Dakar Update – Despres Wins
The 2007 Dakar Rally is now well under way, with riders now into Morocco and having completed stage 3 of the most grueling race on Earth. Previous Dakar winner, Cyril Despres, encountered gearbox problems with his Gaulouises KTM which saw him limping the bike in 1st gear for the last 200kms of the stage to El Rashidia, some 648kms from the starting point of Nador.
Despres, who also has an Erzburg Rodeo victory to his credit, was in 11th overall position before the mishap and ended up 21st on the stage. KTM riders filled the first 4 positions of the Moroccan stage, the Austrian manufacturer now dominating the standings with 10 of the top 12 riding orange bikes. The first African stage, often said to be the beginning of the "real" Dakar also saw 4 riders retire.
| 1 | ESTEVE PUJOL (ESP) | KTM | ||||
| 2 | COMA (ESP) | KTM | ||||
| 3 | CASTEU (FRA) | KTM | ||||
| 4 | STREET (USA) | PAI | ||||
| 5 | BLAIS (USA) | KTM | ||||
| 6 | RODRIGUES (POR) | YAMAHA | ||||
| 7 | DUCLOS (FRA) | KTM | ||||
| 8 | VILADOMS (ESP) | KTM | ||||
| 9 | VERHOEVEN (HOL) | KTM | ||||
| 10 | DE AZEVEDO (BRE) | KTM | ||||
| 11 | ULLEVALSETER (NOR) | KTM | ||||
| 12 | PLANET (FRA) | KTM |
Stage 4 will see riders headed from El Rashidia to Quarzazate, a stage which includes a massive 405km special that will no doubt sort out the some of the real contenders from the rest. Australian viewers can catch the action every evening on SBS television or every morning on Foxsports. Check your local guides.
