Dakar 2003. 11th stage: Sarir-Ziwa

Marc Coma, fifth before the rest day
Nani Roma returns to Spain with the confirmation that he has no back injury
 Siwa (Egypt).Today Marc Coma has finished fifth fastest of the eleventh Rally Dakar special, maintaining the ninth place in the overall classification. Thus Coma has fulfilled his first goal: to reach the rest day without physical problems and with an intact bike. ‘Everything is working out fine but I really needed the rest. I’m physically all right, but I need a bit of mental rest. Today’s special has been easier than what they had told us. Yesterday night, at the briefing, they told us about difficult dunes and a hard day, but in the end it’s been a very fast stage, with some dunes but not many problems. I’ve been driving alone the first 160 kilometres, then I caught De Gavardo and later on Brucy joined us. In the end Meoni passed us very fast and I went with him. Today I felt better with the navigation and I was able to work well with the road book, but I’m still lacking confidence’, Marc said after the arrival. Roma has no back injury This morning Nani Roma had a magnetic resonance at the American Hospital in Cairo. The medical exam determined that he has neither injuries in the back or in the muscles or in the discs. He’s only got an inflammation on the lumbar area, which will be cured with rest. The ulna fracture in the right hand has also been confirmed. He will probably be able to ride again in one month. Roma will be returning to Spain sitting on a wheel-chair, on an Iberia flight that will be leaving the Cairo airport at 01.20 a.m. tonight and will be arriving in Barcelona at 04.45 a.m. ‘The trip to Cairo has been heavy but the hospital was very good and I’m longing to get back home soon. The best thing is that I’ve already been able to get up for a while and I can even walk, although it’s still hurting a bit’. Stage classification: 1º MEONI 2º SAINCT + 9.33 3º DESPRES + 11.17 4º LUNDMARK + 13.465º COMA + 16.15 Overall classification 1º SAINCT 2º DESPRES + 12.47 3º MEONI + 28.01 4º BRUCY + 55.549º COMA + 2.00.18