Dos Sertoes Rally. 5th stage
VICTORY FOR MARC COMA IN THE FIFTH STAGE OF THE RALLY DOS
SERTOES
 The
Repsol rider stays third in the overall classification. Jordi
Viladoms forced to retire after a breakdown on yesterday`s
marathon stage
Marc Coma won the fifth stage of the Rally dos Sertoes, arriving
one minute and twenty seconds ahead of Cyril Despres, but
who stays as leader of the overall classification. The Repsol
rider started second after yesterday`s marathon stage, when
he finished almost two minutes behind Despres. His teammate,
Jordi Viladoms, oficially retired from the rally after breaking
his engine yesterday. the Repsol rider was able to change
the broken engine today, and will start last tomorrow, the
penalty for this new engine.
In today`s stage Marc Coma had the added difficulty of riding
with the tyres he used yesterday, because after yesterday`s
marathon stage the participants could not receive any type
of assistance. The Repsol rider set a good pace on the 144km
special that joined Paranã and Palmas, characterised
by a first part that was more technical and slow, in a zone
with vegetation, and the final part that was faster, on dusty
tracks of red soil just like those found in darkest Africa.
In yesterday`s stage, 482km, 431km of them timed, the participants
found a very tough stage, very similar to the rally as a whole,
but much longer.
Tomorrow Monday sees the sixth stage, between Palmas and
Balsas, with the longest special in this rally, 536km that
will be timed.
Quotes
Marc Coma >>
“Today`s stage was short but quite complicated, because
we had just completed a marathon stage and the tyres were
very worn. The tracks here are very aggressive on the tyres,
and I had to go very carefully.
These are turning out to be very complicated stages and not
very pleasant as we are riding on laterite tracks and there
is a lot of dust. This is a zone that reminds me a lot of
when the Dakar arrives in darkest Africa. After not racing
in two raids, I am aware that I am getting my pace back. Tomorrow
we are expecting another tough day, with the longest special
in the raid, and it could be an important day.”
Jordi Viladoms >>
“Yesterday the engine broke 40km from the finish, and
I was towed in by another rider. As I could not receive any
assistance I could not repair it, so today I started by dragging
the bike a few metres, and so be able to retire officially.
Owing to the jumps and the toughness of the stage, my radiator
broke so I lost the water that is what broke the engine. Today
we changed it and tomorrow we will start again, to do some
kilometres and take it as a training session. I will be the
last to start so I will have to go very carefully because
over the next few days I will have to overtake slower riders
and that is dangerous as they kick up a lot of dust. But it
will let me win some points in the World Championship, and
you never know if at the end of the season they will be useful.”
Results
>> Stage
1. Marc Coma (Repsol KTM) 1:44:57
2. Cyril Despres (KTM) a 1:20
3. Chaleco Lopez (KTM) a 1:36
4. José Hélio (Honda) a 1:39
5. Renato Escobar (Honda) a 3:13
>> General
1. Cyril Despres (KTM) 16:01:58
2. José Hélio (Honda) a 5:58
3. Marc Coma (Repsol KTM) a 7:23
4. David Casteu (KTM) a 13:29
5. Chaleco Lopez (KTM) a 21:21
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