Dramatic Dakar Rally in pictures

South African hero Giniel de Villiers finished the Dakar Rally in second place overall. Here we see him taming the Atacama desert in Peru on Stage 3.

South African hero Giniel de Villiers finished the Dakar Rally in second place overall. Here we see him taming the Atacama desert in Peru on Stage 3.

Giniel de Villiers on Stage 2 in Peru.

Bike race winner Cyril Despres makes sense of the vast Peruvian desert on Stage 2. Image: AFP

Javier Pizzolito of Argentina tackles the sand of Stage 2 in Peru. Pizzolito finished in eighth overall. Image: AFP

Guerlain Chicherit of France (who came eighth overall) tackles Stage 4, between Nazca and Arequipa, Peru. Image: AFP

South African Giniel De Villiers thunders along the beach on Stage 4, between Nazca and Arequipa, Peru.

Nasser Al-Attiyah of Qatar, a strong contender who was forced to retire, steers his Buggy through stage 4 between Nazca and Arequipa, Peru. Image: AFP

Robby Gordon next to his Hummer after rolling his Hummer in the sand on Stage 4. Image: AFP

Olivier Pain, who came sixth in the bike category, was pictured kicking up the dust on Stage 5, between Arequipa in Peru and Arica in Chile. Image: Reuters

Andres Carevic rides past as Mini's driver Nani Joan Roma (R) of Spain is assisted by Toyota's Nani Roma (right) got stuck on Stage 6 and he forced the same fate on Giniel de Villiers, who could not see his rival’s Mini until it was too late. Image: AFP

KTM biker Marco Reinike took a tumble on Stage 6. Image: AFP

KTM rider Cyril Despres of France won the bike race. Here we see him flying through the mud on Stage 8, between Salta and Tucuman, Argentina. Image: AFP

Guilherme Spinelli of Brazil got stuck in a flooded river during Stage 8, between Salta and Tucuman, Argentina. Image: AFP

South African Riaan Van Niekerk kicks up the mud on Stage 8, between Salta and Tucuman, Argentina. Image: AFP

Bike race winner Cyril Despres checks his machine before Stage 8. Image: AFP

Leonid Nivitskiy on Stage 9. The Russian finished the Dakar in seventh overall. Image: AFP

Helder Rodrigues on Stage 10, between Cordoba and La Rioja, Argentina. Image: AFP

Dakar winner Stephane Perterhansel of France drives over a dune between La Rioja and Fiambala, Argentina. Image: AFP

Ruben Faria (who finished the bike race in second place) was seen making waves on Stage 10. Image: AFP

You can think up your own caption for this one. Image: AFP

The Imperial Toyota service crew work on Giniel de Villiers' Hilux after stage 11. Image: Quickpic

American Robby Gordon tackles Stage 12, between Fiambala iand Copiapo. Image: AFP

Victor Mastromatteo, of Argentina, got stuck on his Protoptipo in a river during Stage 11 between La Rioja and Fiambala, Argentina. Image: AFP

COPIAPO, ARGENTINA - JANUARY 18: A Chilean supporter waits for the competitors during stage 13 from Copiapo to La Serena during the 2013 Dakar Rally on January 18, 2013 in Copiapo, Argentina. (Photo Shaun Botterill/Getty Images) *** BESTPIX ***

SANTIAGO, CHILE - JANUARY 20: Giniel De Villiers and co-driver Dirk Von Zitzwitz of team Toyota, 2nd place in Autos, celebrate during the podium presentations at the end of the 2013 Dakar Rally on January 20, 2013 in Santiago, Chile. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

Giniel de Villiers celebrates with co-driver Dirk von Zitzewitz after the end of the 2013 Dakar Rally.

SANTIAGO, CHILE - JANUARY 20: Stephane Peterhansel and co-driver Jean Paul Cottret of team Mini, 1st place in Autos, celebrate during the podium presentations at the end of the 2013 Dakar Rally on January 20, 2013 in Santiago, Chile. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)