KTM Earns 14th Straight Title at 2015 Dakar Rally | Video

2015 Dakar Rally Video

Ahead of the 37th edition of the Dakar Rally, KTM had earned 13-straight Dakar Rally titles. And nine of those arrived from just two riders – Red Bull KTM pilot Marc Coma (Spain) and his former teammate Cyril Despres (France).

Unfortunately for motorcycle fans, the ongoing battle between Coma and Despres ceased when the Frenchman switched to four wheels for 2015.

This immediately made Coma the favorite, and the odds were with him. Due to his vast experience and patience, the Spaniard garnered this year his fifth Dakar Rally title. This also earned KTM 14-consecutive Dakar titles, and unstoppable bragging rights.

When the “world’s toughest race” concluded in Buenos Aires Saturday – after 5,775 miles in 13 days, with nearly 3,000 of these timed specials – Coma took the win by nearly 17 minutes ahead of Team HRC Honda’s Paulo Gonclaves. Taking the final podium was the KTM-supported rookie Toby Price, who finished over 23 minutes behind.

Following the race, Coma said “I’m happy and proud. As usual it was a grueling rally. We had to overcome a problem on the second day that slowed us down a bit in the rankings. So from then on we had to change the strategy a little and push to recover that time. We knew that the marathons would be key stages and they were. I am happy with the team and the people we have around us. This fifth win says a lot about all of us. The level was very high and this also makes the win very valuable.”

Speaking of KTM’s dominance in Dakar, KTM CEO Stefan Pierer said: “That Marc Coma sealed his fifth and the 14th consecutive Dakar win for KTM is a personal success for Marc and each team member and invaluable for the entire company. The very strong KTM-supported riders have a large share in this outstanding overall result, above all Toby Price. His third place caused a sensation.

“The run of the 2015 Dakar Rally once again showed how unique and unpredictable this race is. Even stage winners like Sam Sunderland and Matthias Walkner didn´t make it to the finish line. The conditions were extremely exhausting for all involved. Everyone who made it to the finish in Buenos Aires is a winner.”

During the 13-stage Dakar Rally, Coma took the overall lead after stage eight from Team HRC Honda’s Joan Barreda Bort. Barreda was Coma’s main rival, but suffered some electronical issues aboard his Team HRC Honda CRF 450 Rally, which dropped him drastically back. When 2015 Dakar Rally was complete, Barreda – who led the Rally from stage 2 through seven – finished 17th overall, nearly six hours behind Comca.

For more, visit 2015 Dakar Rally Final Results, and check out the official motorcycle recap video above.