Dakar 2011: Despres & Coma 2nd and 3rd in Stage 7; Coma & Despres 1-2 overall
KTM factory riders continued to deliver strong results in the seventh stage of the 33rd edition of the Dakar Rally as riders resumed the competition after the one rest day on Saturday. While victory in the stage in the Chilean desert went to home-grown rider Chaleco Lopez, KTM’s Cyril Despres and Marc Coma were close behind in second and third. French-born Despres also clawed back a little over a minute from overall leader and arch rival Coma who continues to lead the overall standings by a margin of 7:24. The competition is shaping up to be a great battle between the two KTM factory riders who are aiming to give the Austrian brand its 10th consecutive title. Other serious podium contenders as the riders settle into the second half of the rally are Lopez and Helder Rodrigues of Portugal while the two co-riders for the KTM teams, Ruben Faria (Portugal) and Juan Pedrero of Spain are fifth and seventh overall.Despres was elated at the end of the day saying that the rest day had been “good for man and machine”. “Today was one of the best days of motocross-type racing of my entire life. Not only was it a beautiful stage, it was also a fantastic one to ride - a really great day, even in terms of results.”
Dealing with the dust
Coma also commented that the day had been another technical one in the sands of the Atacama, which he described as “nice but demanding”. “I suffered in the first part, because I was behind Ruben Faria and I was getting a lot of his dust; it was hard to pass. But in the last part, the sand dunes, I could ride at my own pace,” he said. Coma, who has won this great event twice, is riding his ninth Dakar and he says the rally has been the focus of his life for the past seven years. “My life revolves around it – around getting ready and working hard day after day to keep myself competitive and in a position to fight for the win. I’m proud to be part of the Dakar family,” he told reporters.Positive first half, Despres says
On the eve of Stage 7 three times Dakar winner Cyril Despres said the first half of the rally had been very positive. “The pace has been fast right from the beginning and we have had some great specials. I am also satisfied with how I have been riding. I haven’t had any big crashes, I’m not caring any injuries, my navigation has been precise and my speed good. The team is also functioning very well and Ruben (Faria) has been doing a great job supporting me on the piste.”
