Baja España-Aragon 2008. Second Stage
ANOTHER VICTORY FOR MARC COMA ON THE SECOND STAGE
OF THE BAJA
Roma stays second in cars, and Viladoms is sixth. Alphand
and Farrés retire with mechanical problems and Masuoka
& Maimon`s car has a fire after a driver nearly hit them
when they had gone off the track
The second stage of the Baja España Aragón 2008
saw very different results for the Repsol team. Marc Coma
strengthened his lead in the motorbike category, and Jordi
Viladoms was having a good day until he went off the track
and lost the time that he had made up. His teammate Gérard
Farrés had to retire at kilometre 148 on the first
special section of the day when his KTM stopped because of
mechanical problems.
In cars, “Nani” Roma was once again affected by
the lack of power after the introduction of the new FIA regulation
this season that significantly limits the performance of petrol-engined
cars. The Repsol driver stays second in the overall classification
though, more than eight minutes behind Nasser Al-Attiyah,
and with a lead of five over the third placed driver, Filipe
Campos. Luc Alphand, who was second on the first special section
of the day, had to retire at kilometre 65 on the second due
to a mechanical failure.
Hiroshi Masuoka had much worse luck. The Repsol driver went
off the track at kilometre 195 on a curve where Al-Attiyah
himself had the same problem, and where “Nani”
Roma almost made the same mistake. When Masuoka and Maimon
tried to return to the track, another participant went off,
flying over them landing right by their side. This vehicle
caught fire and the flames immediately reached the Repsol
driver`s Mitsubishi MPR14, and nothing could be done to put
the fire out.
Tomorrow sees the third and final stage, with a special section
of 126 kilometres and another visit to the “Colin McRae”
super-special in the centre of Zaragoza, next to the Pabellón
Príncipe Felipe, this is where the 25th edition of
the Baja España Aragón ends.
Quotes
Cars
"Nani" Roma >> 7h 59 min 22 sec.
“This was a really difficult day, since it was a very
fast and complicated stage. We tried to be consistent and
to apply pressure all the time, but it was really tough. We
did not catch the BMW and sometimes it is a little frustrating.
Races are like this, but we know why we they are like this,
that is important.
We also know that we have a great car with a diesel engine
waiting for us in the future, we will try to do things better
in that. Tomorrow anything can happen, because today Nasser
[Al-Attiyah] drove into a hole and he was lucky to get out.
But at the same point, Masuoka had to stop. So strange things
can happen, although we know that if he does not make a mistake
it will be difficult to beat him.”
Luc Alphand >> retired
“This is over for us. We did not have a big problem,
but just enough to eliminate us from the race. Reverse gear
broke, a technical problem that is not very serious, but the
problem was that the oil cooling pump also stayed blocked
in that gear, and it lost pressure.
It continued to work, and I was able to do about fifteen kilometers
more, but the engine began to heat up and we decided to retire
so that the gearbox did not explode and break more things.
There were still about 150km left, but it was too much. The
last time I came, four years ago, I ended up rolling over.
Since then I had not come back. This is a difficult race as
the cars go very fast. The specials are nice since they are
beautiful places to do Bajas. This year I was ill at the start,
and I have not had a good weekend, although I felt better
today. But sport is like this, we just have to accept it.”
Hiroshi Masuoka >> retired
“This morning the race was going well, and the car was
going better. All the mechanical problems were solved yesterday,
although there was so much dust that we were not able to take
advantage of the car`s good performance. Anyway, I am pleased.
The second special was also going well, but towards kilometre
170 I went off the track and I stopped in a hole.
I had to change a wheel, and while we were working another
car went off at the same place and flew over ours. It landed
without touching us, turning over and with the temperature
on the brakes and other things it started a small fire on
the grass that was all around us and then it set his car alight
and then ours. We tried to put it out but we were not able
to, it is a pity that we finished the race in this way. The
positive part is that we were not injured because in an accident
like this anything could have happened.”
Motorcycling
Marc Coma >> 7h 59 min 3 sec.
“The first special section today was the longest in
the Baja, more than two hundred kilometres against the clock,
close to the fast part around Belchite. I made a small mistake
with the navigation and must have lost a minute. But in general
I am pleased.
The second special that took us to Huesca was very complicated,
because the cars had already passed and we came across a lot
of dust, fesh-fesh, and hidden rocks. It was not at all pleasant.
I am pleased with how things had gone up to then, and now
we just have tomorrow left, we have a special of 126 kilometres.
Anything is possible, but right at the moment we are happy.
If I have to open up the tracks I will have to control the
race very well, keeping an eye on the times set by my rivals,
so that I have no problems .”
Jordi Viladoms >> 8h 26 min. 57sec.
“The first special today went well since I was able
to catch the two riders who started in front of me, Rivera
and Casteau. I was able to pass the first of them but not
the second, but at least I gained two minutes on him, which
is the lead he had over me in the general.
On the second special I started behind Casteau again, and
I caught him quite quickly. I was in the dust he kicked up
for a short time, which was fine, because it allowed me to
recover some time from him. But shortly before a re-fuelling
I wanted to get close to him, to take advantage of the stop
and try to and overtake him, and on a curve where I had got
too close there was a lot of dust and so I did not see that
the curve was tighter than I thought and I went off the track.
The motorcycle got stuck in a hole, and I needed help to get
it out and what is more a tape got tangled in the rear wheel,
and so I lost what I had recovered again. A pity because things
only went badly at the end.”
Gerard Farrés >> retirado
“The start of the special today was in a zone that I
knew quite well and where I felt comfortable. Compared with
yesterday`s stage, today`s was much faster and not so dangerous
since there was not as many rocks. I enjoyed it a lot, it
was fun and there were a lot of spectators.
My intention was to try and catch Cyril Despres and I did
all I possibly could to catch him but both he and Marc [Coma]
set a very fast pace. It was difficult to keep up with them
and at the re-fuelling I had only recovered five seconds from
Despres, that is nothing. Looking on the positive side, I
am pleased because after the injury I was going at a good
speed. On the other hand, I had some bad luck as the bike
broke. This is what happens in races sometimes it works out
well and others it doesn`t.”
Results
>> Cars
1. AL ATTIYAH - THÖRNER (BMW) 7:50:48
2. ROMA - CRUZ SENRA (REPSOL MITSUBISHI) + 8:34
3. CAMPOS - BAPTISTA (BMW) + 13:44
4. NOVITSKIY - TYUPENKIN (BMW) + 44:11
5. VAN DEIJNE - ROSEGAAR (MITSUBISHI) + 57:30
NC. ALPHAND - PICARD (REPSOL MITSUBISHI)
NC. MASUOKA - MAIMON (REPSOL MITSUBISHI)
>> Motorcycling
1. Marc COMA (REPSOL KTM) 7:59:03
2. Cyril DESPRES (KTM) + 3:07
3. José M. PELLICER (YAMAHA) + 9:52
4. David CASTEAU (KTM) + 24:16
5. Víctor RIVERA (PKL Baja) + 27:47
6. Jordi VILADOMS (REPSOL KTM) + 27:54
NC. Gerard FARRÉS (REPSOL KTM)
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