Buenos Aires - Argentina coach Diego Maradona on Friday named Barcelona striker Lionel Messi "the best (player) in the world," even through Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo was crowned 2008 World Footballer.

"I voted for Cristiano Ronaldo, Adebayor and Ibrahimovic, because I could not vote for Messi," said Maradona. "Logically, the best in the world, for me, is Messi."

La Rioja, Argentina  - Giniel de Villers won Thursday's Dakar Rally stage and reclaimed the overall lead because Spain's Carlos Sainz was forced to abandon the race on a day of mixed emotions for the Volkswagen team.

The two-time rally world champion Sainz and his co-pilot Michel Perin drove their VW Touareg into a ravine. Sainz escaped unhurt and could have continued but Perin sustained a shoulder injury which ended their title hopes.

La Rioja, Argentina - Carlos Sainz' dream of the Dakar Rally title ended on Thursday when the Spaniard was forced to withdraw in leading position, reportedly after a crash, making American Mark Miller the new frontrunner.

The official Dakar website said that the VW Touareg driver Sainz and his French co-pilot Michel Perin were taken by helicopter to a bivouac in Fiambala where Thursday's stage to La Rioja with a timed section of 253 kilometres had started.

They reportedly had an accident 79km into the stage, with Perin said to have injured his shoulder when their car went into a ravine.

Mercedes, Argentina - Part of the adventure was getting there. Our off-road vehicle jolted along the dirt road from the small city of Mercedes to the Ibera wetlands in north-eastern Argentina's Corrientes province. After 120 kilometres, plenty of potholes and even more patience, we reached the hamlet of Colonia Carlos Pellegrini, gateway to Esteros del Ibera, a vast amphibious nature reserve teeming with flora and fauna.

"In the language of the Indians, 'Ibera' basically means 'gleaming, glowing, shining water,'" said Jose Martin, our Argentine tour guide. From a gaucho family, Martin still speaks Guarani, the language of the region's aboriginal inhabitants. It is spoken deep in the throat and sounds somewhat gurgled.

Buenos Aires - A French motorcyclist competing in the Dakar Rally has been found dead during the race in Argentina, it was reported Wednesday.

La Nacion newspaper quoted rally organizers as saying the body of 49-year-old Pascal Terry was found about 15 metres from the route used during Sunday's second stage.

The Yamaha rider had gone missing during the stage between Santa Rosa and Puerto Madryn in the province of Chubut.

Police are investigating the death, the report said.

Buenos Aires  - The order to release of 12 torture suspects from Argentina's 1976-1983 military dictatorship unleashed a storm of condemnation from President Cristina Kirchner as well as human rights organizations in Argentina Thursday.

Justice officials said that 12 of the charged former military figures must be released from investigatory detention because a deadline had expired beyond which suspects could not be held without a legal judgement.

The Attorney General said it would appeal the decision.