Coma winner and champion

Thursday 9 October 2014
6th Stage: FINALE IN MARRAKECH
Link section: 32 km – Special: 113 km – Link section: 24 km – Total: 169 km

The last Special that led the field to the chequered flag was short, less than 120 km, but technically demanding. When the first motorcycles set out, there were some changes in the previous day’s rankings following penalties for excessive speed: Barreda (Honda) forfeited his win with a 4' penalty and Pedrero (Sherco), second yesterday, took 30 seconds, leaving Helder Rodrigues (Honda) as yesterday’s winner and first out this morning. Shortly after the start, Juan Pedrero had spectacular cash but was happily unhurt. However, his Sherco was damaged beyond repair and he was unable to reach the finish. Marc Coma has had a perfect week. Two days ago, he celebrated his 38th birthday. Now he has won the Morocco Rally and his sixth FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship title! “It’s a dream”, said the KTM rider “and I hope I shall never wake up! I came to Morocco intending not to take too many risks as I only needed to finish 5th to win the title. But my opponents made some errors that I was able to profit from and yet another season has worked out perfectly for me! Now I want to take time to savour this title before I start thinking about the Dakar!” The second and third steps on the podium of this last event of the FIM World Championship were taken by Sam Sunderland (KTM) and Helder Rodrigues (Honda). In 4th place, we find Barreda (Honda) followed by Faria (KTM), Viladoms (KTM), Lopez (KTM), Price (KTM) and Duclos (Sherco). Laia Sanz (Honda) won the women’s category with a superb 10th place overall. “I am obviously thrilled with this result. I came here to train and to put in some kilometres. I didn’t make any mistakes and that was my goal. It was in the fast sections that I wasn’t very good…” In quad, victory in the Rally and the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship title go to Poland’s Rafal Sonik, who takes the laurels for the third consecutive time. “This race marked further progress for me. I made fewer errors, which was my aim. I wanted to keep my navigation and riding errors to a minimum. I like to push back the limits of quad and show that it isn’t just a vehicle for clearing snow in the winter but that it is a real racing machine. The gap between quads and motorcycles is closing every year as I came 15th overall in this Rally.” Despite two bad crashes two days ago, Camelia Liparoti gritted her teeth to win her sixth FIM Women’s Cross-Country Rallies World title! “I had a tough week”, she observed. Not only did I crash but I had to pass on the dunes that I love so much! Physically and mentally that hurt but I am happy to have come through it all to take my sixth Championship victory. I would point out that I am in quad but that I also race for a title where I am in competition with the women who ride on motorcycles.” The last title to be awarded today, that of FIM Junior Cross-Country Rallies World Champion, went to the young Polish rider Kuba Patiek who came 14th overall in the Morocco Rally!