2007 Dakar Rally Stage 8 Results
Stage 8 :
Atâr – Tichit
January 14, 2007 - KTM Team Report
When there is somebody smiling in the Dakar because he had a
good day, there is always somebody crying because he screwed up.
Today Marc Coma (KTM Respol) is the smiling one. Isidre
Esteve (KTM Gauloises) is the unhappy part of the story.
The eight stage, from Atar to Tichit in Mauritania, was one
of those stages that makes the difference in the Dakar. And the gaps got
bigger and bigger today. Dunes of extreme soft sand and stretches of
camel grass made that possible.
Coma had a perfect day at the office. In 7 hours and 46
minutes he covered the 589 km of the special stage: a genuine working day
for normal people. "The weather was bad" Coma commented. "In the
middle of the stage a sandstorm made it difficult to find the right tracks.
But that’s typical Mauritanian. I know I gained a lot of time today,
but it is still too early to think about winning the Dakar. Tomorrow
is another day and will not be easy for sure."
Coma caught up with Cyril Despres (KTM Gauloises), who
started first. They stayed together for the rest of the day.
Despres was lifted to second in the standings, 54 minutes behind Coma,
because of a huge problem his team mate Isidre Esteve encountered. At
230 km in the stage Esteve’s gearbox got stuck in first gear, making it
impossible to ride faster than 50 k/h.
"Today was a disaster. Again, like last year, when I
crashed on the day after the rest day. I lost the Dakar here today.
What can I say? I feel terrible."
The other KTM Gauloises riders saw Esteve and stopped to see
if they could help him. " But I could do nothing in the middle of the desert
in a sandstorm" David Casteu said.
"It’s a pity for Isidre. He did not came here to just
finish in Dakar, he came here to win. It has been in the back of my
mind all day: Cyril had the same problem twice already. I decided to
take it easy, because it is a marathon stage: no assistance tonight, we will
have to do it ourselves. That’s why I treated my bike as if it was a
woman: gentle and sweet."
Casteu finished fourth today, behind Coma, Despres and
Norwegian Pal Anders Ullevalseter. He is now third in the standings.
Result today (Atar-Tichit):
2007 Dakar Rally - Stage 8 KTM Results
| Rank
|
Rider |
Nation |
Bike
|
Time
|
| 1 |
Marc
Coma |
SPA
|
KTM
|
7.46.13
|
| 2 |
Cyril
Despres
|
FRA
|
KTM
|
7.56.15
|
| 4 |
David
Casteu
|
FRA
|
KTM
|
8.12.35
|
| 5 |
Frans
Verhoeven
|
NED
|
KTM
|
8.15.29
|
| 6 |
Chris
Blais |
USA
|
KTM
|
8.24.46
|
| 8 |
Giovanni Sala
|
ITA
|
KTM
|
8.30.36
|
| 38
|
Esteve
Pujol
|
SPA
|
KTM
|
9.56.23 |
2007 Dakar Rally - Overall KTM Standings at Stage 8
| Rank
|
Rider |
Nation |
Bike
|
Time
|
| 1 |
Marc
Coma |
SPA
|
KTM
|
30.24.47
|
| 2 |
Cyril
Despres
|
FRA
|
KTM
|
31.19.45
|
| 3 |
David
Casteu
|
FRA
|
KTM
|
31.28.02
|
| 4 |
Chris
Blais |
USA
|
KTM
|
31.56.13
|
| 6 |
Frans
Verhoeven
|
NED
|
KTM
|
32.33.44
|
| 7 |
Giovanni Sala
|
ITA
|
KTM
|
32.38.38
|
| 8 |
Esteve
Pujol
|
SPA
|
KTM
|
32.45.44 |
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