After the Team Repsol KTM`s accident filled stage yesterday, today`s was much calmer and more positive. Marc Coma, who finished ninth yesterday lost 15 minutes 45 seconds to Street – second – had a special without any incidents today. He finished in second position 2 minutes 9 seconds behind Després, who won his first stage in this year`s Dakar. After this special, the sixth in Argentina, Marc Coma is in a stronger position in the overall with a 40 minute 29 second advantage over the American Street and 47 minutes 30 seconds over the third-placed Frenchman Fretigne.
Today`s special was shortened by the organisers to CP2, owing to the bad state of some of the tracks, muddy after the heavy downpours last night on a part of the special. Moreover the organisers decided to delay the start one hour so that the participants could regroup after the big problems yesterday during the final part of the stage in the dunes.
Jordi Viladoms, who lost 26 minutes 30 seconds on yesterday`s special helping his teammate Marc Coma to repair a puncture, finished third 5 minutes 15 seconds behind the winner today, moving back into fourth position in the overall. Viladoms is having a perfect raid, carrying out his role of shield for his teammate Marc Coma, but at the same time finishing among the fastest in this South-American Dakar. After the sixth special Viladoms is now in fourth position 1 hour 9 minutes behind his teammate Coma, the race leader.
Gerard Farrés, who arrived late at the camp after helping Viladoms, at kilometre 60 repairing Marc Coma`s puncture, put in a good performance today, finishing fifteenth, a result that has taken him up to 48th in the overall.
Tomorrow is the seventh leg of the Dakar 2009 and crosses the border into Chile, from Mendoza to Valparaíso. Then there is the rest day for all the participants and team members, over 2 000 people, travelling from one bivouac to another. Where everybody can regain some of their strength, check their machines and retouch their strategies for the second half of the race, but above all prepare for what is coming, because the organisers are warning everybody that there are some very tough days in store after Valparaíso.
The seventh leg has an initial liaison of 80km, a special of 419km and a final liaison that crosses the Chilean frontier of 317km. In total 816km. The riders will cross the Andes through passes at a height of 3 000m. The stage starts in a zone of dunes and a lot of fesh fesh. Another leg with a wide variety of terrain, and what is more the mountain passes will be very technical. At the end of the special is a long liaison to the border and then to Valparaíso.
Marc Coma
“Today`s leg was shorter than normal. It rained a lot last night and part of the stage was flooded, and so the final section of the special was cancelled. The first 60km were dunes, but with the rain the sand was hard and you could see the tracks easily, that made the section much more straightforward. After the dunes I overtook some riders and made good progress because the leg did not have a lot of complications and the important thing was to finish without problems. After this stage we still have the same philosophy: to take things day by day.”
Jordi Viladoms
“Today`s leg, compared to yesterday`s was almost nothing. Last night it rained and the sand in the dune area was hard so it was easier to ride in that zone and it was good fun because you could navigate well. Before the dunes the track was full of potholes and bumpy, but I got through it well. After the dunes there were no complications, and in the end we got a good result.”
Gerard Farrés
“In the end it was a 200km stage, with some cross-country at the beginning between the dunes and a fast section to the end. I started last and I had to overtake many riders in the 60km of dunes. Luckily the sand was wet and it was easier to overtake. I had no problems with the navigation, although towards the end, on the fast tracks, I came across a lot of dust and I had to slow down. It was very important today to finish without any problems so that tomorrow we can begin in a good position and avoid the dust that the first riders will lift up. The bike worked fine, perfectly and I am pleased to be here in Mendoza.”
