2013 Sealine Rally Results (Final)
The 2013 rally season didn’t began well for three-time Dakar winner Marc Coma. While prepping for the 2013 Dakar late last year at the Morocco Rally, the Factory KTM rider injured his shoulder, forcing him to miss the Dakar.
But Coma continued a heavy rehabilitation program in hopes of being fully healed ahead of the 2013 Cross Countries Rally World Championship. This hard work paid off, and Coma won the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge earlier this month.
But it wasn’t over; Coma continued his dominance into round two, winning the Sealine Rally that wrapped up Friday in Doha, Qatar.
This was Coma’s second straight Sealine Rally victory. Piloting the KTM 450 Rally, the Spaniard finished four seconds ahead of his main rival throughout the four-stage rally, Speedbrain Husqvarna’s Paolo Goncalves of Portugal.
Taking the final podium position, three minutes and 12 seconds back, was Coma’s KTM factory teammate Jakub ‘Kuba’ Przygonski of Poland. Fourth went to the third KTM rider, Chaleco Lopez of Chile, with the USA’s Quinn Cody taking fifth on the Speedbrain Husqvarna.
For 2013, the Sealine Rally, which debuted last year, was reduced from five to four days, with stages sometimes taking 98 percent of the day.
Coma began the final stage with a two minute and four second advantage over Goncalves. But the Portuguese rider made a navigational mistake, giving Coma the advantage. But before the 170-mile special wrapped up, Goncalves was back into contention, and the two battled to the end, Coma eventually winning by a mere four seconds.
Marc Coma (Factory KTM 450 Rally) says: “The long distance, the navigation, the weather – this race has really gone to a high level. I lost some time in some loose sand after the passage control, but I saw Paulo after about 190 km and it was exciting all the way to the finish.”
Coma is now on track to retain his Cross Countries Rally World Championship title. Together with his win in the Desert Challenge, it lays the foundation for another solid attack on the 2013 World Championship title.
2013 Sealine Rally Overall Results:
1. Marc Coma, Spain, KTM 17 hours 95.7 (retains title from last year and scores second win in World Championship 2013)
2. Paolo Goncalves, Portugal, Speedbrain at 0.4
3. Jakub Przygonski, Poland, KTM at 3.12
4. Chaleco Lopez, Chile, KTM at 4.29
5. Juan Salvatierra, Bolivia, Honda, at 1:37.05
6. Quinn Cody, USA, Speedbrain, 2:26.34
2013 Sealine Rally Stage Five Results:
1. Lopez, 2:31.56
2. Przygonski, at 1.50
3. Goncalves at 2.42
4. Coma at 4.42
5. Salvatierra at 9.03
6. Cody at 15.06