This morning the whole town of Avià, 150km from Barcelona, went onto the the streets to pay tribute to its best known inhabitant, Marc Coma; the recent winner of the Dakar 2009. The Repsol rider returned home with his second Dakar victory under his arm and the townspeople joined in the celebrations on foot, bicycle and of course on motorbikes, cheering the triumph the local hero got in South America.
The first thing he did this morning was to have breakfast together with his biker friends, that is after an excursion on their motorbikes around the zone, now something of a tradition. Marc Coma was then followed by a convoy of motorbikes for several kilometres along the streets of the town. Absolutely nobody in the area wanted to miss out on the party; people from the village and surroundings all went to see Marc Coma and accompanied him to the Town Hall – Ayuntamiento de Avià – where a throng had gathered to welcome home the winner of this year`s Dakar – in the motorbike category.
There, Marc spoke to the crowd from the balcony of the Ayuntamiento, alongside him were Jordi Viladoms, Gerard Farrés, Jordi Arcarons and other members of the Team Repsol KTM. The Repsol rider thanked all those present on what was a very special day for him. He was also able to visit the exhibition of drawings that the schoolchildren in the town had organised in his honour, and at the same time enjoy the best wishes given by all those welcoming him; from the mayor and institutions in Avià, to his most devoted fans from the Club Marc Coma as well as the “Penya Foc i Fuegu”.
Marc Coma >> Audio
“This was a very emotional day. First thing this morning I had breakfast with my friends who I ride with every Sunday. After that we went on our bikes to the town and more friends joined us, groups that I have also ridden with during my career and who I have had some great times with on our motorbikes. There was a big crowd, with a lot of people on the streets, all motorbike fans, even children on bicycles. It was really nice to see and very emotional; We then arrived at the Ayuntamiento, and I went onto the balcony to greet the people of Avià, that was a very special moment. The schoolchildren had even made an exhibition of drawings dedicated to me. This was a very emotional day, unforgettable and simply to be enjoyed.”
