Spain's motorcyclist Marc Coma, riding a KTM, won the fourth stage of the Dakar Rally on Wednesday to grab the overall lead.

Coma finished the 207km special stage on the 761km run from Jujuy in the north of Argentina to the Chilean town of Calama in 2 hours 4 minutes, a 16-second lead over defending champion and overnight leader, Cyril Despres of France.

"It was a very important day for me, even if it was only a 207km stage. It was difficult to open the way. I'm happy and I felt great," said Coma.

"I hope it stays like that right until the end. The general standings don't matter for the moment. The most important thing will be the last day. It's essential to have a good pace and avoid making mistakes. Now we'll have to deal with two very difficult stages."