Dakar 2003. 1st stage: Marsella-Narbonne

The Dakar starts with the beginning of the new year
Joan Roma, second after the first prologue stage
 The Rally Dakar 2003 has officially started this afternoon in the Parc Chanot of Marseille. The three riders of the Telefónica MoviStar Repsol team, Nani Roma, Isidre Esteve and Marc Coma, who where already looking forward to starting with their participation in the 2003, had the opportunity to travel their first metres in a short prologue, staged on a circuit of a bit over one kilometre of length, with similar features to those of a motocross track. On this first timed stage, Nani Roma has shown that he starts with the intention of setting the pace of the race and that he is ready to dominate this new edition of the Dakar from start to finish. He was second fastest, after Cyril Despres (KTM single cylinder), who was only a second faster than Nani Roma. Isidre Esteve started calmer and managed to finish 13 seconds behind the lead, on 24th place. Marc Coma, the rider who started his sports career as a motocross rider, had no difficulties at all to put himself on 12th position, 6 seconds behind the leader. After this prologue stage, the Dakar 2003 caravan will drive along a liaison of 264 kilometres finishing in Narbonne, where the participants will spend the night.Joan Roma: ‘The stage has been nice, there were some difficult supercross jumps, but we went there to have a good time and I think that the large amount of spectators also enjoyed the show’.Isidre Esteve: ‘Its been a very short stage, with a special stage similar to a motocross race, therefore I decided to take thinks calmly. The Dakar has just started and after my wrist injury I have to try not to risk too much during the first days ‘.Marc Coma: ‘We have started the rally with high spirits, because we were really longing to begin, after the stress of the scrutineering. Now, after this stage we still have to travel the liaison to Narbonne, where well spend the night to start tomorrow with the second assault’.