The Team Repsol KTM rider, Marc Coma, arrived at the Centro Ferial de La Rural in Buenos Aires today at 14:15 horas (local time) and at that very moment was proclaimed winner of the 2009 Dakar, the first ever in South America. This Dakar held jointly by Argentina and Chile will be remembered for being tough and exhausting, similar to what the participants have had to get used to in Africa year after year. In spite of all the adversities the Team Repsol KTM rider dominated the race from the very start in Buenos Aires, with a firm grip on the lead. That was on 3rd January and now two weeks later he crosses the finishing line with a gap between him and the second placed rider, the Frenchman Cyril Despres, of 1 hour 25 minutes.
Withg his victory today, Marc Coma joins a small and very select group of riders who have won the Dakar more than once, and what is more he becomes the first Spaniard to win the toughest race in the world of raids two times. Coma, who won the Dakar in 2006 and almost got another victory in 2007, has given a great lesson in how to ride this type of race, showing an outstanding consistency and superiority throughout the whole race, practically without a mistake over the two weeks.
Today`s leg was also an important one, first a liaison of 224km, then a special of 227km and afterwards a very long final liaison of 341km which took the riders to Buenos Aires, giving the Champion a chance to receive the acclaim from the large crowds along the run in, cheering him and backing the Dakar all the way. Today`s fast tracks in Argentina were very similar to the terrain crossed at the start of the race two weeks ago and were also the final setting for this rally, the big South American adventure. It ended with Marc Coma setting the sixth best time of the day, 5 minutes 6 seconds behind the stage winner, Hélder Rodrigues. Jordi Viladoms finished fourth today, finishing in seventh place overall; and Gerard Farrés was tenth, and finishes in nineteenth posion in the overall.
Marc Coma
“I am just so happy! The truth is that it was a very long race and really complicated. I want to thank the whole team for their great work, something that is very important. Without them this would not have been possible and now we can start to enjoy ouselves. The liaison seemed very long; at the beginning I was excited and I could not wait to finish. I think we have had a great race. We planned it very well and that meant that we moved into a very early lead. It meant carrying extra pressure, but we knew how to cope with it all. I am very pleased with this and the team`s work, really magnificent. In such a long race you always have some good moments but you have bad ones too. We had some setbacks, like the day with the oil radiator, and with the puncture which made the race very complicated tactically. We have just had two bad years, back in 2007 I lost the rally just two days before it finished and last year`s was cancelled. I finally have a taste of joy again.”
Jordi Viladoms
“We started out a few days ago from here aiming to get a victory for Marc, and this is what we have done. I am very satisfied because we have got the victory we wanted and I think my work has been very useful, that makes me feel proud. I have been working during the whole race so that I could help him, staying as close as possible to him, and I have lost the time that was necessary, but at the same time getting the reward that we wanted. With all the problems we have had I did not expect to be so close to the leaders, because if it had been a cleaner race, I could have finished higher in the overall, because in addition to my own problems I could have had the same ones as Marc. These are all the reaons why, at a personal level, I am very satisfied above all because when I was able to ride freely I was up with the leaders.”
Gerard Farrés
“Great! At the end, after all the hardships we had in this Dakar we have been able to complete it, and what is more very satisfied with Marc [Coma`s] victory and the good performance that I think we have all put in. Marc rode an impeccable race and although at some specific moments he had a few problems, luckily we were able to be there to assist him which is what we set out to do. We are a team and if somebody ever needs something we are there to help out, we had to be there on hand. Luckily it all worked out, when he needed us we were there, and we are very pleased with having been able to help out. Overall the race has been very positive, as my objective when I began was to finish the rally, help the team, and learn. I think that is what I have done, and being able to stay in the race for the fifteen days has been a very good experience. I am very happy. My personal result does not matter, Marc has won and that is the important thing.”
