Dos Sertoes Rally. 7th stage
COMA AND VILADOMS HAVE A STAGE WITHOUT ANY COMPLICATIONS,
ON THE SEVENTH DAY OF THE RALLY DOS SERTOES
Marc Coma, fourth, was able to make up some of the time lost
in the overall classification
After the problems experienced on yesterday`s stage, things
returned to normal on today`s seventh stage held between Balsas
and Fiorano, with a total distance of 492 kilometres being
timed - one of these 216km. Marc Coma finished fourth, having
had to fight back after the result he got yesterday, experiencing
many problems. The Repsol rider feels fine on his motorbike,
although for the first few kilometres of today`s special he
has had to slow down because of the dust kicked up by the
rivals who were slower than him but who he had to overtake.
Later on he was finally able to pick up a faster pace and
when he crossed the finishing line he had reduced the gap
between himself and Rubén Faria, the rider just ahead
of him in the overall classification.
His teammate, Jordi Viladoms, was sixth today. The great
climb up the classification yesterday allowed him to finish
in fifth position, and so today he was able to start among
the leading riders and compete with them. At the beginning
the Repsol rider took things easy so as not to make a mistake
and pay for his accumulated fatigue. After a slower and twistier
first part the riders entered a faster zone, where neither
he nor Coma took too many risks. Bearing in mind the tyre
problems that they have had, it made no sense to take risks,
above all because the tires do not last long at high speeds
(that is to say, over 150Km/h).
The morning stage, a 280 kilometre special, is the longest
of the three days that are left to the end of the raid.
Quotes
Marc Coma >>
“Today I started far back because I lost a lot of time
yesterday and I finished a long way behind the winner. At
the beginning I came across a lot of dust and I was not able
to set a fast pace since I had to try and overtake other riders
without taking too many risks.
That is difficult because you must wait for places where
the wind clears the dust cloud that rises behind the riders,
or to take advantage of errors in their navigation. We went
along a track with quite a lot of sand, obviously not likedunes
but with the added difficulty of it not being smooth. I had
to go very carefully, reading the roadbook well because it
was full of dangers.”
ordi Viladoms >>
“Today I have taken things a little more calmly. I am
pleased because with yesterday`s fifth position today I was
able to start closer to the leaders.
Although with all the effort I made yesterday, I noticed today
that I was a little tired. But I went calmly, racing calmly
without taking any risks as the others ahead of me are gambling
on the outcome of the race and have covered a lot of ground.
We had a very winding track which was broken by cracks left
after rainfall. It was a very slow stage, very similar to
those in Morocco, with a lot of stones and gravel. We also
rode in some zones that were similar to the savannah, with
quite a lot of mud and zones with wet sand.”
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