On the difficult tracks of Mali, with countless variants and added difficulties, the Repsol rider increases his advantage in the overall lead to 34 minutes. Alphand, third, was the fastest Repsol driver. Peterhansel still in the lead with Roma in a comfortable fourth place.
After yesterday’s neutralised stage, today the bikers went back into action with the eleventh stage of the rally in Mali, covering 705 kms 231 timed between Kayes and Bamako. Participants entered the Sahel area, where it had rained a lot during the last rain season and therefore the terrain had changed significantly. In this stage, participants had their first serious contact with the slippery laterite tracks – volcanic gravel with a characteristic red colour. The plentiful vegetation and the several villages were also an added difficulty.
Navigation became a determining factor today and Repsol rider Marc Coma, navigating impeccably, was able to find and cross all narrow and hidden tracks, allowing him to gain valuable minutes over his immediate follower in the overall standings, Cyril Després. Second today, behind local rider Duclós, Coma has already an advantage of 34 minutes and 24 seconds over Frenchman Després, although, as he recognises, there are still very complicated days ahead and one marathon stage where the machines will have to be extremely taken care of.
Different luck for the rest of the Repsol riders in the Mali stage, with a highly competitive Giovanni Sala who finished thirteenth today but keeping his third place in the overall standings, Carlo De Gavardo sixth and fifth overall and young Jordi Viladoms eighth, moving up step by step and gathering experience, being now seventeenth overall.
In the car class, Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart Team driver Stéphane Peterhansel and co-driver Jean-Paul Cottret saw their overall lead in the 28th Dakar Rally trimmed to 25m 09s after the 231 kms, 11th special stage between Kayes and Bamako in the Republic of Mali, today. The French pair lost 19 minutes with a navigational error before the first passage control. Team mates Luc Alphand and Gilles Picard began the day’s stage in 15th
position on the road, after hitting a tree on Tuesday, and set the third fastest time in their Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero Evolution, behind stage winner Giniel de Villiers and Frenchman Bruno Saby. Alphand duly trimmed 14m 55s from his team mate’s overall advantage, although Peterhansel remains 42m 19s ahead of stage winner De Villiers in the overall standings. Spaniard Joan ‘Nani’ Roma and Andorra-based co-driver Henri Magne also fell foul of a similar navigational mistake before the first passage control and arrived in Bamako with the 13th fastest time. But main rival Jutta Kleinschmidt crashed into a hole, cannoned into a tree and damaged her steering and suspension and Roma found himself in an unchallenged fourth place in the overall classification, as teams prepared for Thursday’s Marathon stage into Guinea.
The statements
Marc Coma: Today was a really complicated stage, both as regards the technical level and navigation. Although there were not many kilometres to cover, only 230, we had to work on each one of them; we suffered a lot. We came across the first laterite tracks, but its been beautiful. The most important is that were here and that things have worked out well. Im happy with the stage Ive done, but there are still four days to go, including one marathon stage that will be very complicated. But were calm.
Carlo De Gavardo: Im still deeply sorry for what happened to Andy. I was the rider who knew him best, because we were from the same generation. Its been a really a harsh blow. Im having trouble to get back the pace and I didnt want to go crazy. Today was a stage with a lot of navigation, so I decided to set a medium but safe speed. In this sense Im satisfied because I didnt make any mistake, although Im not really happy.
Jordi Viladoms: Todays stage went very well. It seemed short because there were not many kilometres and because you were working all the time with the road book. I made good navigation, getting all crossings right and I think that eighth is a good result.
Giovanni Sala: Weve arrived at the Savannah and its been a complicated stage as regards navigation. There were many tracks and it was difficult to get the right one. I didnt make any serious mistake; I might have covered some hundred additional metres. The problem was that I came across many riders, a lot of dust and several holes; its been impossible to overtake. It was very dangerous and I didnt want to risk the whole job with a crash, so I took it with ease until the finish. Im satisfied of not having made any significant mistake.
Luc Alphand: I made my mistake yesterday and there will be no more risks from my side over the next few days. I think that Giniel is playing his last joker with the speed he drove at today. That is not a pace safe enough to reach Dakar. Tomorrow I will try and catch Bruno Saby’s dust and try and pass without risks, but it could be an interesting day…
Stéphane Peterhansel: It was a bad day. There was a small track and we went the wrong way for four kilometres and then came back the wrong way for another four kilometres. Then we found the correct track, but we were in the thick dust behind Carlos Sousa. I used the horn, but we followed behind him for over 120 kms. Luc started 15th today and had a good time, so maybe we will not lose too much time in the dust tomorrow.
Nani Roma: I saw Stéphane’s car and he took a track to the left. He doubled back and we followed and then he turned again. I followed him for about six kilometres and then we realised our mistake. The road book was very vague. It was our team’s mistake, but the book was so confusing. After that we were just driving in dust. It was too dangerous to take risks.
Dominique Serieys, Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart Team Director: We must congratulate Giniel de Villiers today on his great stage win. He proved that he is a very talented driver and a potential winner of the Dakar Rally in the future. Two of our drivers lost some time today, but we remain in a strong position and Stéphane and Luc will try and maintain a safe pace forthe last few days.
Results
Motorbikes. SS11
1. A. Duclos (KTM) 3h 16m 40s
2. M. Coma (KTM) 3h 18m 07s
3. Street (KTM) 3h 23m 19s
4. Blais (KTM) 3h 25m 04s
5. De Azevedo (KTM) 3h 26m 16s
6. C. De Gavardo (KTM) 3h 26m 44s
8. J. Viladoms (KTM) 3h 29m 03s
9. C. Despres (KTM) 3h 29m 44s
13. G. Sala (KTM) 3h 32m 04s
Overall motorbikes
1. M. Coma (KTM) 42h 07m 22s
2. C. Després (KTM) a 34m 24s
3. G. Sala (KTM) a 1h 07m 01s
4. Ullevalseter (KTM) a 1h 41m 16s
5. C. De Gavardo (KTM) a 1h 43m 52s
15. J. Viladoms (KTM) a 7h 10m 57s
Cars. SS11
1. G. De Villiers/ T. Thorner (Volkswagen Touareg) 3h 07m 11s
2. B. Saby/M. Périn (Volkswagen Touareg) 3h 12m 34s
3. L. Alphand/G. Picard (Mitsubishi Montero Evolution) 3h 13m 04s
4. C. Sainz/A. Schulz (Volkswagen Touareg) 3h 15m 34s
5. G. Chicherit/M. Baumel (BMW X3 CC) 3h 16m 50s
11. S. Peterhansel/J-P. Cottret (Mitsubishi Montero Evolution) 3h 27m 59s
13. J. Roma/H. Magne (Mitsubishi Montero Evolution) 3h 30m 26s
Overall cars
1. S. Peterhansel/J-P. Cottret (Mitsubishi Montero Evolution) 41h 37m 57s
2. L. Alphand/G. Picard (Mitsubishi Montero Evolution) a 25m 09s
3. G. De Villiers/ T. Thorner (Volkswagen Touareg) a 42m 19s
4. J. Roma/H. Magne (Mitsubishi Montero Evolution) a 1h 37m 51s
5. M. Miller/D. Van Zitzewitz (Volkswagen Touareg) a 3h 18m 06s
Tomorrows stage
Stage 12. Bamako-Labe. 12 January
Liaison: 197 kms Special: 368 kms Liaison: 307 kms
For the twelfth stage, the Dakar returns to Guinea, a country it hadn’t visited since 1996. A total of 872 kms, starting in Bamako and finishing in Labe, make this stage the second longest stage of the rally. Since it is a marathon stage, participants and machines will be put to the tests in Guinea. After a road section of 197 kms, participants will face a 368 kms special that will take them to the finish, followed by a further road section of 307 kms to the bivouac in Labe. The layout will be varied, combining fast laterite tracks with some enduro-like tracks, in worse condition, that will take them through the forest and fords. These tracks are similar to trial tracks but wider, needing a highly technical riding style. There is plentiful vegetation in the area, as well as dust and animals. But the major difficulty of the stage lies in the several critical navigation points; because there will be no short-cut in case of a mistake, but riding/driving all the way back to take the right way
