Dakar Update – Despres Wins

Stage 5 of the Dakar is now complete and it just gets tougher and tougher.  There were 23 retirements on the stage, including Australian rider, Mark Eland deciding that enough was enough.

Spanish Gauloises KTM rider Isidre Esteve won the 325km special on the 768km route from Quarzazate to Tan Tan.  Overall leader, Marc Coma, came in 2nd with Cyril Despres rounding out the top 3.  Despres is confident that a win is not out of the question despite losing another 2 minutes to Coma.  He is feeling fit, fresh and fast and thinks that perhaps the two Spaniards may have pushed a little too hard during the Moroccan stages and will be feeling it as the Dakar moves into Mauritania now.

Stage 6 is a killer 817km run from Tan Tan to Zouerat which includes a 394km special.  This is the longest stage of the Dakar and will no doubt see the list of retirements grow even more as we reach the 1/2 way mark.  

KTM riders now fill the top 7 positions in the overall standings.