Interview with Dakar winner Marc Coma

Posted on by admin

Table of contents

Interview with Dakar winner Marc Coma
KTM

Sports & scene

Interview with Dakar winner Marc Coma

Interview with Dakar winner Marc Coma
“You have to protect the motorcyclists.”

Marc Coma (39) has won the Dakar five times. For the upcoming rally, the Spaniard surprisingly switched to the organizing committee of the French Dakar organizer ASO.

Peter Mayer

December 31, 2015

In March and April you won the first two rounds of the Cross Country World Championships in Abu Dhabi and Qatar. Now your retirement as a racing driver and your debut in the rally organization came as a surprise.
For me too. I didn’t really plan to end my career. But you don’t get an offer like the one from the Dakar organizer ASO every day.

Describe your job at ASO to us.
I am responsible for the routing and the orderly flow of the rally. In practice, I am the second man behind the head of organization Etienne Lavigne and head of 540 employees on site.

What can be outlined so briefly is in reality a highly responsible position. Some illustrious predecessors such as rally icon Hubert Auriol have already failed in this task. Her immediate predecessor, the Frenchman David Castera, said he felt completely exhausted.
Nobody said that this job is easy. But I love challenges. It was always clear to me that even after my active time, I would not play a calm ball at home.

And now you work at ASO in Paris?
Yes, but only in part. We were in South America for two months this summer to set the route and to speak to the governments. The political side in particular is a completely new experience for me. One speaks to the highest places. And you learn how complicated it is to organize an event of this size. In Argentina, for example, the government was voted out of office in the last election. We had to go through all previous agreements with the new President Macri again. As a Spaniard, however, I have a big advantage in negotiations: I am a native speaker. This clearly makes communication easier.

You now also have a direct influence on the sporting development of the Dakar. Something will change under your leadership?
First of all, I think that the Dakar is really challenging enough in terms of sport. The combination of the terrain, the altitude in the Andes and the demands on navigation make the Dakar clearly above all other desert rallies. There is no need to sharpen it. Maybe the opposite.

That means the rally should be easier?
Under no circumstance. But not harder either – even if this is required by some teams from the automotive sector. But it is easier to challenge it from a stable roll cage than from a motorcycle saddle. The motorcyclists are unprotected, exposed to the weather and a fall can mean the end. You have to protect the motorcyclists.

Is the Dakar more of a car or motorcycle rally??
Both, of course, but I think the spirit of the rally is determined by the motorcyclists. There is more suffering on the motorcycle, the risks are considerably greater. But also public recognition. And don’t forget. Some of the best motorists like Peterhansel, Roma and Despres are ex-motorcycle racers. Yes, I think the spirit of the Dakar is shaped by the motorcycles.

From a German point of view, the Dakar has obviously lost its radiance. Only two German-speaking motorcyclists will compete in the 2016 edition.
Yes, that’s right. It cannot be due to the economic situation. Germany is doing very well there. Maybe the German mentality is a bit special. Nevertheless, we will take care of this issue. But one thing is also clear: the Dakar is no longer a race shaped by northern Europeans. It has become a global event. And then some things change.

When you start in Buenos Aires, you will shed a tear if you have to give up your reign without a fight?
I probably won’t have time for that. But to be honest, further victories would not have been taken for granted. In addition to the established drivers, young drivers such as Walkner, Price, Meo, Renet and Brabec are now pushing into the rally. I’m not sure I could have withstood them. I’m 39 now. I think I have found the right time to quit.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *