TUPIZA, Jan. 14 (Xinhua) -- France's defending champion Stephane Peterhansel held off compatriot and Peugeot teammate Cyril Despres to win the eighth stage of the Dakar Rally in southern Bolivia on Sunday.

Peterhansel finished the 498km timed section from Uyuni to Tupiza in five hours 15 minutes and 18 seconds, 49 seconds ahead of Despres and more than two minutes faster than Toyota's Qatari driver Nasser Al-Attiyah.

China's He Zhitao was 37th for Boundless Yong Racing Team in eight hours two minutes and 26 seconds.

Spain's Carlos Sainz, fifth in Sunday's stage, remains the overall leader, more than an hour ahead of Al-Attiyah with Peterhansel third, another seven minutes further back.

He Zhitao is 41st, almost 49 hours behind the leaders.

Earlier, France's Antoine Meo won the motorcycle stage, clocking five hours 24 minutes and one second on his KTM, more than a minute head of American Ricky Brabec on a Honda. Australian KTM rider Toby Price was third, almost three minutes off the pace.

China's Zhang Min was 58th past the finish line, one hour and 45 minutes behind, and his compatriot Zhao Hongyi was 87th, three hours and three minutes in arrears.

France's Yamaha rider Adrien Van Beveren leads the overall bike standings by just 22 seconds from Argentina's Kevin Benavides on a Honda. Austria's Matthias Walkner is third, more than six-and-a-half minutes behind on his KTM. Zhang is 72nd overall and Zhao 78th.

Organizers called of Monday's ninth stage from Tupiza to the Argentine city of Salta due to bad weather.