Coma and Despres stay on top

From KTM Racing

KTM factory riders continued to deliver strong results in the seventh stage of the 33rd edition of the Dakar Rally on Sunday as riders resumed the competition after the one rest day on Saturday. While victory in the stage in the Chilean desert went to home-grown rider Chaleco Lopez on an Aprilia, KTM's Cyril Despres and Marc Coma were close behind in second and third.     
       
French-born Despres also clawed back a little over a minute from overall leader and arch rival Coma, who continues to lead the overall standings by a margin of 7:24. The competition is shaping up to be a great battle between the two KTM factory riders who are aiming to give the Austrian brand its 10th consecutive title. Other serious podium contenders as the riders settle into the second half of the rally are Lopez and Yamaha's Helder Rodrigues of Portugal while the two co-riders for the KTM teams, Ruben Faria (Portugal) and Juan Pedrero of Spain are fifth and seventh overall.

Despres was elated at the end of the day saying that the rest day had been, "good for man and machine. Today was one of the best days of motocross-type racing of my entire life. Not only was it a beautiful stage, it was also a fantastic one to ride - a really great day, even in terms of results."

Coma also commented that the day had been another technical one in the sands of the Atacama, which he described as, "nice but demanding. I suffered in the first part, because I was behind Ruben Faria and I was getting a lot of his dust; it was hard to pass. But in the last part, the sand dunes, I could ride at my own pace."

Coma, who has won this great event twice, is riding his ninth Dakar.

On the eve of Stage 7, three-time Dakar winner Despres said the first half of the rally had been very positive.

"The pace has been fast right from the beginning and we have had some great specials," he said. "I am also satisfied with how I have been riding. I haven't had any big crashes, I'm not carrying any injuries, my navigation has been precise and my speed good. The team is also functioning very well and Ruben (Faria) has been doing a great job supporting me on the piste."

Organizers perhaps took pity on the riders and on Sunday what was intended to be the longest stage in the rally was shortened to a 273km special stage.

Stage eight on Monday sees the riders stay in the desert as they travel from Antofagasta - Copiapo - on 268km of road and a 508km timed special. The tricky navigation continues and they have a long sandy section at the end of the day. Still in the field for the second half of the rally are 125 bikes remaining from the original start list of 186.

Stage Seven Results
1. Francisco (Chaleco) Lopez, Chile, Aprilia, 3:29.45
2. Cyril Despres, Andorra, KTM, at 2:21
3. Marc Coma, Spain, KTM, at 3:45
4. Helder Rodrigues, Portugal, Yamaha, at 9:14
5. Ruben Faria, Portugal, KTM, 10:44
6. Stefan Svitko, Slovakia, KTM, at 11:19
7. Pal Anders Ullevalseter, Norway, KTM, 14:03

Standings after Stage Seven
1. Marc Coma, Spain, KTM, 26:13:50
2. Cyril Despres, Andorra, KTM, at 7:24
3. Francisco (Chaleco) Lopez, Chile, Aprilia, 18:27
4. Helder Rodrigues, Portugal, Yamaha, at 33:04
5. Ruben Faria, Portugal, KTM at 40:53