Last updated on .From the section Motorsport

Sam Sunderland is second overall in the Dakar Rally, which consists of 10 stages and is held in Peru

British motorcyclist Sam Sunderland was promoted to stage five winner on the Dakar Rally after stopping to help a fallen rider.

The 29-year-old lost more than 10 minutes while he tended to Portugal's Honda rider Paulo Goncalves.

Sunderland finished in 14th, more than seven minutes behind Frenchman Xavier de Soultrait.

But stewards gave him back the time he spent with Goncalves, meaning he became stage winner and lies second overall.

Sunderland took first place on the stage by three minutes 23 seconds after the time adjustment.

But Goncalves, who suffered a head injury and a broken right hand in the incident 155km into the stage, was forced into the fifth retirement of his Dakar career.

"It was unfortunate for Goncalves and I stopped with him," said KTM rider Sunderland.

"I stopped for a long time with him, maybe 10 minutes, I'm not sure.

"Then I was back with all the other guys in the dust. I didn't have any reference of how much time I was losing, so I was thinking that my race was going downhill."

In the overall standings, America's Ricky Brabec, on a Honda, has a 59-second lead over Sunderland in second, with Chile's Pablo Quintanilla, riding a Husqvarna, in third, two minutes 52 seconds off the lead.

The Dakar Rally, staged in Peru, has a rest day on Saturday, with another five stages before the event finishes on 17 January.