2012 Dakar Rally Video
Due to getting trapped in the mud Monday, the man who lead the 2012 Dakar Rally for most of last week, KTM’s Cyril Despres, lost his overall lead.
The Frenchman wasted almost 10 minutes of time and energy freeing his Red Bull KTM 450 Rally from a mud hole, and finished Stage Eight in sixth position.
The man who won Stage Eight, Despres’ partner and rival, Marc Coma, took not only the stage win, but also the overall lead. Heading into Stage Nine Tuesday, Coma has a 1:26 lead over Despres. The closest rider is Yamaha’s Helder Rodrigues, who is 49:01 behind Coma after eight of 14 stages.
Marc Coma (MRW Red Bull AMV KTM 450 Rally) says: “(It was) a very long special. I was lucky not to lose too much time in the mud and then I saw I could open a gap, so I attacked really hard. But towards the end I noticed I had engine problems towards the end, so I took slowed down a bit to ensure I would make it to the finish. This is my 20th special victory: a nice figure. Yet it is not winning specials that counts, but winning the race. And I know there is still a long week of racing ahead.”
Cyril Despres (Red Bull KTM 450 Rally) says: “There was a torrent of mud between the inspection of the reconnaissance car two days ago and today. Therefore, it did not appear in the road book and I was the first to fall into the trap.
“There was no way I could have avoided it. I am awaiting the organisers’ decision: after Ullevalseter, Gonçalves and a few others had gone through, they took a detour, otherwise there would have been 200 vehicles trapped in the mud. So I fail to see why I and the others should be the only ones to pay the price. But I do not think we will let this be.”
Attached above are video highlights of Stage Eight in 2012 Dakar Rally.
