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  Dakar
2014: Coma and Viladoms 1-2; 15th title for KTM
Red Bull KTM factory rider Marc Coma coasted into Valparaiso, Chile, on Saturday afternoon to pick up his fourth individual Dakar title and to secure KTM’s thirteenth title in this most toughest of rallies. Factory teammate Jordi Viladoms made it a memorable day for the Austrian manufacturer by finishing second overall. Factory teammate Jordi Viladoms made it a memorable day for the Austrian manufacturer by finishing second overall. It was perhaps Coma’s finest victory in his Dakar Career as he led the overall standings from Stage Five. He completed the 13-stage, near 9,000 km course in 54 hours 50.53, almost two hours ahead of second placed Viladoms. Having to lead from the front for more than half of the rally was also a tribute to Coma’s skill as a rider and tactician and is testament to his physical and mental strength. He completed the rally with three stage wins, four second-place finishes and three thirds. Coma described his Dakar experience as “an extreme and grueling Dakar” and dedicated the win to “my friend Kurt Caselli”. Caselli, part of the Red Bull KTM Factory team was killed in a race accident in November. “Without the right people behind me it would have been impossible to win,” Coma said. “We have worked very well throughout the race and also before. Last year I went through a very difficult situation not being able to compete because of injury and I came back to win the race. I think this says a lot about the people I have around me. I am very proud of this victory. What was key to winning the Dakar was not to make any mistakes.” Coma, who has been a KTM factory rider since 2003, first won in Africa in 2006. He then repeated his success in 2009 and 2011 after the Dakar was relocated to South America. He did not compete in 2013 because of injury. Understandably, going into the final stage with a massive lead, Coma took it easy in the final stage, finishing in eighteenth place. However the main focus for the factory team was whether Viladoms was going to be able to finish second. Going into Stage 13 he was challenged for the podium spot by Olivier Pain and Cyril Despres but his sixth place proved more than enough to give him second place on the podium. French rider Pain joined KTM’s two Spanish riders on the podium in overall third. Viladoms, who said after the race that he was “overwhelmed and over the moon” with his result was drafted back into the team after several years away and his second place finish was a personal best for the Dakar veteran. KTM can also be well pleased with its two officially supported riders, Jakub “Kuba” Przygonski of Poland and South African Riaan van Niekerk. They finished a very strong sixth and twelfth in the final overall rankings. Eight of the top fifteen finishers were on KTM motorcycles. Victory in the Dakar 2014 and KTM’s thirteenth title was, as KTM Team Manager Alex Doringer explains, very much a team effort. “The competition is getting tougher and that is a win for the sport, but basically we did what we always do. We work hard. We prepare our bikes in the best way. Our new KTM 450 RALLY bike is fantastic and it is amazing what our technicians built in the short time that we had to do it.” The 2014 Dakar also represented a return to its roots in terms of levels of toughness that saw only 78 bikes of the original field of 196 starters in the final Stage 13. Riders traveled around 8700 km during the 13 stages, including more than 5,000 in timed specials. Final overall results
Red Bull KTM Factory rider Marc Coma moved one step closer to securing his fourth Dakar title on Friday when he finished second in the penultimate stage of this motorsports epic two minutes 17 behind rival Cyril Despres. Coma now leads the overall standings by one hour 59.49, even allowing for a 15-minute penalty when the team decided to change out his engine overnight. Coma: “Today was a very long stage, 350 km. We finished in the Copiapo dunes. This means it is always tough, difficult and not easy for navigating. From the past we know that normally this stage is decisive. So now I'm here, I'm happy of course. We stayed together with Cyril all day and we arrived at the end without any big problems. Of course, there are always some small mistakes and we had to find the way point.” Friday’s stage was not without its drama with the two leaders having to double back to find a way point within sight of the finish line and even more significantly, with Joan Barreda, who occupied second overall after Stage 11 experiencing mechanical issues half way through the timed special. Barreda finally finished at sixty-third in the stage and dropped down to seventh overall to trail Coma by three hours 17.10 only to have his second place inherited by Coma’s factory teammate Jordi Viladoms. Viladoms finished fifth on Friday, nine minutes behind the leader and has a 10-minute advantage over Frenchman Olivier Pain, who is now third. Powering in behind Pain is Despres who will also be challenging for a podium on the final stage. With the finish in his virtual sights, Coma underlined that there was still 150 km to the finish in Valparaiso and said that he was trying to stay focused. The two KTM-supported riders Kuba Przygonski of Poland and South African Riaan van Niekerk both arrived safely at the bivouac in seventh and eleventh place in the stage. Kuba is currently sixth overall and Riaan is now eleventh Riders started the stage at high altitude over El Salvador to avoid the Camanchaca, the morning mist coming in from the Pacific Ocean that has in the past delayed the start of the stage. Much of their ride was in the sand, especially in a big series of dunes at the end of the day. There is still another 535 km to the finish line at Valparaiso, including the last test for this year, another 157 km of timed special. The final dash to the finish demands riders climb hills planted with cacti so organizers warn they need to be wary of not coming to a prickly end.? Results Stage 12 (unofficial)
Red Bull KTM factory rider Marc Coma of Spain remained on course to pick up his fourth Dakar title on Thursday when he won Stage 11 after successfully completing the longest timed special of this year’s epic ride. He now leads the overall standings with a 52 minute 36 seconds advantage over countryman Joan Barreda. Riders tackled a massive seven-hour ride of just over 600 km, deep in the dunes of the Atacama Desert. But for most of the day Coma and his traditional rival and former KTM teammate Cyril Despres rode close together. Despres was second in the stage coming in two minutes 51 behind Coma, who picked up his third stage win. Marc Coma: “To find the right rhythm is never easy. To find the compromise between going fast, but not taking risks, this is the most difficult. You have to feel comfortable on the bike and not ride crazy. This is important. It’s still a long way to go and tomorrow is a very difficult special. We have to be very focused.” A very happy Jordi Viladoms, Coma’s teammate in the factory team, finished fourth in the stage just under seven minutes behind the leader and held onto his third place overall with a 14-minute gap to Frenchman Olivier Pain. Viladoms said the stage had been a key day: “I’m very happy. Today it was important to push from the start to the end and I made it. I was in a good position all day. Tomorrow is also a long stage and anything can happen but now I’m happy to keep the third position. The bike is working well and the team is working very hard for me.”? KTM-supported rider Kuba Przygonski of Poland finished ninth in the stage and remains in seventh overall and Riaan van Niekerk, KTM’s supported rider from South Africa also had a solid day finishing thirteenth. He is twelfth overall. It is only the South African’s second Dakar ride and Riaan is on a steep learning curve. “Today was a really long day and there was a long navigation stretch as well. But the navigation was a lot better for me today. I tried to concentrate on the instructions in the road book and that helped. I had to slow down a bit but it was a good lesson learned. I need to up my game, to try to go faster and to learn to navigate,” he said. KTM Team Manager Alex Doringer was very satisfied with his riders. “Marc did a fantastic ride today. He was really impressive and did a great job. He was very relaxed when he came back to the bivouac tonight. He had a small crash this morning but nothing serious and the bike is working well. Tomorrow is another long stage and Marc will open the track. Jordi also did a great job today and he’s in a good position at third and Kuba and Riaan have been improving all the time.” ??The Red Bull KTM factory riders are this year competing on the brand new 2014 KTM RALLY bike, which had its first real test in race conditions only in the Morocco Rally last October. The penultimate stage on Friday will again offer its share of challenges as they ride from El Salvador to La Serena over a total distance of 699 km, including a timed special of 350 km, including another series of dunes at the end of the timed special.? Results Stage 11 (unofficial) Antofagasta to El Salvador – 144 km liaison, 605 km special = 749 (Longest timed special) Stage Results
Red Bull KTM’s Marc Coma finished in fifth in Stage 10 of the 2014 Dakar Rally, preserving his overall lead in this annual motorsports epic. The KTM factory rider now has a 44-minute 10 lead over second placed Joan Barreda. Red Bull KTM’s Jordi Viladoms was eleventh in the stage and is still at overall third with a 14-minute advantage over Frenchman Olivier Pain. Coma said it had not been an easy day and despite the margin of his lead, he is still cautious. When asked if he was already thinking about a possible victory he said: “No, if we start to think like that we’re in the wrong direction. We have to stay focused all the time. We have two very tough days, especially tomorrow. It is 600 km and the longest special of the rally and everything is possible.” Coma started the day with a 55 minute 36 second lead over second placed Barreda after his rival picked up a 15-minute penalty overnight. Coma’s teammate Jordi Viladoms went into the stage at third with his closest challenge coming from Jeremias Esquerre of Chile. But today was the end of the Dakar for Esquerre who crashed out and had to withdraw. Viladoms said at the end of the stage that it had been a tough day and navigation had been an issue. “I got lost twice and I lost some time so now we must push one hundred present if we want to keep this position. Fourteen minutes is nothing at the Dakar so we must work really hard for these three days. The most important thing is that I don’t make mistakes and then I can keep this position.” It was a good day for KTM-supported rider Kuba Przygonski of Poland who finished in sixth for his best performance so far in this rally and is seventh overall. KTM Team Manager Alex Doringer said earlier in the week that Kuba was learning a lot from being in close contact with Coma this year and it was showing in the quality of his riding. Przygonski after Stage 10: “The battle is from the beginning to the end and we have three more days to go. We have 600 km tomorrow and it will be a really tough stage. We’ll see what happens.” Riders faced Wednesday’s special in two stages in sands of the Atacama Desert. The first took them on a descent down to the shores of the shores of the Pacific for the first 200 km but then the second part had its share of the fine and unpredictable dust called fesh-fesh at they headed along twisting and turning mining tracks on their way to the bivouac in Antofagasta. KTM-supported rider Riaan van Niekerk of South Africa, riding in his second Dakar, is on a steep learning curve. He said navigation was key in the first part of the stage when riders were in the dunes. “There was quite a lot of fesh-fesh and its not nice at all. You’re in the dust and getting tired. As soon as you try to push you make a mistake. That’s what makes the Dakar. Its not the beginning, its trying to get to the finish.” A fresh challenge awaits the riders on Thursday in Stage 11 from Antofagasta to El Salvador where they will be on their bikes for 749 km, 605 km of which is the timed special, the longest of this year’s rally. It will be a key stage and even the fastest of the motorcyclists can expect to be riding for around seven hours. Results Stage 10 (unofficial)
Iquique to Antofagasta – 58 km liaison, 631 km special = 689 km
Stage Results
Marc Coma, Red Bull KTM’s three-time winner of the world’s toughest rally on Tuesday bagged his second stage win in this year’s edition of the Dakar. Coma finished ahead of Joan Barreda and old rival Cyril Despres to edge further ahead in the overall standings as the competition enters Chile. Coma, who has been suffering from a cold these past days felt better on Tuesday and delivered a great controlled ride, taking over the lead in the latter part of the stage. He said at the finish it had been “very fast and very nice”. He is now in front by 40 minutes 19. Coma’s factory teammate Jordi Viladoms also had a good day to finish sixth and consolidate his third overall position. He now has a good 30-minute advantage over fourth placed Chilean rider Esquerre. Viladoms: “I think I’m in a good position and I want to hold onto that until the end. Now we know this landscape. The first week we were in the mountains and in new places but I like it, even if it is not easy to ride here. We must keep 100 percent concentration because there are still some difficult days ahead.” Meanwhile KTM-supported rider Kuba Przygonski of Poland (literally) bounced back after a crash to finish a creditable thirteenth in the stage and is now seventh overall. Przygonski: “The first day in Chile was hard for me because I had a big crash. I hit some stone with my rear wheel. Then it was like a MotoGP crash. I was sliding along the ground and so was my bike. That was good for me but bad for the bike and when I stood up the exhaust was totally out. I had to repair it and I lost about 10-12 minutes. But its good that I’m on the finish line and tomorrow I’ll be pushing.” It was also an eventful day for KTM-supported rider Riaan van Niekerk of South Africa, seventeenth in the stage and holding at thirteenth overall. Van Niekerk: “It was very dusty, I remember that from last year. Just fesh-fesh (very fine powdered sand) and dusty roads. The navigation was critical. It’s difficult to navigate from the road book because you have to concentrate on where you’re going. I made a small error and after five-six km I had to turn around and find my way back. But it’s a day in the bank and we’ll look forward to tomorrow.” ?Speaking about the stage, KTM Factory Team Manager Alex Doringer said it had been a good day for his riders and for the new KTM 450 RALLY bike. “Marc won the stage and that’s fantastic. The lead is getting bigger. He feels good so tomorrow he starts in front and he can play a smart game. We are also in third overall and the gap is around 30 minutes so Jordi (Viladoms) is in a good position. “Riaan (van Niekerk) is doing a great job. With what he learned from last year to this year, you can see him improving. He has to continue like this but the most important is that he arrives safe every day and he’s doing a great job. “Kuba (Przygonski) did well to arrive at the bivouac after his crash because the bike didn’t look so good. But he’s okay and no injuries and that’s always the most important thing. Tomorrow he’ll attack again.” Just 83 of the original 196 bikes started Stage Nine and many riders were still suffering from the after effects of the tough marathon stage and overnighting at high altitude in Bolivia. The stage took riders into the dunes of the Atacama Desert for the 422 km timed special, finishing the day’s ride at the infamous Iquique dune. They then had a heart-stopping 30%-steep drop over the final three kilometers down to get their first look at the Pacific Ocean. In Stage 10 riders go south from Iquique to Antofagasta over a 58 km liaison and another 631 km of timed special. Results Stage 9 (unofficial) Stage Results
Dakar overall leader Marc Coma of the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team continued to hold onto his 38-minute lead in Stage Eight as riders completed the second half of the second marathon stage in Bolivia. At the end of the stage, riders entered Chilean territory, signaling that there is going to be a lot of action in the dunes for the second week of this motorsports epic. Coma came home third in the stage just two minutes 16 behind his old rival Cyril Despres, who is well back in the overall field because of difficulties in the first week. During what was 462 km of timed special, Coma, KTM’s three-time Dakar winner sacrificed only six seconds of his overall lead on Joan Barreda, who was second in Monday’s stage. Although anything can happen and usually does in the Dakar, Coma now has an overall lead of 38 minutes 08 over Barreda going into Chile. Marc Coma: We had a good rhythm right from the beginning of the stage today so we were able to keep a good level of concentration. This was very important over this type of terrain because small mistakes can cost you the race. The next part of the rally will be crucial and tomorrow I will be out there with my usual determination because the first dunes of the Atacama Desert are waiting for us.” Red Bull KTM teammate Jordi Viladoms further secured his third place in the overall standings even though he trails Coma by 1 hour 27.27. Viladoms is now almost 22 minutes ahead of the fourth placed rider, Alain Duclos of France. The two KTM-supported riders had a great day out on Monday. Riaan van Niekerk of South Africa finished in seventh place only 13.21 behind the leader for his best ride so far in the rally. Kuba Przygonski was in ninth in the stage, trailing by 13.35. Przygonski is now overall seventh and Van Niekerk is thirteenth. Coma, Viladoms, Przygonski and Van Niekerk now all have the two marathon stages in the bag, always a test as riders are not permitted any outside mechanical assistance or change of tires over a two-stage period. It was also a historic couple of days for the Dakar Rally, having added Bolivia to the impressive list of countries through which the rally has been run. After overnighting in Uyuni, where riders received a rapturous welcome by the Bolivian people, they then had a big ride around, and at times across, the Salar de Uyuni. The massive salt flat covers 400 km. Riders crossed the Andes Cordillera and into Chilean territory after completing the timed special on Monday. Tuesday’s stage will finish at the rally’s most northern point this year at Iquique, where riders will get their first glimpse of the Pacific Ocean. Before that, it will also be a day for the desert specialists as they enter the dunes of Chile’s famed Atacama Desert. The final descent down into Iquique provides an adrenalin rush with a steep descent down to the finish on a steep slope of a 30% gradient. Results Stage 8 (unofficial) – second half of the second marathon
stage taking riders from Bolivia into Chile
Red Bull KTM’s Marc Coma of Spain finished second in Stage Seven of the Dakar rally on Sunday to continue to lead in the overall standings by a substantial 38 minutes 14 seconds from Joan Barreda of Spain. Red Bull KTM’s Jordi Viladoms moved up to third overall as the Rally moves into its second week. With the rest day behind them riders set off in the early morning on the first part of the second scheduled marathon stage, also breaking new territory for the Dakar Rally by entering Bolivia. The start was initially delayed because the rescue helicopters were unable to get airborne because of low-lying clouds. Respectful of the fact that the marathon stage requires riders to take good care of their machinery and tires, Coma rode a cautious stage and clipped only four minutes off his overall lead. It was also a good day out for KTM supported rider Kuba Przygonski of Poland who finished fifth in the stage just 8 minutes 56 behind Barreda. He is now seventh overall. KTM’s South African supported rider Riaan van Niekerk was eleventh in the stage and advanced one place in the overalls to thirteenth place. Their route took them to the famed salt flats of Salar but before they reached it they had to negotiate a difficult mountain trail where a clear head and perfect navigation was key to getting through. The timed special was in two parts, the first of just over 100 km followed by a small neutralized stretch and second timed sector of 161 km, which was quite fast. Added to the challenges of Stage Seven, competitors rode at an average of 3500 m altitude and wound up their day crossing the 20 km of great, white expansive salt flat, said to be the biggest in the world, that because of rain was very muddy. KTM Factory Team Manager Alex Doringer said he continued to be very happy Doringer underlined that the next step was to get through the second half of the marathon stage. “Then we will be in Chile. There’s still a lot of kilometers to go and we’ll be taking things one day at a time.” Stage Eight takes competitors from the Salar de Uyuni to Calama over Results Stage 7 (unofficial) – first half of the second marathon
stage
Red Bull KTM’s Marc Coma rode another competent stage in the 2014 edition of the Dakar Rally on Friday to complete the first half of this grueling race with a 42.17-minute lead in the overall standings. Coma was second in Stage Six, just one minute 15 behind leader Alain Duclos of France. Coma, a three times Dakar winner, said later he was content with the stage, which had not been easy. “It is true that we did not have the same extreme conditions of the previous days. This allowed us to tackle the stage in a less demanding way. But in any case, it was still a special 400 km with some navigation and 15 km of extreme enduro, which complicated things quite a lot.” But for Coma’s factory teammate Chaleco Lopez it was the end of the road for this year’s race. He crashed at a triple caution, a high drop off area, and sustained some wrist and hip injuries, for which he was being treated at the bivouac medical center. This ended his bid to be on the podium at the finish in Valparaiso and it will also be a disappointment for his many loyal Chilean fans. Lopez had dropped from overall second to third overall on Thursday after losing some time, but up until then he had been one of the best and most consistent riders. Jordi Viladoms, the third Red Bull KTM factory team member finished in ninth in the stage and is now fourth overall, seven minutes behind French rider Duclos in third place. Viladoms: “Today it was quite easy on the navigation but it was always on the piste, so it was necessary to stay concentrated because there was a lot of dangers. I just wanted to arrive safely here in Salta so today I was trying to go a bit easy. Tomorrow we’ll rest and prepare for the second half.?" KTM-supported rider Jakub (Kuba) Przygonski of Poland was eighth in the stage, coming in eight minutes 12 behind the leader to preserve his seventh place in the overall rankings. South African KTM-supported rider Riaan van Niekerk gained another three places in the overall, moving up from seventeenth to fourteenth. Przygonski said it had been quite an easy stage on Friday. “We were riding at a good speed in the small mountains. I had a few riders in front of me and there was a lot of dust but I got past them after about 100 km.” He said he was looking forward to catching up on some rest and recovery on the rest day. It was an especially good day for Van Niekerk, who has been quickly advancing up the order after a set back in Stage Four on Wednesday. “I started in fourth today and couldn’t ask for a better starting position. There were a lot of forest roads and it was very dusty, but the guys in front of me were a little bit faster so I had quite a clear track for the whole day. I just wanted to stay safe today and get to the end.” Riders now get a well-deserved rest day before tackling the second half of the rally, which starts with the second of the two marathon stages. They also mark another milestone in the history of the Dakar Rally, entering Bolivia for the first time. Saturday will only be a rest day in the literal sense of the word. Riders and teams will be busy preparing for the next stages and taking care of essential maintenance on bikes and equipment. They still face another 4,500 km, including about 2,700 of timed kilometers before they reach the finish in Chile on January 18. ??As a measure of the difficulty of this year’s edition, even before
the start of Stage Six Speaking generally about the difficulty of this year’s race, KTM Factory Team Manager Alex Doringer said on Friday that he believed this was the new reality of the Dakar. “Now it is difficult, like the Dakar should be,” he said. “We’re happy if it’s harder. That’s how it should be.” Results Stage 6 (unofficial)
Red Bull KTM factory rider and three-times Dakar winner Marc Coma rose to the occasion on Thursday during yet another very difficult day to claim his first stage victory in the 2014 Dakar Rally. Coma led in teammate Jordi Viladoms and KTM supported rider Kuba Przygonski allowing KTM to scoop the top three places. Coma said it had been another difficult day: “I opened ninety percent of the stage today. Everything was running well but it was soft sand and very technical and when you’re on the camel grass it is tough. At the end of the last part it was very difficult to find the finish line. I got to another river and had to cut back to find the correct one. But in the end it was good.” Coma, who moved into second behind the leader Barreda on Wednesday by just three minutes has now taken control of the overall lead after winning the stage more than 12 minutes in front of Viladoms. He leads the overall standings by 41 minutes 10 from Barreda. Przygonski also said the stage had been really tough. “We were riding on the camel grass for about 100 km. That’s really hard physically because we ride in second gear at 50 km h, always jumping, always standing and pushing hard. There was also a lot of navigation and it was very easy to make a mistake because there was so many options to choose.” KTM-supported rider Riaan van Niekerk of South Africa had his best day out to finish fifth and move up five places in the overall rankings. He is now in seventeenth place at the end of the day’s ride between San Juan and Chilecito Riaan’s day was not without drama because he nearly collided with the burnt out bike of Paolo Goncalves. “I managed to avoid it but it’s not something you expect to see in the desert,” he said. “Today was better than yesterday when I messed up the navigation. I gained a bit today but not enough to make up the lost time. But it’s a long race and so much has happened already. We need to take it day by day. It is much harder than I anticipated. Last year was a breeze compared to this year.” Thursday’s stage saw some of the big names sacrifice a lot of time. Barreda, Cyril Despres and Coma’s team mate Chaleco Lopez lost 43, 45 and 51 minutes respectively after they and other riders took the wrong track after it had split from the main at around the 195 km mark. Lopez, who was second on Wednesday, finished twenty-seventh in the stage but still hangs on to third overall. He now trails Coma by 53.41. Lopez was philosophical about the outcome of Stage Five. “It was very difficult and the first part was very sandy. It wasn’t a good day for me but it was important to have reached the finish. It’s a long, long race and tomorrow is a new day.” The physical nature of Thursday’s stage was also evident. Many riders were reported to have suffered from dehydration and exhaustion from the extreme temperatures. Because of this, race officials scrapped the second half of the timed special, originally set for a massive 527 km. ?? With just five of thirteen stages under riders’ wheels, the rally this year has been marked by the number of top contenders who are either out of the race or are now well down the order. Of the original field of 196 riders, 54 had withdrawn by the end of Stage Four. Many more joined them during today’s stage. Stage Six takes the field from Tucuman to Salta with a short 64 km liaison and another heavy 400 km of timed special. Riders then take the one rest day on Saturday ahead of the second marathon stage on Sunday and Monday. Results Stage 5 (unofficial) ?San Juan to Chilecito – 210 km
liaison, 353 km special = 563 km – Note second half of the special
canceled for safety reasons. Overall after Stage 5
Red Bull KTM Factory riders Chaleco Lopez of Chile and Spain’s Marc Coma had a good day out in Stage 4 of the Dakar 2014, finishing 2-3 in the stage. Coma has moved up to second overall and trails by only 3 minutes 10 and Lopez is in third overall, 5.12 behind the leader. As predicted, the second half of the first marathon stage was a matter of survival as riders nursed their bikes home after no mechanical assistance and no fresh tires overnight. Lopez had a great day, finishing only 29 seconds behind the stage winner, Joan Pedrero. Coma, who is bidding for his fourth Dakar title, trimmed the gap to overall leader, Barreda of Spain, to just 3 minutes 10 seconds. Lopez commented briefly at the end of his stage: ‘Stone, river, stone – a very technical route but my tires were good enough”. Coma also said it was “a long and tough day”. Factory teammate Jordi Viladoms was eleventh on Wednesday and is ninth in the overall standings some 40 minutes 14 behind the leader. The fourth team member, Ruben Faria of Portugal crashed in Tuesday’s stage and is out of the race. KTM Factory Team Manager Alex Doringer was a happy man after Stage Four: “The bike and our riders did a fantastic job. Both days of the marathon were very intense. Marc and Chaleco did a fantastic marathon,” he commented. The factory riders are competing on the brand new KTM 450 RALLY bike. KTM-supported rider Kuba Przygonski of Poland is currently overall tenth and Riaan van Niekerk of South Africa is twenty-second after a long day. He lost two hours in the stage through navigational issues. Australia’s Ben Grabham crashed and is also out. The marathon stage proved to be an early shakeout and while anything is possible in the Dakar, a handful of riders now seem to be in command of the overall standings. Only the top five are within half an hour of the leader and Coma and Lopez are well placed in this group. Riders still have to face a second marathon stage after they enter Bolivia for the first time after Saturday’s rest day, and there are still the many kilometers of desert riding in Chile before they reach the finish in Valparaiso. The stage took riders from San Juan to Chilecito over 210 km liaison and a timed special of 353 km for a total of 563 km. Navigation played an important part in the first part and above all, riders had to nurse their tires, already badly worn from the previous day, through the entire day. They now have to tackle another very long timed special on Thursday. They face 527 km under the clock and the longest stage in terms of distance – 911 km - as they make their way from Chilecito to Tucuman. The timed special is in two parts and much of it is in the sand. Riders will also have to deal with high temperatures. Results Stage 4 (unofficial) Overall after Stage 4
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing riders faced a physically and tactically tough day on Tuesday for Stage 3 of the 2014 Dakar Rally, which saw the team’s most experienced rider, Marc Coma home in third and maintaining third place in the overall standings. Coma came in behind Stage winner Joan Barreda and old rival Cyril Despres and registered 6 minutes 56 behind the leader. He is currently 13 minutes 04 off Barreda overall lead time. Next fastest KTM rider on Tuesday was Frenchman David Casteu at number five, followed by Coma’s teammate Chaleco Lopez at sixth. Stefan Svitko of Slovakia and KTM supported rider Kuba Przygonski of Poland finished eighth and ninth to give KTM five of the top 10 places. KTM Factory rider Jordi Viladoms of Spain was eleventh home, trailing the leader by 21.21 and KTM’s South African support rider Riaan van Niekerk was thirteenth at 28.15. Following the stage, competitors are isolated in the bivouac following the first half of this marathon stage and are not available for comment. Australian KTM-supported rider Ben Grabham, who delivered two very strong rides in the first stages, came in very late in the stage and he is now is in overall thirty-third place. He and some of the other riders took the wrong valley and had to retrace their tracks to arrive at the finish. Red Bull KTM Factory rider Ruben Faria crashed and is out of the rally. Faria of Portugal was reported by the team to be okay, but it was a disappointing end to his bid for a top position. He was third overall in the 2013 edition. Even though organizers decided to shorten the timed special it was still a very big day in the 2014 edition as riders negotiated their way between San Rafael and San Juan. The bikes started at the 130 km point on the original route, making the distance of the timed special 143 km plus 292 of liaison to make up the day’s ride. Riders also had their first taste of the mountains as they climbed to 4300 meters during the special, traversing on a ridgeline with spectacular views before a sharp descent to the bivouac.? Tuesday’s ride tested both competitors’ technical skills and tactical guile on what was the first part of the first marathon stage. It was not only vigorous physically but they also had to ride smart to preserve tires and bikes for the second half of the marathon. They are not permitted mechanical assistance or new tires overnight. Speaking after the stage, Red Bull KTM Team Manager Alex Doringer commented: “We knew before the start of this stage that it would be exciting. Unfortunately Ruben had a crash today. He’s been taken to the hospital for a (control) scan but I spoke to him at the medical center and he’s quite okay. Marc did a good job and finished safe, which was the goal. He lost a bit of time but that’s not a big issue. There’s still 11 days to go and we’re quite positive after Stage 3.” On the subject of tires, which took a beating in Tuesday’s stage and still have to last through another big ride on Wednesday, Doringer said: “We know its true that in the marathon stage its not about winning but surviving. The goal tomorrow is to finish and most of the riders will, because they are professionals.” Wednesday’s Stage 4 completes the first of the two marathon stages and takes competitors from San Juan to Chilecito over 210 km liaison and a timed special of 353 km for a total of 563 km. The Red Bull KTM Factory Team are competing on the KTM 450 RALLY machine. Results Stage 3 (unofficial after arrival of 60 riders)
Overall after Stage 3
The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team got down to business on Monday for Stage Two of the 2014 Dakar Rally. Chaleco Lopez was the fastest of the four factory riders with an excellent second place in the stage, trailing the leader by just 39 seconds. Lopez, of Chile came in behind stage winner, British rider Sam Sunderland and is now second in the overall standings some two minutes behind the overall leader Joan Barreda of Spain. ?Lopez: “The second stage was very good. The first part was very fast and it was very nice to get into the dunes. Today second place is good and the bike was good, very good, in the sand.” Marc Coma, who went out second on Monday, had some difficulties with a stone wedged in his bike but still managed to finish in ninth overall some 8.23 behind the leader. He is now seventh overall with a deficit of 7 minutes. ?? Coma: “Today was not a perfect day. We had some small problems when I got a stone wedged between the gearbox and the gear lever. I had to stop to take it out. The bike was working okay but it cost me some minutes - but it is still a long race.” ? Overall it was a good day for the factory team, competing on the brand new ?KTM 450 RALLY machine. Ruben Faria of Portugal was fourth in the stage and is now sixth overall and Jordi Viladoms was eleventh in the stage and also maintaining a solid eleventh overall. Faria: “Today was a good day for me. In the beginning there was a lot of dust. I started one minute behind Ben Grabham and I rode behind him for 300 km but in the end it was a good stage. I finished fourth and that is good for the overall and the KTM bike is amazing. It’s only the second day but I am happy to be here.”?? KTM supported rider Ben Grabham of Australia continued to deliver a strong ride and finished the stage in sixth just seven minutes behind the leader. He is currently ninth overall. Grabham: “Today was quite interesting and it was a decent 360 km stage. I followed in the dust for the first 100 k’s but once I was over in the dunes I had a lot of fun. This was one of those days where it would have been easy to make a mistake. I’m still learning from some of the faster boys in the dunes, I made a few mistakes but all in all, it was a good day for me.” The other KTM-supported riders Kuba Przygonski of Poland and Riaan van Niekerk of South Africa finished thirteenth and nineteenth in the stage and are currently fourteenth and eighteenth overall. Przygonski is 17 minutes 42 behind in the overall standings and Van Niekerk is trailing by 26 minutes 04. Kuba Przygonski: Today was a better stage than yesterday but for the first 170 km I was riding in the dust and it was really hard to pass. then I tried to push in the dunes and this second part of the stage was quite fast." The stage took the riders from San Luis to San Rafael on a ride of 724 km including a 365 km timed special. The first part was the fastest of this year’s rally and then riders entered the firm grey sand dunes of Nihuil for the last 100km, which tested their technical skills. Team Manager Alex Doringer said he was happy to have his riders in safely and said Stage Two had been a good result for Ruben and Villadoms. "Grabham had a fantastic ride and Riaan is improving every day," he said. Speaking of the marathon stage, Doringer added: "It will be tricky. It will be very rough on riders and bikes and we'll know more after the first stage of the marathon. The guys will have to use their brains, not go flat out and think about how they can take care of their bikes and manage the second stage of the marathon." Stage Three can easily be a decisive day for the riders. It is the first half of the first of two marathon stages and takes them from San Rafael to San Juan over a total of 665 km, including a scheduled 373 km of timed special, which organizers have reduced by 100 km. Riders are not allowed any outside mechanical help on the marathon stages and must ride with caution to preserve but tires and bikes. Results Stage 2 (unofficial) Overall after Stage 2 More at: www.dakar.com
Red Bull KTM Factory rider Marc Coma launched his bid for a fourth Dakar Rally title when riders set out on Stage One of the world’s toughest rally on Sunday. At the end of a long day on the KTM 450 Rally bike Coma finished second to Joan Barreda of Spain just 37 seconds behind the leader. Red Bull KTM Factory rider Marc Coma launched his bid for a fourth Dakar Rally title when riders set out on Stage One of the world’s toughest rally on Sunday. At the end of a long day on the KTM 450 Rally bike Coma finished second to Joan Barreda of Spain just 37 seconds behind the leader. Coma said he took things relatively easy on Day One, saying: "It was not easy with just a special of 180 km and on the first day of the Dakar you don't yet really have the right feeling. But I am happy for what we managed today. I took things fairly easy but the race is long and this is just the beginning." All four of Coma’s KTM factory teammates were within six minutes of the leader. Chaleco Lopez of Chile was well placed at sixth fastest, trailing only by 3 minutes 24 seconds. Ruben Faria finished eleventh fastest at 5 minutes 11 and Jordi Villadoms was thirteenth at just under six minutes. Riders are competing on the brand new KTM 450 Rally bike. Lopez was also satisfied with his ride on the opening day saying it was "'very technical". "I'm very happy but it was a long first day with an early start. But I didn't have any crashes and I have a good feeling for the new motorcycle." Faria too came away satisfied with Day One: "Today was just a small special but a long liaison. The special was not so easy. There were a lot of turns, left and right and up and down but the bike is great and everything went well." At eleventh place KTM Australia’s Ben Grabham was the fastest of the three official KTM-supported riders, trailing the lead time by just 4:50. Kuba Przygonski of Poland came in at twentieth at 8:23 and South African Riaan van Niekerk finished twenty-seventh at 11:14. KTM Team Manager Alex Doringer was a contented man at the end of Day One. "I'm very happy with the performance of the riders and the bike. Marc and Chaleco were perfect today and Villadoms and Ruben took it easy and used the stage to settle in to get a good feeling. Grabham did a fantastic ride and Jakub and Riaan both finished the day smiling. they are sure then can improve as the rally goes on." While riders had a total of 809 km starting at Rosario, Argentina and finishing at San Luis, it was just 180 km in the middle of the stretch was timed special. The timed special sent riders over narrow tracks with challenging stony sections and blind jumps that called upon good concentration and ended in a climb up to 2400 m. The first 20 all finished within 10 minutes of the day’s fastest time, however they all face a bigger challenge in Monday’s Stage Two. They face another long ride of 724 km from San Luis to San Rafael, including 359 km of timed special. Organizers promise that the first part of Monday’s special stage will be the fastest of the 2014 rally. Then for the last 100 km riders go straight into the grey dunes of Nihuil and will challenge even the most experienced rider and force them to draw on all their technical skills.?
As riders and teams complete preparations for the start of the Dakar Rally on Jan. 5, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s quartet of Marc Coma, Ruben Faria, Chaleco Lopez and Jordi Villadoms answered questions at the press conference of team sponsor Kärcher. Marc Coma: “I’m very happy with the new team structure and with my teammates. I've known them for many years and we have a very good feeling in the team. Our team is very professional, very precise and is driven by passion for Dakar and rally sport. I think having two marathon stages this year is very positive. It’s like going back to the spirit of the Dakar adventure and it fits the philosophy that riders need to think and to take care of their equipment. We’ll take it one day at a time. The competition is getting stronger and that’s healthy for the sport. It was hard for me to miss last year’s race through injury but I’m happy to be back and also with the progress throughout the year. The new (2014 KTM 450 Rally) bike is awesome. I’m completely happy with it and it is capable of delivering a good result,” he added. Ruben Faria: “I’m pleased to be staying with the team and with the new bike and the team structure. Our strategy is to win the Dakar,” he said. When asked about the passing of teammate Kurt Caselli, he added: “I lost a friend and teammate but this unfortunately happens in the sport that we do. Now we must be professional and focus on the reason we are here, to win the Dakar. Such a thing is always hard to deal with but now we have to shift our focus to the race.” Francisco “Chaleco” Lopez: “I’m feeling strong and comfortable and I’m in the best place. I got a chance to test the bike in Spain a few weeks ago and I’m really happy with it. This is a bike that has the potential and ability to win the Dakar. We confirmed this after the Morocco Rally when we saw how the bike performed on technical terrain. When we reach the finish line I would love to be on the podium again in front of my home crowd.” Jordi Villadoms: “I’m elated to be back in the factory team structure because it’s so professional. I haven’t had too much time to test the bike but I’m a professional and I have the ability to quickly adapt to new equipment. “ Red Bull KTM Factory Team Manager Alex Doringer: “We chose our team not only because of the quality of our riders but also because of their character and attitude. When we speak about the competition, we have to say that the Dakar itself is our biggest competitor. This year there are two marathon stages and more than 1000 km extra in special stages. It’s going to be much more demanding.” KTM: Entering a new era for the Dakar Rally in 2014 KTM goes to the Dakar 2014 with a new team structure, a brand new KTM 450 Rally bike and the determination to fight for a thirteenth title in the world’s toughest rally. Marc Coma of Spain leads the Red Bull KTM Factory Team’s title chase and is going for his fourth victory. Also in the factory team are Portugal’s Ruben Faria, Jordi Villadoms of Spain and Chaleco Lopez of Chile. While the team was dealt a blow in November with the death of long-time KTM rider Kurt Caselli, they all go to the 2014 edition determined to honor his memory. Caselli was drafted into the factory lineup for 2013 after Coma was ruled out because of a shoulder injury and had a brilliant debut ride. Marc Coma coming off a strong season New team structure, new bike Villadoms, a late entry to the team, will be Coma’s support rider. He is an experienced Dakar competitor and was in the KTM factory team from 2006 to 2010. His best result came in 2012 when he finished fourth overall. Longer, Higher, Tougher KTM has won the Dakar Rally every year since its breakthrough year in 2001, a statistic that also sets the factory team up as the most hunted in the history of the rally. There was no Dakar Rally in 2008 because of security concerns in North Africa. KTM supported-riders KTM Customer Service Dakar 2014 Total Liaison: 3506 km Share |
