Dakar 2014
Wednesday 15 January 2014
Tenth stage: Iquique - Antofagasta
Link section: 53 km – Special: 231 km – Neutralisation: 185 km – Special: 215 km – Link section: 5 km - Total: 688 km
The Dakar made a U-turn to hug the Pacific coast all the way to Antofagasta. “No Dakar without fesh-fesh” says the brochure….... and the 688 km 10th Stage is indeed a festival of sand, fesh-fesh, dunes and mine tracks leading to the bivouac at Antofagasta at La Portada beside the Ocean.
Joan Barreda (Honda) is a tough competitor and never gives in. He has won his fourth Special of this 2014 Dakar ahead of his team mate Helder Rodrigues (Honda), Cyril Després (Yamaha), Olivier Pain (Yamaha) and Marc Coma (KTM). Coma, who led the field out this morning, was caught up by Cyril Després at km14 and the two top guns rode in convoy, each taking the lead in turn, to keep up a cracking pace. Caught in a canyon after a premature turn, the two Champions took on a vertiginous climb that Cyril had to take two runs at, laughing together at their misadventure.
Joan Barreda, who set out in tenth place this morning, took advantage to make up 11' on Coma who still has a 44' lead over the Catalan in the general rankings. The race remains open and the suspense is mounting as there are two more fabulous days to go including a romp in the dunes of Copiapò. Jordi Viladoms, penalised with 15' yesterday for speeding like Barreda, is still in 3rd on the leader board but Olivier Pain, Helder Rodrigues, Cyril Després and Kuba Przygonski are not far behind...
It was a black day for Chile’s Jeremias Israel , who was in 4th in the general rankings, as he crashed heavily and will have to undergo shoulder surgery in Santiago.
Communication AMADLOZI - amadlozi.blogspot.com