Dakar 2003. Stage 8:Ghat-Sabha

Roma makes up positions and Esteve retires from the race
Mechanical problems force Esteve to retire while Marc Coma finishes fourth getting closer to the race leaders
 Sabha (Libya).- During todays stage Nani Roma managed to catch Richard Sainct, making up more than four minutes. However, the stage has been very negative for Isidre Esteve who had to retire due to mechanical problems. After the complications he had in yesterdays stage and despite his excellent start today, Esteve had to face new difficulties that could not be solved by the assistance team.  Fabrizio Meoni is the new leader of the Rally Dakar, although the differences have become shorter again: Roma is third after Sainct, but only 2:07 behind the Italian. Cyril Despres is the fourth man of the leading group, 4:51 behind Meoni. Theres nobody else close to them in the standings since Alfie Cox retired after injuring his shoulder. Cox had lost 20 minutes at the beginning of the stage after entering a valley by mistake. Once he got back to the route he forced the pace trying to make up the time lost and ended up hurt. He was taken to Sabha in Patrick Zanirolis helicopter. He is the first one of the official KTM riders to be out of the race. Fifth in the overall classification is Giovanni Sala, winner of todays stage, but over half an hour behind the top four in the overall standings. ‘After refuelling I overtook Fabrizio and tried to escape. I took the risk but once we got to the dunes they got me again. Thats the way it is: theres nothing left to do but driving together. I could ride faster and take a lot of risks but it would be easy for the others to follow me. The one leading the way always has to travel a bit slower. The last kilometres we drove faster again in order to make Sainct and Despres force their single-cylinder engines. The race has to get harder and then things will be able to change. Its being quite easy for the moment. Lets see if some of these days things get more complicated: then well see who is the strongest ‘, explained Nani Roma after the stage. But the hero of the day has been Marc Coma, who made an exemplary stage, making up positions until reaching a spectacular fourth place, just in front of Roma. Last night Coma had to change his engine because the tip of the gear axle was broken. ‘I started with a steady rhythm, without forcing too much because I had a new engine. Then I began to increase the pace bit by bit. The dunes were incredible. They were hard and cut and we had some good flights. I didnt expect to finish fourth. I was calculating and thought that I might finish seventh or so, but this has really been a surprise. When I saw Alfie I thought that he had suffered a breakdown, because he made signs to me, telling me to continue’. Coma has moved up to fourteenth position, a bit over an hour and a half behind the leader.