Dakar – Motorcycle rally-raid: Coma hangs up and becomes Dakar sports director –

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Motorcycle rally-raid: Coma hangs up and becomes Dakar sports director

Dakar - Motorcycle rally-raid: Coma hangs up and becomes Dakar sports director -

From “motorcycle pilot” to the Dakar, the defending champion Marc Coma (38) becomes its “pilot”: the five-time winner of the King of the rally stops his sporting career and becomes the new sporting director of the Dakar, right-hand man of the Dakar. race director Etienne Lavigne, in place of David Castera.

From “motorcycle pilot” to the Dakar, the defending champion Marc Coma (38) becomes its “pilot”: the five-time winner of the King of the rally stops his sporting career and becomes the new sporting director of the Dakar, right-hand man of the Dakar. race director Etienne Lavigne, in place of David Castera.

A anticipated retirement

If the announcement of his retirement may disconcert some – the Catalan is currently leading the World Rally Championship on his official KTM! -, his decision is actually far from a surprise. 

A, won thanks to his exceptional consistency and, Marc Coma had indeed already expressed a form of uncertainty about his future.

The official KTM, outstanding navigator and very reliable pilot, has indeed reached the milestone of 5 victories in the Dakar motorcycle, like his lifelong rival, Cyril Despres, reconverted – with relative success – in the car rally. with Peugeot.

The race too many

As is often the case in high-level sport, maintaining his motivation once his objectives were met was increasingly difficult for the native of Avia (Spain): when the rally of Sardinia arrived a few weeks ago, Coma recognized it. openly, letting it be known that this race which he finished 5th would be "probably his last".

No Dakar therefore for the bridgehead of the KTM team, who prefers to retire as a champion rather than take the risk of leaving by the back door with the famous "too much race". A courageous decision … just like this exceptional man !

"When Marc commits, it’s always at the maximum"

The one whose first participation in the Dakar dates back to 2002 does not, however, completely leave the field: Marc Coma replaces the French David Castera as the sporting director of the Dakar and in this capacity will spend part of the summer doing reconnaissance to prepare for the future course – which does not .

For Coma, this transition was not decided on a whim: on the contrary, it was carefully considered since the first phone call from Etienne Lavigne, director of the main rally-raid event organized by ASO (seated behind Coma opposite), in February.

At first surprised by this proposal, the current number 1 assures that he never "imagined that such an opportunity would arise" and needed "a little time to realize and reflect".

"My first reaction was ‘waaoow’ … I was in shock! Because winning five Dakar’s was already a dream for me. And there, I realize that I am someone very lucky: being part of the organization, with this level of responsibilities, it will be an opportunity to give back to the Dakar everything it has given me ", develops the new number 2 of the organization.

"I still feel a little competitive, but since I got down to work I feel like I’m going to think from other angles. I know it’s the right time for me. My goal is to put all my energy into it. energy so that the Dakar remains the most beautiful race in the world. And my philosophy is to favor adventure, even if I have a lot to learn in the field of organization ", analyzes with his characteristic humility the now former pilot…

Who will succeed Coma and Despres on the Dakar 2016 ?

This withdrawal of the defending champion, which follows that of Cyril Despres last year, upsets the whole face of the Dakar 2016. Who, among the new contenders such as Price (3rd of the last edition) and Quintanilla (4th) or the values sure like Goncalves (2nd last year), Barreda (17th following des), Faria (6th) or Casteu (7th), will know how to best take advantage of this to become the new winner of the King of Rally ?

Stay tuned to MNC to find out !

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