Dakar – Dakar 2012 – stage 3: Coma stumbles, Despres bounces back –

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Dakar 2012 – stage 3: Coma stumbles, Despres bounces back

Dakar - Dakar 2012 - stage 3: Coma stumbles, Despres bounces back -

Taking advantage of a major navigation error by leader Marc Coma, Frenchman Cyril Despres took the reins of Dakar 2012 yesterday at the end of the third special which was contested between San Rafael and San Juan (Argentina).

Taking advantage of a major navigation error by leader Marc Coma, Frenchman Cyril Despres took the reins of Dakar 2012 yesterday at the end of the third special which was contested between San Rafael and San Juan (Argentina).

"I never rejoice in the misfortunes of others"

The first to take to the track yesterday morning for 291 km of link followed by 270 km of special, Marc Coma started the third day with a lot of gas. Confident (maybe a little too much?) Following his brilliant victory the day before, the Spaniard opened the track in front of a Cyril Despres of the great days.

Returned to his best level, the Frenchman has indeed maintained constant pressure on his "teammate" at KTM, even managing to put him 20 seconds at the first check point.

But the title holder has resources and passes the second CP with 14 seconds ahead of n ° 2: you said tight ?!

Except that opening the track has its share of traps and Marc Coma, despite all his experience and his skills as a navigator, will commit a fault which will cost him the victory and the first place of the general…

Because at km 170, the car and motorcycle route diverged: longer than that of the four wheels, the two-wheel special forked to the left before heading back up to San Juan..

Alas, Coma took the wrong direction and traveled 8 km before realizing his mistake: he immediately turned around but lost no less than 13 minutes at the finish.

“At km 170 there is a different road for motorcycles and cars. I looked at the road book and thought I was on the right track, but then I saw that it wasn ‘ was not, because the next note was 8 km and it was not good, so I turned around … 16 km is a lot! ", laments Coma.

"Then I attacked to try to recover some time, but today was a difficult day, even if it was very nice"…

"Well, that’s how it is, I take 13 minutes, that’s a lot, but when you make a mistake, you shouldn’t be surprised that the gap widens. It’s racing. Yesterday was my day, but not today ", sportingly relativizes the Spaniard who finished sixth in the stage and moved to second place overall with 10’12 minutes behind Despres.

"For me, the special was very complicated too!", Recounts the winner of the day. "It started badly this morning since while hitting in a compression, I tore a nail on the clutch".

“60 km later, my heading repeater stopped”, continues Cyril Despres. “We entered the mountain and I wanted to keep my pace because I knew that Marc was driving very hard in front, but arriving in a brook, I had to lower the pace because I had to look at the GPS ".

"And finally, I broke my rear brake on the big climb: The descent was very sporty, but I applied myself. And over the last 50 kilometers I didn’t see too many traces, so I wasn’t sure. that Marc has passed … And then I get here first and I was told he had taken the wrong route, so that will score for me. It’s good, even if I never rejoice the misfortune of others ", analyzes Despres who finishes ahead of Frans Verhoeven. Riding his Sherco (corico!), The Dutchman climbs on his first podium of this 34th edition of the Dakar.

Coma and Despres already alone in the world ?

However, if we can only be delighted with this fine second place for the Nîmes bike, the 8’37 which separate Verhoeven from Despres at the finish are responsible for reminding us that the KTM officials are riding – as usual – on a different pace than their rivals…

Same story for Goncalves (3rd at 8’39) and Rodriguez (4th at 10’03), who finished ahead of David Casteu’s Yamaha YZF450 (5th in the special at 11’42 and 3rd overall with 17’16 in delay) on their respective Husqvarna and Yamaha.

And despite his big navigation error, Marc Coma finished ahead of serious opponents such as Francesco Lopez (victim of a slight fall at the start of the special on his Aprilia) or Olivier Pain (Yamaha).

For his part, the quadruple endurance world champion Matthieu Lagrive continues to discover the specificities of a rally such as the Dakar. He finished the special 136th, handicapped by steering problems on his Yamaha and running out of gas.

Finally, this third stage was once again marked by a heavy fall: although indicated on the road book, a big compression at km 173 of the special sent the Honda of the American Quinn Cody violently into the background..

Despite its impressive aerobatics (see the video below), the n ° 9 is doing well: evacuated by helicopter, it suffers "only" from a broken collarbone.

As for Bruno Da Costa, who had hit a cow at full speed yesterday (), he is much better: operated overnight in Mendoza, Yamaha Racing France rider Yamalube is out of the woods. Argentinian surgeons performed surgery to stop bleeding in one kidney and reduce abdominal trauma.

The fourth stage, the start of which has just been given for motorcycles, will link San Juan to Chilecito (Argentina) via 424 km of link and 326 km of timed section (special). To be continued on Site: stay connected !

Video summary of stage 3 of Dakar 2012

Quinn Cody’s fall on video

Dakar 2012 motorcycle stage 3 classification (San Rafael – San Juan)

  1. 2 DESPRES (FRA) KTM 03:48:38 –  –
  2. 15 VERHOEVEN (NLD) SHERCO 03:57:15 00:08:37 –
  3. 7 GONCALVES (PRT) Husqvarna 03:57:17 00:08:39 –
  4. 3 RODRIGUES (PRT) YAMAHA 03:58:41 00:10:03 –
  5. 14 CASTEU (FRA) YAMAHA 04:00:20 00:11:42 –
  6. 1 COMA (ESP) KTM 04:01:42 00:13:04 –
  7. 4 LOPEZ (CHL) APRILIA 04:06:37 00:17:59 –
  8. 20 FARRES GUELL (ESP) KTM 04:06:57 00:18:19 –
  9. 16 BREAD (FRA) YAMAHA 04:07:39 00:19:01 –
  10. 10 VILADOMS (ESP) KTM 04:07:46 00:19:08 –
  11. 34 BOTTURI (ITA) KTM 04:08:07 00:19:29 –
  12. 5 PEDRERO GARCIA (ESP) KTM 04:08:46 00:20:08 –
  13. 27 PIZZOLITO (ARG) HONDA 04:09:13 00:20:35 –
  14. 31 JAKES (SVK) BMW 04:12:34 00:23:56 –
  15. 32 SVITKO (SVK) KTM 04:13:53 00:25:15 –
  16. 113 FAGGOTTER (AUS) HUSABERG 04:17:03 00:28:25 –
  17. 40 SERRADORI (FRA) KTM 04:17:27 00:28:49 –
  18. 26 RODRIGUES FILHO (BRA) HUQSVARNA 04:17:53 00:29:15 –
  19. 43 PISANO (FRA) KTM 04:18:19 00:29:41 –
  20. 21 AUBERT (FRA) KTM 04:18:35 00:29:57 –
  21. 39 GYENES (ROU) KTM 04:19:10 00:30:32 –
  22. 17 CZACHOR (POL) KTM 04:19:23 00:30:45 –
  23. 25 GOUET (CHL) HONDA 04:19:37 00:30:59 –
  24. 18 KNUIMAN (NLD) KTM 04:21:22 00:32:44 –
  25. 24 STANOVNIK (SVN) KTM 04:21:32 00:32:54 –
  26. 12 PELLICER (ESP) HUSQVARNA 04:21:53 00:33:15 –
  27. 82 GUINDANI (FRA) YAMAHA 04:24:58 00:36:20 –
  28. 35 THIS (ITA) KTM 04:25:45 00:37:07 –
  29. 53 RODRIGUEZ (CHL) HONDA 04:32:10 00:43:32 –
  30. 110 BIRCH (NZL) KTM 04:34:14 00:45:36 –
  31. 173 MALO (ECU) KTM 04:35:21 00:46:43 –
  32. 185 SANCHEZ (ARG) KAWASAKI 04:37:06 00:48:28 –
  33. 22 DUCLOS (FRA) APRILIA 04:39:50 00:51:12 00:40:00
  34. 33 BETHYS (FRA) YAMAHA 04:42:21 00:53:43 –
  35. 60 WATT (GBR) KTM 04:42:28 00:53:50 –
  36. 50 SALVATIERRA (BOL) HONDA 04:42:54 00:54:16 –
  37. 89 NASCIMENTO (BRA) HONDA 04:43:23 00:54:45 –
  38. 59 CIOTTI (ITA) RIEJU 04:43:50 00:55:12 –
  39. 42 PROHENS (CHL) HONDA 04:44:49 00:56:11 –
  40. 41 PROHENS (CHL) HONDA (Transformada) 04:45:36 00:56:58 –
  41. 66 LORMAND (FRA) YAMAHA 04:45:39 00:57:01 –
  42. 48 LIEFHEBBER (NLD) KTM 04:45:50 00:57:12 –
  43. 6 ULLEVALSETER (NOR) KTM 04:47:10 00:58:32 00:40:00
  44. 28 ZANOL (BRA) KTM 04:47:48 00:59:10 00:40:00
  45. 81 SWITZERLAND (USA) KTM 04:49:01 01:00:23 –
  46. 169 HEINRICH DEL VALLE (PER) KTM 04:49:33 01:00:55 –
  47. 49 DABROWSKI (POL) KTM 04:50:54 01:02:16 –
  48. 8 FARIA (PRT) KTM 04:51:40 01:03:02 00:40:00
  49. 75 BUSIN (ARG) YAMAHA 04:51:52 01:03:14 –
  50. 138 LECOQ (FRA) YAMAHA 04:52:25 01:03:47 –

General classification of the Dakar 2012 motorcycle

  1. 2 DESPRES (FRA) KTM 07:31:42 –  –
  2. 1 COMA (ESP) KTM 07:41:54 00:10:12 –
  3. 14 CASTEU (FRA) YAMAHA 07:48:58 00:17:16 –
  4. 4 LOPEZ (CHL) APRILIA 07:49:19 00:17:37 –
  5. 3 RODRIGUES (PRT) YAMAHA 07:51:31 00:19:49 –
  6. 7 GONCALVES (PRT) Husqvarna 07:57:42 00:26:00 00:06:00
  7. 27 PIZZOLITO (ARG) HONDA 07:59:03 00:27:21 –
  8. 10 VILADOMS (ESP) KTM 08:00:08 00:28:26 –
  9. 5 PEDRERO GARCIA (ESP) KTM 08:00:43 00:29:01 –
  10. 20 FARRES GUELL (ESP) KTM 08:02:42 00:31:00 –
  11. 15 VERHOEVEN (NLD) SHERCO 08:03:06 00:31:24 –
  12. 34 BOTTURI (ITA) KTM 08:06:40 00:34:58 –
  13. 16 PAIN (FRA) YAMAHA 08:12:18 00:40:36 –
  14. 32 SVITKO (SVK) KTM 08:13:33 00:41:51 –
  15. 25 GOUET (CHL) HONDA 08:18:18 00:46:36 –
  16. 21 AUBERT (FRA) KTM 08:18:58 00:47:16 –
  17. 26 RODRIGUES FILHO (BRA) HUQSVARNA 08:19:12 00:47:30 –
  18. 17 CZACHOR (POL) KTM 08:20:14 00:48:32 –
  19. 24 STANOVNIK (SVN) KTM 08:26:18 00:54:36 –
  20. 18 KNUIMAN (NLD) KTM 08:27:48 00:56:06 –
  21. 31 JAKES (SVK) BMW 08:29:30 00:57:48 –
  22. 35 THIS (ITA) KTM 08:30:05 00:58:23 –
  23. 39 GYENES (ROU) KTM 08:30:47 00:59:05 –
  24. 22 DUCLOS (FRA) APRILIA 08:32:29 01:00:47 00:40:00
  25. 82 GUINDANI (FRA) YAMAHA 08:33:09 01:01:27 –
  26. 113 FAGGOTTER (AUS) HUSABERG 08:33:46 01:02:04 00:05:00
  27. 40 SERRADORI (FRA) KTM 08:33:47 01:02:05 –
  28. 43 PISANO (FRA) KTM 08:35:40 01:03:58 –
  29. 6 ULLEVALSETER (NOR) KTM 08:38:00 01:06:18 00:40:00
  30. 12 PELLICER (ESP) HUSQVARNA 08:38:36 01:06:54 –
  31. 28 ZANOL (BRA) KTM 08:45:22 01:13:40 00:40:00
  32. 8 FARIA (PRT) KTM 08:46:32 01:14:50 00:40:00
  33. 110 BIRCH (NZL) KTM 08:49:27 01:17:45 00:05:00
  34. 53 RODRIGUEZ (CHL) HONDA 08:55:14 01:23:32 –
  35. 23 BARREDA BORT (ESP) HUSQVARNA 08:58:30 01:26:48 00:45:00
  36. 49 DABROWSKI (POL) KTM 08:59:46 01:28:04 –
  37. 33 BETHYS (FRA) YAMAHA 09:02:07 01:30:25 –
  38. 48 LIEFHEBBER (NLD) KTM 09:05:09 01:33:27 –
  39. 57 WILLEMSEN (NLD) HONDA 09:11:09 01:39:27 –
  40. 185 SANCHEZ (ARG) KAWASAKI 09:12:14 01:40:32 –
  41. 42 PROHENS (CHL) HONDA 09:17:34 01:45:52 –
  42. 89 NASCIMENTO (BRA) HONDA 09:17:47 01:46:05 –
  43. 148 GOMEZ (ARG) YAMAHA 09:19:43 01:48:01 –
  44. 173 MALO (ECU) KTM 09:20:31 01:48:49 –
  45. 41 PROHENS (CHL) HONDA (Transformada) 09:20:59 01:49:17 –
  46. 60 WATT (GBR) KTM 09:21:07 01:49:25 –
  47. 168 GUIRAL (ARG) HONDA 09:32:44 02:01:02 –
  48. 81 SWITZERLAND (USA) KTM 09:33:44 02:02:02 –
  49. 144 CURTIS (ZAF) KTM 09:35:08 02:03:26 00:40:00
  50. 51 ARREDONDO (GTM) KTM 09:35:40 02:03:58 –

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