of his six overall victories on two wheels back in 1991 and taking his 11th victory behind the wheel of a Mini in 2013.

ABC/AFP