Dakar Stage Ten (10) Results
Click video to see the highlights from Stage Ten (10) of the 2010 Dakar as Despres defends his overall race lead.
Coma, who is out of contention for the overall title after being penalised six hours over the weekend, beat Frenchman David Fretigne by 2min 6sec.
"Now we’ve left the Atacama Desert behind us and we’re heading south, it’s a complete change of terrain," said Coma, the motorbikes defending champion.
"That was like a day of endurance riding. There was a lot of skidding, but it was technical and interesting.
"I went looking for victory. I started first and opened the road for the whole stage. It’s hard. In fact it’s the hardest thing to do."
Another Frenchman, Cyril Despres, who was sixth on the stage over six minutes in arrears, remains the clear overall leader.
"Today we could have easily lost first place in the rally, so I protected my lead," said Despres.
"That said, I wasn’t just taking it easy either. There were lots of slippy parts, bends with big drops on one side as well as stones on the tracks.
"For me, there was no need to go on all out attack."
The battle for the remaining podium places looks set to be intense in the remaining four stages ahead of the finish in Buenos Aires.
Chilean Francisco Lopez – winner of two stages in his homeland – gained over two minutes on overall second-placed Pal Ullevalseter of Norway, who has a slender lead of under two minutes over him.
Portuguese rider Helder Rodrigues, who was third in the stage, is less than a minute behind Lopez in the overall standings.
2010 Dakar Stage Ten (10) 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")
2010 Dakar Overall standings after Stage Ten (10)
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
