Dakar 2010: Cyril Despres (KTM) regains control

At the end of a particularly disastrous third stage for a number of competitors, the French driver Cyril Despres (KTM) takes the lead of the provisional general classification.

At the end of a particularly disastrous third stage for many competitors, the French driver Cyril Despres (KTM) seizes the lead of the provisional general classification.

With its 182 km of special, this third stage turned into a nightmare for many pilots: if the mountainous landscapes and the sand sometimes yellow, sometimes white could delight the few Argentinian spectators scattered in the dunes, always ready to help the competitors, many bikers seemed exhausted from getting bogged down in the first third of the race. ‘Cause the sand was soft and the wind was blowing…

Experience therefore played a major role yesterday: in the car, the nine-time winner of the Dakar (six times on a motorbike, three times in a car) Stephane Peterhansel piloted his BMW with a masterful hand to distance 5 min 44 from his runner-up on the day , the Spanish Carlos Sainz (Volkswagen).

In motorcycles, the French David Fretigne (Yamaha), however the fastest on Sunday, lost more than 1 h 35 min on the double Dakar winner (2005 and 2007), his compatriot Cyril Despres (KTM), who stuck more from 10 minutes to all the competition.

"On paper today seemed quite common, a long liaison and a fairly short special. Eventually things got complicated, with high temperatures and extremely soft sand, very taxing for the men and the machines. ", explains Cyril. "In such conditions, you have to take all possible precautions. I saw David Casteu and Marc Coma very early in the special, on a big climb. I was tempted to follow them, but I finally decided to take care of my bike and not overheat it. My tactics have paid off and tonight I’m leading the overall standings, it’s a good situation but I don’t want to let my guard down "…

Fretigne, presented as the number 1 outsider, will have a hard time catching up … He is however luckier than the former sixth overall, the Spanish Javier Viladoms (KTP), who, victim of a fall, had to give up, leaving his motorcycle in the middle of the desert to be helicoptered to the bivouac on his 30th birthday…

His teammate and compatriot Marc Coma (KTM) also had a difficult day, losing 21:37 on Despres when he had already suffered a penalty of 22 minutes on Sunday for a speeding violation committed the day before. Dakar winner in 2006 and 2009, Coma nevertheless has the potential to make a comeback.

Today, a less difficult rolling stage awaits the competitors, who will cross the Chilean border in the morning via the Paso San Francisco, at an altitude of over 4,700 meters..

General motorcycle classification after the 3rd stage

• 1. Cyril Despres (FRA / KTM): 8 h 54:04
• 2. David Casteu (FRA / Sherco) at 10:03
• 3. Helder Rodrigues (POR / Yamaha) at 17:57
• 4. Luca Manca (ITA / KTM) at 24:29
• 5. Alain Duclos (FRA / KTM) at 30:58
• 6. Jonah Street (USA / KTM) at 33:26
• 7. Francisco Lopez (CHI / Aprilia) at 37:15
• 8. Marc Coma (ESP / KTM) at 42:04
• 9. Pal Ullevalseter (NOR / KTM) at 45:23
• 10. Paulo Gonçalves (POR / BMW) at 53:13
•     …
• 21. David Fretigne (FRA / Yamaha) at 1:35:19

LE JOURNAL MOTO DU NET (with AFP)

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