Dakar 2014
Tuesday 14 January 2014
Ninth stage: Calama - Iquique
Link section: 37 km – Special: 422 km - Total: 459 km
The Dakar continues its trek northwards and the participants were again treated to a breathtaking finish in as they plunged down Los Verde at a gradient of 45% losing 800m over just 3 km! The bivouac at Iquique is beside the sea, there is a gentle breeze and the sun is there to greet them.
On this second stage in Chile, Marc Coma (KTM) piled on the pressure, winning his 23rd Dakar Special, the second in 2014, with a lead of 1'41 over Joan Barreda (Honda) and 5'28 over Cyril Després (Yamaha). Joan Barreda remains Marc Coma’s closest rival but the youngster from Catalonia is 40' behind after taking a 15' penalty for speeding in a DZ.
Després moved up one place but while he is eighth overall today, he is 2h30 behind Coma.
The unluckiest of this attractive stage with its feshfesh and sand was Alain Duclos, who had valve trouble and had to return to the bivouac towed by his team mate Errazuriz... The Franco-Malian rider had started really well and was hoping for a top 5 at Valparaiso. But his misfortunes meant relief for Jordi Viladoms (KTM), whose third place is looking safer, and Jeremias Israel (Speedbrain) who is now in 4th.
Behind the top three, Pedrero clocked up the fourth time in the Special ahead of Svitko, Viladoms, Rodrigues, Jakes and the incredible Laia Sanz, in 9th.
In quad, Sebastian Husseini won the stage ahead of Ignacio Casale and Rafal Sonik. Overall, Casale has a lead of 22' over Lafuente and 46'28 over Poland’s Rafal Sonik.
Communication AMADLOZI - amadlozi.blogspot.com