Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme : FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship

Sardegna Rally Race: Peterhansel will join again, Tony Cairoli will be there too!

Wed, 09 May 2012 08:59:00 +0200

After having communicated the details of the tracks, now it's time to show you a small "preview" of this exceptional racing set. SRR will also be the turning point of the Cross Country Rally World Cup, and the 2012 edition is launched and has got really good promises. And if Rally promises, Bike Village will keep the promise. That's the way it has always been and that's the reason why we can call it the "High Definition" World Rally".

Two weeks ago we got the confirmation that Cyril Neveu will join the race and now, it's Stephane Peterhansel's turn: he will be there again, he will start the Rally invented, and re-invented, by Antonello Chiara and Gianrenzo Bazzu.

The winner of ten Dakars, the reigning champion with his Mini will do another exception to his automotive career in order to ride with his bike the Rally that let him relive his legendary performances with his Yamaha.

A quick update of the calculation: "Peter", Neveu, Despres, Coma… at Sardegna Rally Race 2012 22 Dakar victories will be represented. Invariably, Stephane's mate Andrea Mayer will also take part.

The story of Peterhansel's return proposed last year by Bike Village is renewed and it will also add a little bit of current, technical contents.

Last year Peterhansel gained the fourth ranking of a Rally he started with great caution.

This year the French hyper-champion, well known for his capability in doing only great things, is expected to improve his performances. Why not targeting the podium? Stephane is already working and he is training in Corsica together with Andrea, in order to be well prepared for the event.

For the "young lions" of this discipline, racing together with the Dakar record-breaker will be an honor but also a comparison that might be "embarrassing". Anyway, Sardegna Rally Race will propose once again the sole "history riding" over two époques of the most important Rallies.

Marc Coma, Cyril Despres, Helder Rodrigues, Joan Barreda, Francisco Lopez but also Jakub Przygonski, David Casteu, Ruben Faria, Jordi Viladoms, Paulo Gonçalves (and we do not have to forget those italians that in Sardegna can be able to undermine the world leadership of the Rally-Raid, like Graziani, Mancini, Zanotti). It's just a temporary list but it is showing a lot of so important riders who can normally be seen only at the Dakar.

But according to Sardegna Rally Race's history, the only question that can be asked is: how many (and who?) great riders will be forced to give more way to Stephane Peterhansel and to the living legend he represents? We will see.

If the above is not enough, we can add a "gem". He will not join the race as rider, but he will be at the start as special guest. He is Tony Cairoli: 2012 SRR paddock has got another chance not to miss!

Coma tiumphs in Qatar

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 12:55:00 +0200

MRW rider wins in Qatar for second consecutive victory in Cross-Country Rallies World Championship. The winner of the Sealine Cross-Country Rally has now been decided. MRW rider Marc Coma was this morning crowned the inaugural winner of the event –the second race of the World Championship season. Second in the final stage, Coma ended the contest with a final advantage of more than six minutes over second placed Hélder Rodrigues. Two weeks ago, Marc Coma claimed his sixth win in the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, and today he added a new honour to his CV: The Sealine Cross-Country Rally. After covering over 1300km, divided into four stages, and winning one of the daily trials, the multiple World Champion did enough to continue his winning run. With this latest win the MRW rider increases his advantage in the overall standings to 14 points over Jordi Viladoms, with the competition reaching its midway point.

Marc Coma, ready for Qatar rally debut

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 09:13:00 +0200

MRW rider places third in Tuesday prologue for the Sealine Cross-Country Rally, held near the Losail International Circuit.

The second event of the Cross-Country Rallies World Championship begins tomorrow in Qatar, and today's prologue served to define the starting order for Stage One. An extremely short special stage, Marc Coma placed third and will get third pick for his starting position tomorrow. The rules of the Sealine Cross-Country Rally allow the fastest riders in the prologue the opportunity to choose their starting spot in the first stage proper.

Coma completed the 4.2km timed section in a time of 2'47.2, just 1.3 seconds off fastest rider Joan Barreda and 8 tenths slower than Hélder Rodrigues. As a result, the MRW rider will be the third man to chose his starting place, looking to take on the challenge from further back in order to catch up with those in front —as he did in Abu Dhabi at the opening event.

The first stage will see Coma taking on 330km of timed terrain, as part of the more than 1200km race that will conclude on Saturday in the deserts of Qatar.

Marc Coma:
"I am happy with how the day went. It was a short stage on the beach which even had a few dunes with which to contend, but it wasn't too tough and serves as a warmup for the race. The rules state that whoever wins gets to pick their starting position first, so we tried to push hard instead of stopping for a breather.

That had been the strategy in Abu Dhabi, where we slowed down to get a position further down the field. We have to finish deciding which position is best for us tomorrow, but we are likely to go for a later spot in order to give chase to the early starters."

Qatar - Sealine Cross-Country Rally

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 13:46:00 +0200

Four times World Champion, Marc Coma, will be competing from tomorrow until Saturday, April 21st in the Sealine Cross-Country Rally event in Qatar. The Arab Emirate will be hosting a World Championship round of the discipline for the first time, setting out a route consisting of a prologue and four stages totaling 1340km. Sandy dunes and intense heat await the Repsol rider as he goes for a second win in the 2012 season.

After an authorative victory in the recent season-opening Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, Marc Coma is optimistic about his chances in Qatar. The Repsol rider will be in action over five days, with more than 1300km of rallying standing in his way. 1241km will be contested against the clock, whilst Tuesday's prologue consists of 11km to kick off the event. Of particular note is Stage 3, the longest of the rally at 365km in length.

Coma will once again be riding a KTM 450 Rally during a demanding week which will put both rider and mechanics to the test. His main rivals are likely to include fellow Spaniards Joan Barreda and Jordi Viladoms, plus Portuguese competitors Paulo Gonçalves and Rubén Faría.

Marc Coma:
"We are in high spirits heading into this second race of the season. We've been able to have a few days off at home and are motivated for this week, so now is the time to get focused on the job at hand. There are a few unknowns for us, because this is a new country for me and a desert in which I have never ridden before. It is going to be different, for example, to Abu Dhabi, despite the two countries being so close together.

We will have a harder terrain here, with more rocks and the need to be alert from the start, because it is a very short race and there is no margin for making up for mistakes. We are going to have to push hard from the start".

''Everything went perfectly'' - Coma

Fri, 06 Apr 2012 17:58:00 +0200

Four-time Cross-Country Rallies World Champion Marc Coma took the opening win of 2012 in the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge today. The Repsol rider has now won the last four editions of the event, with six victories in total. A win in the fifth and final stage today sealed the glory Coma, who rode impeccably all week. Coma had to take on over 2000km during the five-day event, but it was all worth the effort as he triumphed in Abu Dhabi for the sixth time. His previous wins came in 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2011. This year's event took place over five stages, preceded by a prologue. Strategy and patience were key to Coma's win, as he managed his advantage with great precision. A win in stage five made it three from five for Coma, who only experienced small difficulties on the opening stage. Riding a KTM 450, the Spaniard was able to handle the terrain and put up with the high temperatures of the Arab Emirate, extending a final advantage of 9 minutes and 33 seconds over second placed Joan Barreda and taking the top step of the podium for the fourth consecutive year. The next Cross-Country Rallies World Championship event begins in Qatar from April 17th. Marc Coma : "I am very happy with how things went, right from the first day. Despite today's stage being the last, it was a special stage of 280km and it was difficult maintaining concentration. You have to focus on getting to the end without any problems. I tried to keep my pace up but without taking any unnecessary risks. Thankfully it was a rally in which everything went our way. We were able to avoid any issues and things went exactly as we had planned. When things follow your strategy you are grateful when in the end it goes your way, because it was certainly a tough rally for everyone. The heat and the difficulty of the dunes made it a challenge, as did the high level of our rivals. In as short a rally as this one, small errors are magnified -that's why I am so happy that everything went perfectly."

Husqvarna happy with double podium

Fri, 06 Apr 2012 17:22:00 +0200

From last Sunday until today the first round of the FIM Cross Country Rally World Championship took place in the desert of Abu Dhabi. The Husqvarna Rallye Team by Speedbrain took part with the Husqvarna TE 449 RR and the riders Joan Barreda and Paulo Gonçalves. Both riders and their bikes had to manage high temperatures of approx. 40° C and the desert of Abu Dhabi with its soft sand and high dunes during the 2000km rally. At the end the two riders finished 2nd and 3rd in the overall standings. With this performance they proved that the competitors have to keep an eye on the Husqvarna Rallye Team by Speedbrain in the future. The Spaniard Joan Barreda showed from the first leg that his intension was to win the 2012 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge. After the 300km special test on the first day he was only 3:35 min behind the leader in 4th position. In leg 2 he was even able to take the lead of the overall standings. From then on it was a battle between Barreda, the newcomer of the Dakar 2012, and the rally legend Marc Coma. At the end Joan finished in a very strong 2nd place. The other rider of the Husqvarna Rallye Team by Speedbrain Paulo Gonçalves also started very strong in the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge 2012 by finishing 5th in the first leg. On day 2 out in the desert he was able to keep this position and to close the gap to the leading riders. The fact that at the end of day 2 the top 5 riders were separated by only 94 seconds showed how tight the fight at the top of the field was. On day 3 Paulo had a crash when jumped into the bike of a fallen competitor behind a dune, but he was able to repair the damage quickly and climb up to 4th position in the overall standings. On the penultimate day Paulo Gonçalves showed why he is called "Speedy Gonçalves" by catching up over 12 minutes to the leaders. This excellent performance put him into third position which he defended succes sfully on the last day. Final standings
1. Marc Coma (KTM) 20h 33'35
2. Joan Barreda (Husqvarna) 20h 43'08
3. Paulo Gonçalves (Husqvarna) 20h 53'59
4. Ruben Faria (KTM) 20h 56'38
5. Jordi Villdamos (KTM) 21h 01'00

Coma takes Abu Dhabi win

Fri, 06 Apr 2012 11:27:00 +0200

The Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, the first round of the RAIDS World Championship for 2012, has ended with Marc Coma claiming a sixth triumph —his fourth consecutive win. The MRW rider had started the final stage with an advantage of over 6 minutes over his nearest rival and today claimed his third victory of the five day event. Placing first in today's special stage, Coma rounded off an impeccable first appearance of the 2012 World Championship.

Stage win and leadership goes to Coma

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 18:47:00 +0200

MRW rider imposes authority in third stage of Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge and takes lead of over 8 minutes in overall standings Marc Coma had already singled out the 346km third stage, divided into 168km and 178km sections with a neutral zone of 9km, as being a key part of the race, and so it proved to be on Wednesday. The MRW rider started eleventh as a result of his position yesterday, but managed to put a 8 minute and 47 second advantage over Joan Barreda in the stage —8 minutes and 27 seconds in the overall standings. After an initial 59km run, the participants in the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge encountered the first 168km section. Marc Coma went on the attack, looking to catch the riders who set off before him. Little-by-little his pursuit saw success, and upon arrival following the 178km second section he had moved to the head of the overall standings. The MRW rider's advantage was more than 8 minutes over the second placed rider —Barreda— and 20 over third placed Viladoms. Two days away from the conclusion of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, tomorrow the riders will face the largest section of the rally: 522km, split into a first run of 107km, a 318km special stage and a closing 97km section.
Coma said : "This was he longest stage, with hot conditions and a really tough challenge. I am happy with the result and with how the race looks from here on. We have two important days to go, but today was important too and we passed the test with flying colours. Starting from eleventh was a key factor and we were looking for this over the past few days.

When you start from a position that is further back, you have to try and cut the distance with the best time possible. That's what we did. Tomorrow is another difficult day and I expect that we will lose a bit of our advantage, but I also hope that we have enough at the end of the day to continue to top the standings".General classification
1. Marc Coma 12:47:17
2. Joan Barreda +00:08:27
3. Jordi Viladoms +00:19:09
4. Paulo Gonçalves +00:21:06
5. Rubén Faría +00:24:06

Coma drops a place in overall standings

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 14:52:00 +0200

MRW rider lies second in Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge after Stage Two, 20 seconds down on the leader in the overall standings.

The second stage of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge consisted of 434 kilometres, 283 of which were ridden against the clock. It was the first key stage of the rally, taking place almost entirely in the desert of the Arab Emirate. Marc Coma opened the stage as a result of his victory on day one, and he kept to 20 seconds of race leader Joan Barreda at the end of the stage. The MRW rider saw rivals who set off after him catch up in the dunes, and as a result he placed eleventh on Tuesday, 11 minutes and 11 seconds off winner Rubén Faría.

In addition to opening the stage, Coma also came up against the strong winds that have changed the profile of the dunes over the past few days. The new peaks resulted in a need to be extra cautious and ended up costing Coma time. Nonetheless, the MRW rider clocked a final time of 4 hours, 20 minutes and 14 seconds and was happy to have solved a fuel problem experienced yesterday.

Stage Three is a 426km route that will begin with a 59km run, followed by a timed 168km section, a transition route of 9km and a second special stage of 178km in length.

Marc Coma:
"Today we had a difficult stage, in the open desert. We know how difficult it would be opening the route, as this prevents you going fast and gives a small advantage to those behind you. The aim today was to go as fast as possible, but without taking unnecessary risks.

The key was trying to lose as little time as possible to keep us in with a chance of winning the race. We will be trying to make the most of the fact that we are starting further back tomorrow to recover ground. I think that it is the longest stage of the rally and could be a very important day for deciding the race. A key factor will be getting through tomorrow without problems."

Coma takes the initiative in Abu Dhabi

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 16:01:00 +0200

MRW rider goes on the attack from the start and dominates first special stage

The Cross-Country Rallies World Championship began today with the first Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge special stage. Marc Coma, winner of the last three editions of the race, attacked the lead from the opening kilometre onwards in order to gain an advantage for this five-day event. The first special stage was contested over 285km and saw Coma come in ahead of second-placed Hélder Rodrigues by 1m9s.

In such a short race, tactics are of the utmost importance. In the Sunday afternoon 2km sprint prologue that decided the starting order for today, the riders held back in order to avoid being first out on the special stage. When the race proper began, Marc Coma kicked things off with a strong pace from the start and claimed victory in the run, earning an advantage of over a minute over second place and 2m42s over third.

The race headed off in a southerly direction, into the desert and its dunes. On an offroad section that placed less emphasis on navegation than the Dakar rally (GPS was allowed on permanent activation), Coma began to create distance between he and the trailing riders. He made the most of the more bearable temperatures of the earlier part of the day, knowing that the southerly descent would bring with it a more intense heat.

The MRW rider will take on another special stage of a similar distance tomorrow: 283km against the clock over the typical Abu Dhabi dunes.

Marc Coma:
"I am happy with how the stage went today. We are already in the desert and taking on an important stage that is 280km in length was a tough start against the clock. We headed south in the direction of the desert and were able to tackle the first dunes and long offroad sections. It was a problem-free stage and I was trying to put down the fastest pace possible in order to take an early advantage.

We know that in such a short and tactical race we have to gain every second possible. I had a small fuel problem just before the refueling point, but that only lost me a few seconds and I was able to continue on without too much delay".

Marc Coma, in search of fourth consecutive Abu Dhabi victory

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 13:29:00 +0200

Dakar rally runner-up begins new Raids World Championship with Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, a race that he has won five times previously.

Marc Coma, winner of the past three editions of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, will take part in the first round of the 2012 Cross Country Rally World Championship at the famous event from the 1st-6th of April. The Repsol rider will be covering over two thousand kilometres in the event, with 1,520 of those against the clock, as he looks for victory at a meeting in which he has been the winner on five occasions (2006, 2007, 2009, 2010 y 2011).

After the Sunday prologue, the event itself begins on Monday with the first of five stages which kick off the season. Dunes, white sand and extremely high temperatures are what await Coma as he passes through the Al Gharbia region and the Liwa desert. Every kilometre will count over the five days and mistakes will be difficult to recover from, whilst the toughest stage will be number four: 500km long, with 318 against the clock.

The Repsol rider will once again be behind the bars of a KTM 450 Rally, competing in a race characterized by high temperatures and high physical demands.

Marc Coma:
"It's more than two months since the Dakar ended and we have been able to rest up and prepare for this race. I'm raring to go and am really excited about the challenge ahead. The Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge is always a very demanding event, above all because of the temperatures —which reach over 40 ºC.

You can't afford to make any mistakes there either. It is a short race and very intense, so the most important thing is not to put a foot wrong. There is simply no room to make up lost time. What's more, nearly all the big names from the Dakar will be there, so it will be important to be at our best every day".

Laia Sanz wins her second victory in the women’s class

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 13:47:00 +0100

The Spanish rider continues to extend her fame with notable success in overcoming one of the hardest challenges that can face a woman on two wheels.

Laia was the only woman biker to finish the rally and she repeats the 39th place she won last year.

The Gas Gas rider had to contend with an injury to her right hand after a fall in the fourth stage and then go on alone after the ninth, when her backup Marc Guasch had to retire.

She's done it again! Laia Sanz has impressed the world in finishing for the second consecutive time in 39th place, the same result as she achieved in her debut last year in the Dakar Rally, the toughest bike trial on the planet. As she did then, the Gas Gas rider once again takes victory in the women's class home, where she must find space for this trophy beside her 11 titles as World Trial Champion, 10 continental titles in the speciality and 5 Nations Trial cups. This girl from Corbera de Llobregat thus adds to her fame as the best female bike rider of all times.

Always insatiable in her eagerness to improve, Laia Sanz started this year with the intention of doing battle on two wheels not only with the girls but also with the boys. Her ambition was to finish among the first 30 classified, but in the end she had to "settle" for an equally extraordinary 39th place in the final classification. Laia spoke of a result which concealed a great deal of effort: "I am better pleased with this year than the one before. It has been a very tough rally in some parts and the circumstances affecting me during the race made it even more complicated, but I kept going to the end. I am very satisfied with the way I rode and navigated. I think I have taken a very important step forward. I must thank Gas Gas for the opportunity that they gave me and all the team for their efforts and the great job they've done. We prepared this great project in a very short time and we should be proud. The bike also performed like a champion. It was fantastic and I am very happy. I dedicate this success to my team mate Marc Guasch, and I hope he recovers very soon".

A Dakar with difficult moments
The race started with stiffer demands than the riders had expected, above all with the tremendous heat in the Argentine stages. The Spanish multi-champion, who this year had physically prepared herself very conscientiously, overcame the harshness of the rally and in the third stage achieved a promising 35th scratch place. Unfortunately, she had missed two obligatory way points and was sanctioned 40 minutes, which dropped her back to 69th place.

This circumstance was a big handicap, as she then had to start the next special a long way back and was hampered on the track by the dust thrown up by other slower competitors. The situation was worsened for the Catalan girl when she had a fall which caused a hole in her fuel tank and a bad injury to her right hand. In spite of the pain, Laia showed exceptional resistance and went on, without complaining and without ceasing to recover places. "That day I thought I had broken my hand and would not be able to continue, but it was not so bad and after a couple of days with the help of the physiotherapist it was getting better. Hurting my hand was a shock, but what worried me more while I was out there was the bike. With the tank holed I was losing fuel and had to transfer fuel from Marc's bike. We almost didn't finish...".

In the eighth stage, Laia Sanz and the Gas Gas team had their saddest day: at 15 kilometres from the finish, Guasch had a serious fall which left him with four broken ribs, a perforated lung and damage to his spleen. Laia waited with him for an hour until he was taken away by helicopter and then she continued on her way. "It was the most shattering blow of the whole rally. I felt very disturbed by what had happened. I finished the day very upset, but in the Dakar there is never much time for lamenting, so in the next stage I just concentrated on what I had to do and the truth is that it didn't go badly", she said.

From that point Laia had to ride the remaining six stages without any help, but this was no problem for her. Her talent and tenacity enabled her to recover places every day and, at her 26 years and with only one previous participation in the Dakar, Laia showed extraordinary maturity: "I am very proud of the race I've finished because I navigated very well on all the days and I rode alone, reading the road book and being self-sufficient. I think I handled the race pretty well, without making too many mistakes and always minimising the risks and the wear on the Gas Gas".

Laia Sanz is the only woman biker to finish the Dakar this year. Her reign lasts until next first of January, when she will have to defend her title as winner in the women's class and face for the third consecutive time the challenge of the toughest raid rally in the world.

Camelia crowns her Dakar with the 9th position overall!

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 08:54:00 +0100

The Dakar 2012 was one of the hardest editions of the classic rally raid race in South America. Camelia Liparoti completes more than 8 000 kilometers and arrives to Lima in the 9th position overall.

"It was a very demanding Dakar," says the rider while she waits to go through the final podium in located in the Plaza de Armas of Lima. "I made it! With all its difficulties I made it with my Yamaha quad until the finish line!" tells Camelia full of happiness, as she is one of the 12 quads of the 33 that took the start in Mar del Plata fifteen days ago.

The big discovery of this edition was the inclusion of Peru in the race. "The ground seems like Africa, like Mauritania with its giant dunes. Also the fesh-fesh… During the first stage in Peru I would love to do better but with the deep fesh-fesh… I lost two hours to get out of it!" Explains the rider that I not ready to forget the episode.

But for this courageous woman, the Dakar went very fast. "I´m tired, but at the same time the race was so fast that I doesn´t even feel like it´s over! The two race weeks just flied away!" tells Camelia in Lima.

"I am satisfied of my result, but without the fesh-fesh problem in Peru´s first stage and without the time penalty taken when I changed the engine for precaution in the rest day I could have been higher in the standings… I will do better in 2013!" Assures the only lady in quad in the Dakar Argentina –Chile-Peru 2012.

Despres relishes fourth Dakar success

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 22:38:00 +0100

STAGE 14 : PISCO – LIMARoad connection: 134 km – Special Stage: 29 km – Road connection: 120 km – Total 283 kmThe Dakar 2012 is over. Cyril Despres (KTM) is the new champion and takes the victory in front of Marc Coma (KTM) who´s luck left him alone and Helder Rodrigues (Yamaha) that confirmed his high potential. Only 97 riders arrive to Lima out of the 178 that took the start in Argentina. In quads, they are only 11 that saw the checkered flag in the Peruvian Capital. A big round of applause to all men and women that go all the way to make their dreams come true in spite of the pain, fear, doubt and tiredness. For Cyril Despres, the Dakar was the hardest of his career. "Today I won and it´s just amazing! It is definitely the hardest Dakar I've been to. It was not only physically demanding, and also mentally. To make yourself questions every morning and to battle, it was hard in my head. It is not like a 42 kilometers marathon, the Dakar is a race that you must take the start of a challenge every morning! This victory is the victory for which I have fought the most in all rally races I've been to. All victories are beautiful, but I must say that this one is even sweeter because it was difficult until the end."

Coma second in Dakar 2012

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 19:25:00 +0100

Just before finishing the second liaison, the MRW rider is runner-up after winning five stages and despite having a mechanical failure that prevented him from continue fighting for victory With the last 29 timed kilometres already done and before finishing the last liaison, Marc Coma finishes in second position in a new Dakar edition. Always spectacular, the race was one more year a titanic round able to offer the most beautiful competitive images in the most hostile landscapes of the planet, where the duel between Cyril Despres and the MRW rider, today Champion and second placed, respectively, kept the excitement until the end. The mechanical failure he suffered yesterday prevented Coma from keeping the pressure on the French rider, after winning more stages -five- than any other rival. This afternoon the Dakar 2012 will finish in Lima, where the award ceremony will take place after 14 stages, three countries and nearly 9,000 kilometres. In his tenth participation, the MRW rider already has three overall wins –2006, 2009 y 2011– and two second places -2005 and 2012-, thus confirming himself as one of the well-known names of the race. What is your assessment of this 2012 Dakar ?
"I think the overall assessment is positive. We competed well and kept the winning options until the end, despite being behind a lot of the race. There is also the marshal's decision, difficult to understand, of giving back to Cyril [Despres] the time he lost the day of the problems. But apart from that, I think we did a very good race". Second overall position, five stage wins... Your aim was victory but, what do you think about the result?
"The objective was to win, but if you analyze the results, you can see that finishing second, win five stages and, above all, the race we did as a whole, I think we can be very happy". The mechanical failures are always something to take into account, it hurts more if they arrive the last day?
"We already had it difficult to win the Rally, because it was a complicated stage, with a lot of kilometers of dunes when I had to open track, but it is true that it makes you feel bad not being able to fight until the end, as we had during the whole rally. It is part of the game and in the Dakar the mechanical side is very important". What was the toughest thing of this edition?
"I think the fact that in some moments I had the feeling I was fighting against many factors". How demanding was this edition's route?
"At the beginning of the rally, in Argentina, it was very tough due to the weather conditions: we had 50ºC and the stages were very broken due to the rain of the previous days. In Chile we found a terrain we are more used to and everyone knew more or less what to expect. Finally, Peru surprised us for the toughness of the route. I think nobody expected the difficulties we had in the last days". How did you see Pedrero and what happened when he had to retire?
"I am very happy with the job done by Joan [Pedrero]. In the end, a mechanical failure left him out, but I think he is a crucial piece of the team. The fact that he did not finish was a setback, because the ideal thing is to have his support until the end".

Després all but winner

Sat, 14 Jan 2012 20:37:00 +0100

Saturday, January 14 STAGE 13: NASCA – PISCO

Road connection: 96 km – Special Stage 275 km – Road connection: 4 km – Total: 375 km The last big special of the Dakar 2012 was far from being simple for competitors. For leaders, Marc Coma started in front of Barreda and Viladoms. Cyril Despres, fourth to take the start, had evidently an advantage over the Catalonian who must open the road. Coma worked his road-book and navigation all night long and planned to take the necessary risks to hold the victory. Unfortunately, "Miss Bad Luck" came to visit him at kilometer 20… "I lost the second and third gear. In these conditions it was very difficult to follow the road-book and I had to improvise traces in the dunes, in fourth and fifth gear wasn't simple at all. I also lost time to go get a way point… But oh well, it wasn't my year, I had many things against me and I am disappointed that I couldn´t give the fight until the end," tells Coma. After this episode, it is Cyril Despres who heads the overall classification with more than 11 minutes over Coma while there is only a special of 28 kilometers left for tomorrow. "I cannot celebrate the problems of Marc. I attacked all day long and I got lost two or three times, but nothing so bad. The race is not over yet… the finish line is for tomorrow," assures the French rider. It was Helder Rodrigues who signed the stage win of this special that took competitors to Pisco. The Cross Country Rally World Champion won the stage followed by Despres, Viladoms, Barreda and Gonçalves. The timed section, plenty of sand with beach and dunes, caused some damages: David Casteu felt and his bike landed on his back and suffers from his ribs, Alain Duclos hurt his knee and his ankle while Mika Pisano will arrive in a Tango (medical car on the race track) due to a broken engine… In quads, the victory of the day was for Maffei in front of La Fuente and the two Patronelli, Alejandro and Marcos, while Camelia Liparoti takes the 7th position. Overall, Alejandro Patronelli keeps the lead in front of his brother and 2h15' over Tomas Maffei.

Tight prior to final

Sat, 14 Jan 2012 00:50:00 +0100

STAGE 12: AREQUIPA - NASCA
Road connection: 259 km - Special Stage: 245 km – Total: 505 km The village of Nasca, well-known in the world due to its lines traced in the ground more than 2000 years ago, receives the 12th stage of the Dakar. Riders slept at Camana, 150 km from Arequipa and this morning had a shorter road connection than cars to get to the start of the special stage. The timed section, of 245 kilometers, crossed very difficult dunes. 106 bikes and 13 quads were admitted to take the start of the special. On top, suspense for the victory continues. Cyril Despres started in front of Gerard Farres and Marc Coma attacked from the beginning focused in navigation to avoid any possible mistake. The Catalonian takes another stage win 2'43'' over Barreda and Viladoms. Depres lost 3'57'' on Coma but he will start tomorrow with the advantage of being 4th for the last long special section of the Dakar 2012. "The special was amazing, I expected that Marc (Coma) was going to take back some minutes, but the special was great. It was one of the most beautiful stages I´ve done in the Dakar. Tomorrow I start 4th. Nothing is written but Marc will open the road tomorrow, and that is an advantage," says Despres. Marc Coma, leads the overall standings 1'35'' over Despres. "I focused in navigation and then I attacked in the second part to get on Cyril. Tomorrow everything can happen, it won´t be easy." Some riders were victims of "vapor lock" due to the high temperatures. Mathieu Serradori, Jes Munk… Olivier Pain was "touched" by a car and finishes 35th today. Farres, second yesterday, had many falls in the dunes which obligated him to lower his pace and crossed the finish line 20th. In quads, once again it was Marcos Patronelli who signs another victory in front of his brother Alejandro, Maffei and La Fuente. Chilean rider Casale stopped at kilometer 105 and was able to continue and finished 5th in front of Tonetti.

Laia Sanz, alone in the marathon stage

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 16:14:00 +0100

The Gas Gas rider is putting up a splendid performance in the second half of the race.

"Today I finished exhausted, but I am very pleased with the work done in a very tough stage".

Laia Sanz finished the eleventh special in 39th place, another great result for her, continuing her improvement in the general classification so that she is now in 40th place, just one place from equalling her result in last year's event.

The Dakar is a continuous challenge and for Laia it could be no less. The Gas Gas rider faced the marathon stage today, the first of this type since 2007. In practice this meant that the Dakar Women's Champion could not get help from the team mechanic, the same as for the other bikers, but neither could she count on her team mate Marc Guasch, who is still in hospital in Chile, progressing well. Laia had to manage servicing her bike by herself and bivouac to be ready for the twelfth stage of the rally tomorrow.

For this reason the Spanish girl has kept up her precautions of the last few days, but without missing any chance to move up a place: "Today's stage was bike-breaking. We had to ford two rivers where the water came up to waist level and in one of them there was a current that swept you away. In the first ford there were a lot of riders with problems getting across, because it was easy to lose your balance and the bike could fall over. For many of them water had got into the filter and they found it difficult to start the engines again. So I looked for another place to cross, a little further away, trying it out, and it worked well. Then we came to an area of around 40 kilometres with "fesh fesh" which was very hard, both for the riders and for the bikes. There I finished up absolutely wrecked. I thought I was the only one to be so tired, but when I came to the finishing line everyone was saying how exhausted they were. In the last part there were some very fast stretches, but I took it quietly".

The Dakar is now in Peru

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 08:31:00 +0100

Stage 11: Arica - Arequipa
Road connection: 90 km – Special Stage: 148 km – Road connection: 130 km - Special Stage: 255 km – Road connection: 82 km – Total: 705 km

The Dakar is now in Peru, the 27th country crossed by this race since its beginning! The physiognomy of people changes; in the markets, women wear typical hats, and in the road to Arequipa, the crowd was out for the party to watch the Dakar caravan pass by.

For bikes and quads, the race track was going to be different from that of the cars, but it was finally modified and the same for all categories due to the high water level of rivers. The stage was carried out in two parts, with a neutralized section where riders, that sleep tonight in a different bivouac for their marathon stage (with no assistance) 150 kilometers from the one of the cars, were able to be helped by their mechanics.

During the first part, competitors crossed two deep rivers. Many riders drowned in it, among them Faria, Duclos, the Yamaha bikes… and other like Coma, Després, Barreda took the wrong way at kilometer 40 and had to turn back to catch the right track. At the finish line of this special, a brand new trio: Farres leading the stage, followed by the incredible Johnny Aubert and Felipe Zanol.
The second part of the special took place in the mountains, with a dreadful downhill of 45 degrees in fesh-fesh, and in the gray dunes… At the finish line, Cyril Després took time back to Coma, who expected this situation: "He started behind, it is completely normal that he was able to catch some minutes. Tomorrow it is me who starts behind… In this game there is nothing else to do than to attack." But today, the victory did not belong to Cyril or Marc; it was Gerard Farres who won… which means that Marc can still take four minutes back to Després tomorrow. The suspense is huge and there are still three days to go!

Regarding quads, the Patronelli brothers helped each other all along the special stage. Marcos got out of the first river and went back to help his brother who was blocked in the middle. Further, in the second part, he also took him out from the fesh-fesh, where a wheel of the quad was blocked. The two sympathetic Argentineans finished 31 seconds one from the other while Maffei was 19 minutes away. Overall, Alejandro is followed by Marcos while Maffei is more than 2 hours behind!

Laia Sanz displays her talents navigating solo

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 15:18:00 +0100

She successfully passed through the two trickiest navigation points in the stage, never doubting which way to go.

The Catalan rider stopped to help a Turkish rider who had suffered an accident in the last part of the stage.

Laia Sanz continues advancing at a good pace in her route to the finishing line in Lima. The Gas Gas rider again managed the special with intelligence, taking no risks and finishing the tenth stage, between Iquique and Arica, in 47th position. In the general classification she moves up five places to reach 41st.

Since she has been without her backup, Laia has shown a firm determination to reach the finish and in order to do that she understands clearly how she must handle the race. This trial multi-champion is demonstrating a veteran skill really unexpected in a girl for whom this is only her second time in the always difficult Dakar Rally: "I didn't go very fast in order to save the mechanics with a view to the coming days. Today there were riders who had engine failure and I don't want that to happen to me. Tomorrow we have the marathon stage and I will have no mechanic, so I don't want any surprises and I will go extra carefully. I am very aware that I have to take a comfortable but safe rhythm and this is what I'm doing".

Sanz, who has been riding solo since her team mate Marc Guasch had to retire, is showing that she is very secure in the navigation: "I'm happy because I'm finding it fairly easy to read the road book and navigate. In the dunes, today, there were a couple of tricky points where a lot of people got lost. Fortunately, I found the right way and that helped to give me more confidence".

At the end of the stage, Laia could have improved her result but she stopped to help a Turkish rider who had fallen: "The boy had to communicate with the organisation because he had injured an arm and he could only speak Turkish, so I stopped to help him. I hope he's OK".

Tomorrow the rally moves into Peru where there is a timed stage of 478 kilometres.

Marc Guasch, the Gas Gas rider who was backup to Laia Sanz until his accident, is still under observation, conscious and showing good progress after the serious injuries he received.