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Dakar 2010 |
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 9th
win in a row: A triumph for Despres & KTM
KTM-supported rider Cyril Despres sealed victory in the 2010 Dakar Rally after more than 9000 km across Argentina and Chile. He rode triumphantly into Buenos Aires to complete his third Dakar victory and the ninth consecutive victory for KTM, the Austrian-made sports motorcycles. With this ninth consecutive success KTM remains unbeaten in the most important Rally race since 2001. Despres, who completed the final stage, a total ride of 707 km with a timed special of 206 km of fast track riding to finish the stage in a comfortable sixth place. He was five minutes 05 seconds behind the winner of the day, rather fittingly, his KTM support rider Rubin Faria of Portugal. Despres, who also won in 2005 and 2007 when the rally was staged across Africa, was one hour 02’ 52” minutes in front after completing the immense distance and endless challenging terrain, including four stages in Chile’s Atacama Desert. An emotional Despres Ullevalseter second overall on KTM Four stage victories for Coma KTM continues its domination of the world’s greatest rally Final Standings Dakar Rally after Stage 14
26km into today's stage Craig's engine failed and he became stranded in the dunes. As far as we know he was unable to get his bike to the end of the stage by himself or with the help of another competitor, effectively removing him from the race. Craig has had a great run and it seems cruel that having covered 8323km of 8937km he should suffer a blown engine on a bike renowned for its reliability. Finishes of 18th on stage 2 and two other positions higher than 25th after the rest day show that his pace was never lacking and that it was increasing as the race went on... Thank you all for your support throughout the event, I have passed on your messages to Craig when the opportunity presented itself. When Craig returns to the UK I know he will want to thank you all personally for all the support you have given him that made this attempt possible. If any of you would like a media package of Craig's images, interviews and other Dakar related items for use to promote your business, or just for private use, please drop me a mail and I'll ensure one is sent out when we have collated all our resources. 2011, the Dakar back in Africa...perhaps we'll see you all there for a fully competitive attempt on a 450? ...anyway, its not all just about the racing y'know...(see attached pictures)
My name is Sebastian and I am from Mendoza, Argentina. Yesterday we watched as the Dakar passed the for our city and we were surprised that Craig would stop for a drink of water (it was very hot). But the best was when we offered him a bite of the meal of roasted meat and Craig agree to sit down and eat with us before continuing on. That was for us a unique moment, which will keep forever in our hearts and we feel privileged that this great biker has dined with us. I ask that you do get that message to him personally and tell you always have a place in Ugarteche, Lujan de Cuyo for ever. My English is very poor, apologies for that. Google Traslate to help in this case. They command a great greeting from the new home of Dakar. So long. Sebastian Gonzalez' Day 15 Dakar 2010: Three-way line honors for KTM in penultimate Stage 13 Norwegian rider Pal Ullevalseter stole the glory on the penultimate stage of the 2010 Dakar on Friday ahead of overall leader Cyril Despres and his fellow KTM supported rider Marc Coma. Ullevalseter's line honors allowed him to edge forward ahead of Chilean Francesco Lopez in the overall standings. He is now second overall with a slim four minute advantage over the Chilean rider. While the battle for the minor places continues to intensify as the rally heads for the Argentinean capital on Saturday, the French-born Despres still has a handsome lead of one hour four minutes and 12 seconds, even if the silverware is not in his hands just yet. First ever Dakar stage victory for Ullevalseter Ullevalseter and Despres led the pack through the day, which took riders from Argentina's San Rafael to Santa Rosa, across the Sierra Nevada and back onto the pampas with a timed special of 368 km and a total ride of 725 km. Riders were in their element on fast to seriously fast track as Ullevalseter later told organizers: "A fantastic stage for me," he said. "I started third and after 40km I was in the lead. Today was a route for big bikes. We could really attack and in the last hours I was riding at more than 160km/h. It's perfect!" Despres enjoys a fast ride on his trusted KTM Despres too was satisfied with his ride and said it was easier to concentrate with some speed under his tires. On the previous stage Despres was stung on the wrist by a wasp, which he later said was both painful and distracting. Speaking about the day's ride, the overall leader commented: "There was only a small section of sandy tracks and about 20 km of sand dunes. It's always a pleasure to ride that. The sand dunes have different colors and different shapes and the there are bushes here and there. It was cool when the liaison section started then it started to heat up. It's much easier to stay focused when you drive a bit fast. I trust my KTM and my tires. I knew I would drive fast and it would be fine." Tomorrow it will be Despres' task to take Stage 14 in his stride and arrive in good shape at the finish to pick up his third Dakar title. He has a ride of 666km ahead of him including the final timed special of 202 km. The stage is described as flat and very fast, conditions seemingly made to measure for the KTM rider. Coma continues to turn his race around Coma, last year's winner and Despres' eternal rival in this and other leading international rallies, has now turned his race around after a series of problems and some hefty penalties. He has taken line honors in four stages of this edition and his actual riding time (penalties excluded) puts him only 12 seconds behind the leader. And now the finale... The ride from Santa Rosa to Buenos Aires tomorrow is the last stage of a ride that took competitors across Argentina into the challenging but fascinating desert landscape of coastal Chile and back across the Andes to return to the Argentine capital. When they cross the line they will have ridden almost 9000 km. Stage 13 Results 1. Pal Ullevalseter, Norway, KTM 2. Cyril Despres, Andorra, KTM (at 43') 3. Marc Coma, Spain, KTM (at 2'46") 4. Francisco Lopez, Chile, Aprilia 5. Alan Duclos France, KTM Standings after Stage 13 1. Cyril Despres, Andorra, KTM 2. Pal Ullevalseter, Norway, KTM (at 1:04'12") 3. Francisco Lopez, Chile, Aprilia, (at 1:08.34) 4. Helder Rodrigues, Portugal, Yamaha 5. David Fretigne, France, Yamaha 15. Marc Coma, Spain, KTM Day 14 Dakar 2010: Despres still in overall lead; Coma now winner of Stage 11 KTM-supported rider Cyril Despres on Thursday finished the longest ride of the Dakar 2010 in eighth position at the close of Stage 12, trimming his substantial overall lead by just over 17 minutes on a day that favored the smaller 450 cc machines and demanded absolute concentration for nearly 800 km. In order to preserve his position at the front of the pack and so close to the end of the rally, it was the French-born rider's task to ride a steady, but solid race and arrive in San Rafael in good shape. Coma declared winner of Stage 11 overnight Meanwhile, KTM's Marc Coma, who was fourth on Thursday in Stage 12, was handed an unexpected bonus on Thursday morning when it was announced that race stewards awarded credits to riders who were mislead by incorrect markings on Wednesday's track. The credits vaulted him into first place and sealed his fourth stage victory for this Dakar. The new results for Stage 11 put Coma 5'13" ahead of Frenchman David Fretegne with Frans Verhoeven of the Netherlands in third. The adjustment did not affect the overall leader Despres but meant that the second overall, Norwegian KTM rider Pal Ullevalseter shared the second placed ranking with Francisco "Chaleco" Lopez of Chile. Tough and hot, Coma says Marc Coma said it had been a tough special with a variety of terrain. "The first part of the special was very different from the second section, which required more riding skill," he said. "It was quite tough. I had a small problem with the bike because of the heat …. so I dropped my pace a little in the second part. But it was a fairly nice special and there was an incredible amount of people". Riders tackled their longest stretch on the rally on Thursday as they rode from San Juan to San Rafael, an overall distance of just short of 800 km and a timed section of 476 km. Coming out of the special they took a short tarmac section to go round a protected area and then faced a tough and tiring sandy stretch. The day was characterized by speed, jumps, spectacular scenery and long tiring kilometers in the saddle, which included another 276 km to the bivouac in San Rafael. The nature of the track made it more favorable for the 450 cc machines. KTM-supported riders Despres and Coma are on KTM 690 Rally bikes fitted with air restrictors to reduce the performance to the level of 450's, in accordance with regulations laid down in mid 2009. The motorcycle competitors who made it to San Rafael - some 90 of the original 160 starters - are now on the home stretch back to Buenos Aires but still have to fight their way through two more stages to complete this daunting 9000 km marathon. Tomorrow they face almost 40 km of grey sand of the Nihiul dunes before they hit the fast track back to the end of the stage. The special is 368 km and the finish is at Santa Rosa. Adjusted Stage 11 Results (After race stewards reversed the order overnight) 1. Marc Coma, Spain, KTM 2. David Fretigne, France, Yamaha 3. Frans Verhoeven, Netherlands 4. Jonah Street, USA, KTM 5. Francisco Lopez, Chile, Aprilia Stage 12 Results 1. Francisco Lopez, Chile, Aprilia 2. David Fretigne, France, Yamaha 3. Pal Ullevalseter, Norway, KTM 4. Marc Coma, Spain, KTM 5. Helder Rodrigues, Portugal, Yamaha 8. Cyril Despres, Andorra, KTM (at 17"12') Standings after Stage 12 1. Cyril Despres, Andorra, KTM 2. Francisco Lopez, Chile, Aprilia, at 1 hour 03'42" 3. Pal Ullevalseter, Norway, KTM 4. Helder Rodrigues, Portugal, Yamaha 5. David Fretigne, France, Yamaha 11. Marc Coma, Spain, KTM, Dakar 2010 Stage 12: Craig Bounds Another varied days racing over 476km taking in every surface imaginable including a Tarmac section mid special stage and 130km of sand dunes to finish! Not only that but when the racing is over there is a 300km connection taking the days total distance travelled to 796km! Craig started his day in 27th position having dropped a place since yesterdays stage finish. He should be grateful he only lost a single place, the top three riders were all displaced by an ASO descision to give time back to a number of riders who made a navigational error early in yesterdays stage at km13 (supposedly caused by an over zealous Policeman setting up a roadblock across the stage). From 27th Craig had a steady start and timing indicated he was hovering around 30th position for most of the stage but simliar to previous days there have been timing problems today with some riders not placed all day but finishing very well (including Cyril Despres). Craigs final position was a steady 39th on the stage leaving him in 46th place overall with only two days of racing left. Anything can happen on the Dakar as we have seen but is it time to start hoping for a finish yet? Start 27th 21km 36th 119km 34th 157km 35th 204km 32nd 334km 29th 363km 32nd 412km 31st Finish 39th A stage finish at 39th place today puts Craig in an overall position of 46th moving him up 5 more places. Craig would be in 33rd place and rising without his 6 hour time penalty. Day 13 Dakar 2010: Goodbye Chile, hello Argentina. Despres retains overall lead KTM's Cyril Despres put in a solid day's ride across the Andes to San Juan on Wednesday to retain the overall lead by 1 hour 20'54" as the Dakar "caravan" 2010 returned to Argentina. Despres was seventh in the 11th stage but only 4'21" behind the stage leader Frans Verhoeven. Despres said it had been a nice stage and confirmed he is having too much fun to hold back for the sake of caution. "It was strange at the beginning, because after 13 km, there was a banner stopping us following a track," he said after the day's ride. "I went straight ahead for about 80 meters but I turned around after I saw Marc Coma coming back in the other direction followed by other riders. After that, we carried on as a group. I rather enjoyed myself. It was quick today, 220 km in a flash. Was I being extremely careful? No. When I climb on the bike, I just can't hold myself back. I just want to have fun". American Jonah Street (KTM) second in the stage Second in Stage 11 was KTM's American rider Jonah Street who was denied line honors by a mere three seconds as riders turned east, crossed the Andes and now head for the finish in Buenos Aires this weekend. Third place went to French KTM rider Alain Duclos, making it another good day for the Austrian sports motorcycle manufacturer. Street's ride was impressive, especially his ongoing fight with Verhoeven that went right down to the wire. He was fastest at the first checkpoint by just seven seconds and had to relinquish the line glory by the slimmest of margins. Duclos (KTM) aiming for a top five finish Duclos said the day had not been without incident for him but he was happy to have finished with the third fastest time. "Today the race wasn't too great for me but it's a good end to the day. It just goes to show that on a Dakar anything can happen." Duclos said he started with the intention of a top five finish and now he was "fighting to make it come true!" Ullevalseter (KTM) consolidates his second overall place But it was KTM Norwegian rider Pal Anders Ullevalseter that came off best on the day. He finished fourth, just 2"26' behind Verhoeven and consolidated his second place behind Despres in the overall standings. Ullevalseter continues to chase a possible podium in Buenos Aires and succeeded in putting some minor distance between himself and his close rivals, the Chilean Lopez and Helder Rodrigues of Portugal. Riders had an early start to the day and faced hard, fast and often winding track, most of it downhill as they went over the Paso Libertadores pass at an altitude of 3500 m and made the descent. The timed special was 220 km. Yesterday's Stage winner KTM's Marc Coma opened the road but a navigation error at the 13 km mark cost him an extra 3 km with another to get him back on track. He eventually finished in ninth place, just over five minutes behind the leader. Tomorrow's stage from San Juan to San Raphael will be another fast day in the saddle and includes a timed special of 476 km. Stage Eleven Results 1. Franz Verhoeven, Netherlands, BMW 2. Jonah Street, USA, KTM, (at 0'3") 3. Alain Duclos, France, KTM 4. Pal Ullevalseter, Norway, KTM 5. Francisco Lopez, Chile, Aprilia 7. Cyril Despres, Andorra, KTM (at 4'21") 9. Marc Coma, Spain, KTM (at 5'08") Overall standings after Stage Eleven 1. Cyril Despres, Andorra, KTM 2. Pal Ullevalseter, Norway, KTM (at 1 h 20'54") 3. Francisco Lopez, Chile, Aprilia 4. Helder Rodrigues, Portugal, Yamaha 5. Alain Duclos, France KTM 16. Marc Coma, Spain, KTM
A very different stage today compared with recent days. Almost all gravel and gaining/ losing relatively little height (for the Dakar) todays 238km was run over its full length and seemed to prove an easier days riding if the dropout/injury rate is any indicator. Craig has always ridden well on gravel stages and so it proved today as he had a superb days riding with few navigational problems. His times below reflect his accomplishment and I’m sure he’ll sleep well tonight knowing he has moved a few places up the leader board! Start 31st 42km 25th 100km 29th 148km 25th 192km 24th Finish 25th A stage finish at 25th place today puts Craig in an overall position of 56th. Craig would be in 36th place without his 6 hour time penalty. Don't forget you can track Craig live throughout the stage/day using the Dakar link below. Tomorrows special stage starts at approximately 10:15 GMT http://tracking.dakar.com/ASO/index_us.html There are also videos available of each days racing on Craig website AND a video of Craig racing the 2009 Dakar HERE in the top right of the page to give you all some idea of what Craig is going with himself out there! Finally, dont forget if you have Satelite TV then EuroSport has a 45 minute round up each night at 10pm GMT, Craig usually gets a mention. Day 12 Dakar 2010: third stage victory for Coma; Despres leads by 1:22.49' KTM supported rider Marc Coma scored his third stage victory in the Dakar 2010 as riders went from La Serena to the Chilean capital of Santiago for Stage 10 as the Spaniard strengthened his determination make the best of the rest of the rally. KTM's Cyril Despres still leads overall. Although Coma has virtually no chance of making up the distance separating him from leader, arch rival and fellow KTM rider Despres, his will to win has not diminished. He was beset with problems during the first half of the race that put him behind in the overall ranking. Coma, who won here last year, has now taken line honors in Stages Four, Six and Ten. He has made inroads into improving his overall position but is still ranked sixteenth. Looking for victory in Stage 10 Coma said he went out looking for the victory on a day that took riders out of the Atacama Desert onto completely different terrain. "That was like a day of Endurance riding," Coma commented after the race. "There was a lot of skidding, but it was technical and interesting." The Spaniard said he had gone out looking for the victory and tried to show he was quick and comfortable on the tracks. "I started first and opened the road for the whole stage. It's hard. In fact it's the hardest thing to do. And trying to claw back some time is difficult too. But we did it, so I'm happy, even proud - all thanks to the team". KTM's Despres rides to preserve his lead Despres has now emerged as the favorite for the 2010 title and has a lead of one hour 22 minutes 49 seconds. He and Coma have exchanged Dakar victories in recent years and according to their alternating track record, it is Despres turn to take glory this year to make his tally three Dakar titles. On Tuesday it was the Frenchman's job to protect his lead and ride a steady race because having left the desert and entering new terrain, the race will now favor the 450 cc machines, the new norm for the race as of 2010. Both Despres and Coma are onboard their heavier KTM 690 Rally bikes, which this year had to be fitted with air restrictors to reduce performance down to the equivalent of the 450 cc bikes. Anything can still happen Despres knows from past experience that anything can happen in a Dakar Rally over more than 9000 km and the race is not over until the first bike crosses the finish line. He said he went out to protect his lead on Tuesday. "We could have easily lost first place in the rally today so I protected my lead. That said I also wasn't just taking it easy," he said, adding that many parts were slippery and there were bends with big drops on one side as well as stones on the track, obstacles that damaged his wheels in Sunday's stage. "For me, there was no need to go on all out attack. We're now on a different type of terrain with hard tracks that we have to adapt to. It's completely different from the last three days. It's a good mix". Back into Argentina Stage 11 takes riders from Santiago back across the Andes to San Juan in Argentina. On what should be a fast day's ride, they will encounter altitudes around 3000 meters and the timed special is 220 km. Stage Ten Results 1. Marc Coma, Spain, KTM 2. David Fretegne, France, Yamaha 3. Helder Rodrigues, Portugal, Yamaha 4. Rubin Faria, Portugal, KTM 5. Francisco Lopez, Chile, Aprilia 6. Cyril Despres, Andorra, KTM (at 6'25") Overall standings after Stage Ten 1. Cyril Despres, Andorra, KTM 2. Pal Ullevalseter, Norway, KTM (at 1 h 22'49") 3. Francisco Lopez, Chile, Aprilia 4. Helder Rodrigues, Portugal, Yamaha 5. Alain Duclos, France KTM 16. Marc Coma, Spain, KTM Craig Bounds Update Stage 9: A very different days racing today as a mass start was introduced by the ASO. Groups of 10 riders set off at varying five and ten minute intervals. Craig left at 11:15 am local time in the third group and set off into 50km of sand dunes and tricky navigation. Todays stage was initially planned to be ‘only’ 354km, a long day for most riders but relatively short compared to recent Dakar days. Early this morning the following announcement was made cutting the duration of the stage dramatically. ‘354 km, but with a timed section of only 170, are on the menu for the 9th stage. Indeed, alerted by the presence over the last few days of significant amounts of fog during the morning at Copiapo, the organisers have announced that they will be postponing the start times for the 9th special stage (11.00, instead of 7.15) and will shorten the route in order to avoid stragglers arriving too late at the bivouac in La Serena.Terrain today was hugely varied with almost all types of riding accomodated into a single day.’ As usual Craig set out at a measured pace but he picked up speed quickly and gained an excellent final position on todays shortened stage. A superb effort! Start 43rd 30km 47th 71km 36th 117km 33rd 135km 33rd Finish 32nd A stage finish at 32nd place today puts Craig in an overall position of 57th.
KTM supported riders Marc Coma and Cyril Despres came home in 1-2 just a breath away from each other in Stage Nine of the Dakar 2010 with Coma taking the final glory in a two-way race to the finish line. Coma took the stage by a mere four seconds while Despres, the overall leader added more time to his cushion of advantage. He now leads the overall standings by one hour 21 minutes and 50 seconds. This was the final day in the dry sands of the Atacama Desert near Chile's coastline and the result reflected the shared skills and fierce competition between the two KTM riders. Shortened Stage Intense and a matter of honor, Despres says Closely fought race Coma, who won last year in the first ever Dakar in South America also recovered well from a navigational error 62 km into the day's special which cost him an additional 5 km. The Spaniard has returned with renewed spirit with a second place in Stage Eight and the stage victory Monday after being penalized for a rule infringement in Stage Seven. He is however now out of contention for the overall victory. Stage 10 takes the competitors from La Serena to the Chilean capital Santiago for a total of 586 km of mostly fast to very fast surface. The time special in the middle is 238 km. Stage Nine Results Overall standings after Stage Nine Day 10 Dakar 2010: Coma second in Stage Eight; Despres maintains overall lead Riders in the Dakar 2010 tackled their penultimate day in the dry and daunting Atacama Desert near Chile's Pacific coastline for Stage Eight with KTM's Marc Coma placing second by just 42 second behind local favorite Francisco Lopez while overall leader Cyril Despres finished fifth. KTM's Despres, aware that anything can happen in the second half of the rally, managed a solid ride despite encountering stones that knocked his wheels about. He only relinquished just short of seven minutes of his overall lead and is now 1 hour 20 minutes 31 seconds ahead of Pal Ullevalseter (KTM) of Norway. Despres says he has an incredible day Coma's problems continue Coma maintains a good pace Refreshed from the rest day on Saturday, competitors travelled from Antofagasta back to Copiapo on a ride that included a 472 km special with fast and rocky terrain and ended back in the sweeping sand dunes. Monday they will be back in the dunes, the camel grass and fast on and off track riding for their final day in the desert, which includes a 373 km special. Stage Eight Results Overall standings after Stage Eight Craig Bounds Dakar Update Stage 8: Firstly a quick apology for my poor translation skills passing you details of Day 7's stage (I translate from the French site for practice...). The stage wasn't the longest 'EVER' Dakar stage, but the longest stage on the Dakar this year...Thanks for pointing that out those of you who mailed me, and unsuprisingly there were a few! An excellent ride for Craig today (Stage 8) over 472km of a really varied range of surfaces. There were plenty of those crazy South American dunes to negociate, rocky tracks and trails, and pure gravel, all mixed up with some tricky navigation. With over half the rally complete perhaps Craig is starting to think about a finish, only time will tell, there is still a long way to go! Craig finishes todays stage in 40th position. Initial indications were that he was pushing harder than usual over the stage but the final position of 40th, plus timing details, suggest that there have been tracking issues with some riders today. Because Craig has only just finished we are not sure of his overall standings yet but we can confirm that Craig finished stage 7 in 58th overall. After stage 7 without his 6 hour penalty Craig would be currently placed : 38th Overall Craig's penalty has now been officially added to the Dakar listings clarifying the situation for those of us following closely. Day Nine Dakar 2010: KTMs Despres and Coma enjoy a well earned rest day Dakar Rallies are always tough but KTM-supported riders Cyril Despres and Marc Coma both rode to glory on Friday before the rest day Saturday in what was a marathon 7 hours and 600 km of extreme terrain. Despres and Coma were 1-2 at the finish line and also in the overall standings. The 2010 edition of the race, the second time it has been held on the South American continent is proving to be a memorable one for the KTM riders. At the half way mark, when riders can finally take a day's rest on the Pacific Coast of Chile, Despres is able to bask in being the overall leader by just short of one hour seven minutes. The Frenchman took control of the overall standings at the close of Stage 3 after seeing the smaller 450 cc bikes gaining the advantage in the first two timed stages. He has two stage wins to his credit (Stages 3 and 7) and while he has a respectable time advantage, the road back to Buenos Aires will be long and hard and his rival Coma is in the ascendancy. By winning Stage Seven, Despres succeeded in taking his twenty second Dakar stage victory in this famous race. Despres and Coma - eternal rivals in international rally The excellent results for the two KTM riders is also creditable because both are riding KTM 690 Rally machines with air restrictors fitted to trim performance to the equivalent of 450 cc, now the norm of the Dakar Rally. The change in regulations, a shock introduction in the middle of 2009 was a big setback for KTM who had already secured factory rider contracts and built the bigger machines for the 2010 edition. As a result KTM announced they were not fielding a full factory team for the Dakar Rally and Despres and Coma are riding as KTM-supported riders. KTM still remains the dominant bike in the Dakar and over half of the competitors started on KTM bikes. At the half way mark, seven of the top ten riders in the overall standings are onboard KTM machines. Stage Eight: Still in the Atacama Desert Day Eight Dakar 2010: KTMs Despres and Coma 1-2 in Stage Seven Cyril Despres and Marc Coma on Friday showed rally enthusiasts why they are the best in the world when they finished 1-2 after a grueling 600km special in the deserts of Chile in the seventh stage of the Dakar 2010 with just 29 seconds separating them. The KTM riders finished the over seven hours ride over a whole range of challenging terrains in triumph ahead of a well earned rest day as competitors reach the half way mark of this motor sports classic. The French-born Despres has consolidated his overall lead to one hour 6 minutes 50 seconds but his arch rival Coma, who won the event last year, has made inroads into his time deficit vaulting up the order to now be second overall. Skill and experience pay off for Despres and Coma Both Despres and Coma slipped back in the order in the first part of the stage which started over tricky and vast sand dunes but the Dakar veterans showed their experience, skill and supremacy over the last 150 km to finish with an exciting two way battle for the final 20 km. It was Despres, hungry for another overall Dakar win who took the glory to win what was his 22nd Dakar stage victory, and he did it with a damaged shock absorber. Hard day's ride for Despres Despres said the 600 km, 7.5 hour ride had been very hard and exhausting. "I went into a large ditch at the 150 km mark and exploded the hydraulics of my shock absorber. Since then I was riding on a on a spring. I took all the shocks in my arms, wrists and neck, which in the end was almost unbearable," he told organizers. He said the gap between himself and Coma, the 2009 winner was small and he was now looking forward to the rest day. "I knew I could count on my tires and the bike didn't suffer despite the loss of hydraulics. I will have to look at all the screws and bolts but the bike took me here and that's good." Coma too said it had been a long day and he was pleased and satisfied that he had made it safely through to the rest day and he and his support team will be able to tend to the bike tomorrow. "Today, I had to be mindful of the speed to save my tires," he said. Both Despres and Coma, the world's top riders are onboard KTM 690 machines but because of new regulations for the Dakar have to ride with air restrictors on their bikes to cut the performance down to the equivalent of 450 cc machines. they are both competing as KTM-supported riders in the 2010 edition of the race. Friday's stage, the longest of the rally also offered some of the toughest terrain. Stage Seven Results 1. Cyril Despres, Andorra, KTM 2. Marc Coma, Spain, KTM (at 29 seconds) 3. David Fretegne, France, Yamaha 4. Rubin Faria, Portugal, KTM 5. Pal Ullevalseter, Norway, KTM Overall standings after Stage Seven 1. Cyril Despres, Andorra, KTM 2. Marc Coma, Spain, KTM (at 1:06.50) 3. Helder Rodrigues, Portugal, Yamaha 4. Pal Ullevalseter, Norway, KTM 5. Francisco Lopez, Chile, Aprilia Craig finishes longest day The longest stage on a Dakar rally today with a 600km competitive section. Indications from the organisers are that they expect the ride to be long and hard for most competitors. The stage doesnt officially close until 6pm TOMORROW, giving a total possible time on the stage of nearly 36 hours… 13:26 GMT It seems Craig had a good nights sleep and woke with an attitude this morning. From a 50th place start by km64 he had picked up 16 (!) places to 36th and continued his push past km79 at 37th. By km 141 he had dropped only one more place to 38th and seems to riding at a constant pace taking the day in his stride. After yesterdays stage injuries its a nerve wracking business just following his position, but all seems to be going well at this point. 17:55 GMT Craig is still pushing on reasonably hard since his fast start this morning. Two more checkpoints have passed, 227km and 355km and Craig is as steady as ever at 43rd and 44th place. We are now waiting impatiently for his next checkpoint, 448km where he will have broken the back of the 600km monster and will no doubt be happy to heading for a rest day tomorrow after ONLY 152 more racing km. Standby… 18:57 GMT Craig is now through checkpoint 6 at 448km, at some point in the last 200km he will have been overtaken by the cars. Only 16 riders finished in front of them today. This makes riding far more dangerous and difficult and you would think a drop in speed or places would reflect this. Nope! Craig has taken three more places and moved back to 41st place as his relentless and constant drive to finish continues. Most amazing of all, after 448km of racing at a pace significantly less than 100% Craig is less than 1'30? down on the best racers in the world, an incredible day so far. 20:49 GMT Craig finishes in 49th place having lost a few places late in the day. To have finished at all is a great achievement especially in a time of 8 hours 35 mins! At this time there are still only 55 finishers home and many of the 98 starters will spend a long cold night in the desert, our hearts go out to those who will not finish at all… Serious Accident on the 6th Stage Italian rider Luca Manca (KTM #31) was injured in a fall at the 10km mark of the Special at around 9:00 am local time. A helicopter was close by and the rider received prompt treatment before being evacuated to the Del Cobre Hospital at Calama where doctors treated him for head injuriesl. He will be transferred to the neuro-surgical service of the Clinica de la Mutual at Santiago. Luca Manca was 9th in the overall classification at the start of the day. An experienced rider, he was taking part, at 29, in his very first Dakar rally. On the previous day, Manca had generously swapped his rear wheel with the defending champion & KTM team mate Marc Coma when Coma's tyre had blown. Craig Bounds Dakar Update Stage 6: Before the days racing started we had confirmation of Craigs 6 hour penalty not being a mistake, but due to him missing a checkpoint on stage 3 by 200m. This will inevitably effect his final position, but I think as a learning experience its fair to say Craig now knows missing checkpoints even by a little bit is a BAD idea! Its most exciting to speculate how the race would be going without the penalty and I will add the theoretical place for interest at the end of each days update as a reference to how Craigs race pace matches those of the top riders. A 418km special stage today proved vicious and deadly for many competitors. 'Today’s stage was, according to Pål Anders’ opinion, until now the most dangerous stage. It was big and rough edges and ditches, and “crap” everywhere. And it happened every so often that the rear of the bike floated out in 90 degrees. With Andrew Neri a popular UK competitor out of the rally with a broken collarbone, Luca Manca in critical condition in a Santiago hospital, and many more competitors still forecast to be out on the stage for many hours yet it was a worrying day to follow Craigs progress over 5' 30" of racing. Eventually Craig came home in good order having run a typically steady race in line with his initial philosophy of keeping it steady, riding at no more than 75% and trying for a top 30 finish. His positions at the days checkpoints show his relentless pace: Start 40th 68km 46 117km 51 153km 52 195km 51st 252km 46th 292km 43rd 359km 42nd 393km 43rd Finish 50th and bring him home at 50th place on stage, 58th place overall. A superb achievement so far, but there are harder days ahead. Tomorrows stage runs to 600km of sand (not Craigs first choice of riding surface) and should prove a fascinating days racing to lead us up to the rest day on day 8. Thanks for all the kind emails sent yesterday in response to this update. In answer to some of your most common queries...Craig has a five year Dakar plan of which this is year two. His target this year was a steady pace at 75-80% of his ability aiming for a top 30 finish. This is hopefully to raise his profile to top UK rally rider, provide him with more big rally experience and allow his greater exposure to attract more sponsors to generate enough income for next years bid based around a more agressive, informed, riding style hoping to place him further up the leader board still in 2011. Without his 6 hour penalty Craig would be currently placed : 37th Overall Day 7 Dakar: Stage victory for KTM Marc Coma, Despres further extends overall lead KTM supported rider Marc Coma signaled his never say die spirit on Day Six of the 2010 Dakar by taking another stage victory and vaulting up to fourth in the overall standings. Coma's stage victory was also indicative of his superb navigational skills. Second across the line in Stage Six was KTM's Cyril Despres, who, wishing to preserve his advantage in the overall standings, rode a steady tactical race. Despres now has an advantage of 42'15" at the end of challenging day where riders traveled inland from Antofagasta in a wide sweeping curve and down to finish with a steep ride in soft sand at the Iquique bivouac on the Chilean coastline. Positive day for Marc Coma Dakar 2010 over for Manca Stage Seven to be long and tiring Stage Six Results Overall after Stage Six Craig Bounds' Dakar so far Stage 1: Craig completed the first competitive stage at a steady pace and
finished 36th in an uneventful days riding. Day Six Dakar 2010: KTM's Despres extends overall lead; second in Stage Five KTM's Cyril Despres reveled in the fast conditions of Stage Five of the Dakar as riders tackled 668 km with a long 483 km special through the foothills of the Atamaca Desert in Chile, finishing just 1'30 behind stage winner Chilean Francisco Lopez to extend his overall lead to 37'37 The second longest stage in the Dakar 2010 from Copiapo to Antofagasta was billed as one that would test riders' concentration and stamina. It also had its share of drama. KTM's Marc Coma, who lead the field at CP3 with more than five minutes advantage on Despres then lost half an hour with a damaged tyre before Italian KTM rider Luca Manca in a huge sporting gesture, allowed him to replace it with one of his. Coma, the 2009 winner hangs on to overall seventh ranking but trails arch rival Despres by 1h16'55''. Run of bad luck for title holder Coma Marc Coma was understandably disappointed after looking like he was set to win the stage and make up some of the deficit on the overall leader. "This year isn't really my year," he said. "But I have to try and stay positive and make the most of the rally." Coma's first blow came with a 22 minute penalty in the first timed stage for a speeding infringement. Then he had technical problems followed by today's difficulties. Stage five also saw solid results from KTM riders Ruben Faria of Portugal and Norwegian Pal Ullevalseter while French KTM rider Alain Duclos and Ullevalseter have also moved into the top five in the overall standings. The stage also ended the hopes of one of Despres' toughest rivals when David Casteu took a bad fall from his bike and was subsequently airlifted out with a broken leg. Demand for fitness and concentration The day's ride offered up fast sections, boulders, rocky off-road sections and an introduction to the soft Chilean terrain called fesh-fesh, challenges that Despres had predicted would need peak physical fitness and absolute concentration. Tomorrow riders have another challenging and fast day ahead of them that takes them inland from Antofagasta in a wide sweeping curve and down to Iquique where they finish the 418 km special back on the coast of the Pacific Ocean. To add spice to the ride, they will tackle a steep sandy descent to the finish line at the Iquique bivouac. Stage Five Results 1. Francisco Lopez, Chile, Aprilia 2. Cyril Despres, Andorra, KTM (at 1'30) 3. David Fretigne, France, Yamaha 4. Ruben Faria, Portugal, KTM 5. Pal Ullevalseter, Norway, KTM 19. Marc Coma, Spain, KTM Overall after Stage Five 1. Cyril Despres, Andorra, KTM 2. Francisco Lopez, Chile, Aprilia (at 37'37) 3. .Helder Rodrigues, Portugal, Yamaha 4. Alain Duclos, France, KTM 5. Pal Ullevalseter, Norway, KTM 7. Marc Coma, Spain, KTM
Marc Coma, the current Dakar title holder and KTM-supported rider rose to the challenge on Tuesday to take victory in the fourth stage of the Dakar 2010 as riders descended down the Andes into Chile heading for the notorious Atacama Desert. KTM's Cyril Despres came in third in the stage, 3'14 behind Coma but continues to maintain his overall lead. He is currently almost nine minutes in front of second placed David Casteu in the overall rankings. Good terrain for KTM - Happy to be back in the desert and on terrain that suits the KTM bikes, Despres said the fourth stage had been good. "We finally hit a terrain that is better for our KTM bikes. It's nice to have the wind in the face and to pick up speed... Navigation was fun too with the first changes in course - which were pretty tricky by the way. And the first small dunes, the first camel grass... the desert, for sure!" Good confidence boost fort Coma - Coma's stage victory was an important boost to the professional Spanish rider, who, along with Despres has dominated the international rally sport in recent years. He has now climbed into sixth overall but is still almost 39 minutes behind Despres in the overall reckoning, 22 of which resulted from a speed penalty on day two. Coma said it had been an important day after some bad results and bad luck. "We got our good habits back and we got back on the right track. I am very happy to be here. It's good for the moral of the team after a few bad days. The strategy is something you do each day. We will make the most of the race, climb in the standings, and move forward... till the end. We won't let our guard down!" The Dakar Rally is - as both Coma and Despres, both former winners know from experience - is a law unto itself and anything can happen to shake up the order at any point in the race. Indeed Despres said before the stage that there were "a couple of very tough days ahead of us and in those conditions you can go from hero to zero in a very short space of time!" Shortened stage - Due to the late arrival of a number of competitors in Monday's stage, organizers decided to delay the start today by one and a half hours and to shorten the route. Instead of the planned 203 km special, riders only had to contend with 160 km and the finish was moved forward to the third control point. "Navigation was certainly not easy," said KTM's Stefan Huber, traveling with the KTM-supported riders. "The mountains and the sandy terrain all looks very much the same!" Riders descended from around 3000 m altitude high in the Argentinean Andes from Flambala to Copiapo in Chile. Organizers referred to the stage as "an absolute desert special". Competitors will get four tastes of the blisteringly dry conditions in the Atacama Desert in the 2010 edition of the race, an area, said to be drier even than the notorious Death Valley, which has never recorded rain. Stage Four Results Overall after Stage Four
KTM factory-supported rider Cyril Despres struck hard to take a commanding victory in the third stage of the 2010 Dakar on day four of the epic 9000 km ride through Argentina and Chile ride to move into overall lead in this motor sports classic. Hitting the serious sand for the first time in the race and tackling some difficult technical sections, Despres, the 2009 World Rally Champion came in 10 minutes 40 seconds ahead of Helder Rodrigues in the stage and now has an overall lead of just over 10 minutes. Indeed Monday, which took the riders 441 km from La Roija to Flambala, shook up the standing order of the first days as the bikes also started their climb up into the Andes. KTM's Marc Coma who was knocked down to overall fourteenth on Day three after incurring a 22 minute speeding penalty in the first timed stage clawed back a few positions and is now eighth overall but still trails his arch rival Despres with a significant 42 minute deficit. Coma also experienced some technical problems on a day where conditions tested riders and machines. The winner of last year's Dakar finished ninth in the third stage. It was also bad luck also for KTM rider Spain's Jordi Viladoms who took a tumble at the 70 km mark and was transported to the bivouac at Fiambala. Medical reports indicate no severe injuries for Viladoms but he will remain under observation as a precaution and must therefore draw a line under his Dakar efforts for 2010. For the French born Despres, a veteran and multiple winner of the African
editions, Monday's ride was a taste of the terrain he is accustomed to in
Africa. "This is one of those stages when you set out in the morning and
you think to yourself, ‘ok, 180 km - that will be easy. We'll soon be at the
bivouac'. But there you are, we've just spent three hours battling on the
bikes. It was a really African-like stage: physically tough with the heat,
soft dunes and mechanical aspects to deal with. … it was a very complicated
day". Overall after Stage Three Day Three Dakar: Despres second overall; penalty for Coma in Stage Two KTM factory-supported rider Cyril Despres held on to second overall in day three of the 2010 Dakar as riders negotiated their way from Cordoba to La Rioja in Argentina for the second timed stage of this year's rally. KTM's Marc Coma, third in today's stage, incurred a disappointing penalty. "Coma was penalized 22 minutes for exceeding the speed limit going though a town in the first stage after a control of the riders' GPS systems last night," said KTM's Stefan Huber who is traveling with the KTM supported riders. The penalty knocked Coma - winner of the first Dakar in South America last year - down to fourteenth place in the overall standings. Although a setback and a disappointment for the professional Spanish rider there is still a long way to go in the 9000 km journey through Argentina and Chile. In the second stage, riders faced fast to very fast track alternating with winding, narrow sections but it was the heavy rain both at the start and during the race that made going heavy and very dangerous. As well as the rain, riders also faced a considerable range in temperatures from 18 degrees C when they set out from Cordoba to 35 degrees C in La Roija. "It was just a matter of not taking risks today. We just had to get
through it," Despres said. "It was a mud race that was more suited
to Enduro. The conditions made it very difficult to hold the bikes on the
track and of course it was much easier for the riders on the lighter 450 cc
bikes," he added. New regulations that limit the power of bikes to the
equivalent of 450 cc means that Coma and Despres must both ride with air
restrictors fitted to their KTM bikes. The next stage takes riders up to 2000 meters with a mixture of hard pack and sandy surfaces before they prepare for the ascent into the Andes. Stage Two Results Overall after Stage Two Day Two Dakar: Despres and Coma well placed after Stage One KTM factory-supported riders and former Dakar Rally winners Cyril Despres and Marc Coma rode a confident first stage in the grueling Dakar Rally which took contestants from Colon to Cordoba in Argentina, the first timed section in the 9000 km rally. Finishing second and third in a tightly grouped trio behind David Casteu, Despres and Coma were just three and 12 seconds behind the leader and now have the advantage that Casteu must now navigate out in the lead in tomorrow's stage. "Our riders rode a steady race today and had no major problems on a very technical stage that was made to measure for the 450 cc bikes. Marc and Cyril took time to find their rhythm and to get to know and understand the road book. They are in a very good position and tomorrow they'll be able to hit the gas," said KTM's Stefan Huber, who is traveling with the factory-supported riders. Some distance was trimmed from the first timed stage because of water on the course, an adjustment that resulted in a later start than was originally planned. The bikes rode over a hard pack dirt surface that called for extreme attention and technical skills. Coma, the winner of the first Dakar held in South America in 2009 said the day had been a good way to get back in business. "It was quite a technical special stage, and it's a good way to get back to business… In the end the stage was a bit shorter than planned, but seeing how hot it is, it was still quite tough". Despres, the 2009 World Rally Champion and 2008 Dakar winner admitted he had been a little nervous on the first day but was still content with his ride. "The time I managed wasn't too bad, and more importantly, I didn't have any problems. As for the bike's speed, I reached 166 kmh, compared to last year when we could get up to 185 kmph. You just have to deal with it. We can't make up time on the others for the moment, but we'll claw it back later". Both Coma and Despres are riding with air restrictors fitted to their KTM 690 Rally bikes to conform to the new Dakar regulation to limit the engine size to 450 cc. But as two former Dakar winners and as dominators of the rally scene, they still can call on an enormous reserve of experience and skill which will serve them well as the rally continues through Argentina and Chile. Stage One Results
Behind the handlebars of a brand new 450cc, David Casteu has thrown the proverbial cat amongst the pigeons on the first stage of the Dakar. He has taken the lead in the general standings with the day’s best time in front of the two favourites for outright victory, Cyril Despres and Marc Coma. In the car race, Joan “Nani” Roma picked up the second stage victory of his career in the car category, in Cordoba, like in 2009. He is someone always full of surprises; like setting up his own team for instance, with French constructor Sherco, grabbing the opportunity thrown up by the switch over to 450cc for all the competitors in the bike race in the near future. David Casteu, often arbitrator in proceedings between Cyril Despres and Marc Coma, and 2nd in the Dakar in 2007 and 4th in 2009, has chosen to challenge his rivals on a newly designed and less powerful bike. The road is still long, but this bold decision has already been rewarded on the first special stage of the 2010 edition, in which the rider from Nice scored the day’s best time, 3" ahead of Cyril Despres, and 12” in front of title holder Marc Coma. The gaps are small in light of what still awaits them, but this stage win is symbolically significant for brave David. In the early hours of the morning, a final conversation between Casteu and his mechanic convinced him to try and make an impact between Colon and Cordoba. Over the 168 kilometres remaining to be covered once the stage had been shortened due to flooding at the start of the special, the eternal outsider was true to his sole guiding principle: “Attack, attack, attack”. In the end, Casteu won the 2nd special stage of his career on the Dakar, with the satisfaction of handing out a first defeat to the KTM 690cc riders. In the series of confrontations between big and small that are on the menu, David Frétigné, on his Yamaha 450cc, was more discrete than Casteu, finishing in 6th position in the day’s standings, almost three minutes off the lead. For the return of Aprilia to the Dakar, Francisco Lopez, also riding a 450cc, took fifth place, 2’42” behind Casteu, but also nearly a minute behind Jordi Viladoms, who finished in fourth. After having collected 12 stage victories on a bike, Joan “Nani” Roma also marked the day with a second victory in his category, by winning the day’s special stage. For the former winner of the bike category (2004), the day’s performance has added flavour, one year after having put in the best time in the special stage finishing in Cordoba. At the time, it was one of the few good days for the Mitsubishi clan, the team with which he started his second career. This time, Roma has joined Team BMW X-Raid with team-mate Stéphane Peterhansel and spent several weeks optimising the potential of the X3 through many adjustments. The success enjoyed at the end of this 199 km special stage is therefore a reward for hard work and a sign of renewal. Indeed, the man they will now call the “King of Cordoba” also pulled out all the stops to take control of the general standings: he leads Carlos Sainz by 2’07”. BMW’s satisfaction does not end there: Stéphane Peterahnsel took third place, 2’50” behind the leader. In spite of Roma’s sparkling victory, the result of the first stage is not alarming for rivals Volkswagen, because Nasser Al Attiyah (3’29” behind the leader) and Giniel De Villiers (4’31” behind) make up the rest of the Top 5. Furthermore, it is already becoming evident that reliability and mechanical problems will have their role to play throughout the race. Team X-Raid encountered their first mishaps when Guerlain Chicherit was halted by engine problems thirty kilometres from the finishing line. Welshman Craig Bounds has had a good start. He finished the first stage in 38th place out of the 155 starters. Andrew Neri finished 125th, Tamsin Jones 145th & Paul Carlyle 148th
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Craig
Bounds unlucky Stage 13:
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Hello friends
Craig
Bounds Update Stage 10:
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11 Dakar 2010: Another victory for KTM's Coma in Stage Nine
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Five Dakar: Stage Four win for KTM's Marc Coma
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Four Dakar: Stage three victory and overall lead for KTM's Despres