Dakar 2003. 4th Stage: Tunis-Tozeur

Roma disembarks in Africa and wins
The organisation first gave the stage victory to Isidre Esteve but a timing error forced them to change the results late in the afternoon.
 Nani Roma (KTM 950 LC8 MoviStar Repsol) took the victory of the fourth stage of the Dakar Rally held today between Tunis and Tozeur on 463 kilometres, 25 of which were timed. The Spaniard took an 18 seconds advantage over the second, the Frenchman Richard Sainct (KTM 660), who is leading the race so far. With this victory, Roma moves up to the third place in the overall classification, only 59 seconds behind Sainct. It was a difficult track for my twin-cylinder because it was very twisty and with a lot of changes in direction, so I didn’t really know if I would be able to win. Anyway, this is no reason to celebrate because it was only a 25 kilometres stage and everything is yet to come. Today I wanted to finish ahead of the others, thinking about tomorrows stage which I know very well, said Roma at the finish line, after knowing that the classifications had been changed: during many hours, the organisation had given the stage victory to Isidre Esteve (KTM 950 LC8 MoviStar Repsol). But due to a timing error, the results had to be changed late in the afternoon: Esteve moved back to twentieth position, 1:49 behind Roma. The Spanish rider was very disappointed: I was very surprised when they told me that I had won, because I got lost in two crossings and the track wasn’t really good for a twin-cylinder. But after seeing myself first in the classification and after being congratulated by everyone it’s a bit disappointing to loose so many positions. The classification changed for many riders, including Marc Coma (KTM 660 LC4 MoviStar Repsol), who has become the revelation of the rally. He finished tenth today and is now fifth in the overall classification just in front of Fabrizio Meoni, winner of the last two editions. Coma, only 26 years old and in his second Dakar participation, even managed to overtake some of the favourites, such as Alfie Cox or Giovanni Sala. We have to go little by little. I’m very happy seeing how everything is working out, but it’s a long race and we have to concentrate: there’s no need to be fast if you don’t finish. I got lost a couple of times today, but I noticed it immediately and went back to the good track. I need to do a lot of kilometres with the road book to get used to riding fast and reading at the same time. The riders arrived today at the door to the desert. Tomorrow they will have the first long special of the rally, between Tozeur and El Borma, with 494 kilometres, 285 of which will be timed. In only one day, the riders will make 5 times more timed kilometres than they did in the four preceding days, so that the differences will start to get bigger. Roma knows the route very well he won this year’s Rally Tunisia – and wanted to start from the leading position in order to open the track and avoid the dust that is very dangerous when overtaking.  STAGE CLASSIFICATION 1  Esteve, 19.002  Roma + 42′ 3  De Azevedo + 58′ 4  Sainct + 1.00 5  Despres + 1.04 6  Meoni + 1.2014 Coma  + 1.58 OVERALL CLASSIFICATION1  Sainct 2  Despres + 22′ 3  Roma + 59′ 4  Cox + 1.10’5  Coma + 1′ 55’6  Meoni + 2′ 08’7  Esteve + 2′ 54′