BIKES first news from final Dakar stage 18.01.2014: Dakar 2014 Final stage La Serena - Valparaiso January 18th, 2014 11:10 Bikes: Km 41: Despres leads, Coma 20th

Dakar 2014
Final stage La Serena - Valparaiso
January 18th, 2014





11:10 Bikes: Km 41: Despres leads, Coma 20th


The Frenchman is now on top, colouring the top 3 entirely in the Tricolore and Yamaha colours thanks to Metge and Pain's presence in second and third. Marc Coma (+3'35') is riding in twentieth place.



10:58 Bikes: Km 69: Pedrero García takes the reins

Sherco's Juan Pedrero García's new time of 53'03' was 18' faster than Michael Metge's and 2'45' faster than Ivan Jakes'. The overall leaders should be here any minute.




10:52 Bikes: Km 41: Metge, still Metge

The Frenchman is still in control with a time of 30'20', with Joan Barreda and Juan Pedrero García at 4' and Daniel Gouet fourth at 42', followed by Jakes, Svitko and Casteu.



10:35 Bikes: Km 41: Metge fastest

The Frenchman has posted a new best time of 30'20'. The Yamaha rider beat Juan Pedrero García (Sherco) by 4 seconds

At the beginning of the stage, best times were being improved more or less in 2'15' increments, but that has now fallen to about one minute and will probably fall further as the overall leaders go through the checkpoint.



10:24 Bikes: The leaders hit the road

Hélder Rodrigues has just begun today's special. Despres, Pain, Viladoms and Coma will follow shortly. Just a few minutes left until the final dash for the line.



10:16 Bikes: Km 41: Diener gaining ground

Aussie Shane Diener is now leading with a time of 32'31', two minutes faster than Stéphane Hamard's best time. With Chile's Jaime Prohens and France's Eric Croquelois in second and third place, respectively, the top 3 is now full of Yamahas.



09:57 Bikes: Km 41: First trends

 Frenchman Stéphane Hamard is the provisional leader at km 41 of today's special, 57' ahead of Mexican Octavio Valle and 1'14' ahead of fellow countryman Sylvain Espinasse. All of them are riding KTMs.





09:18 Bikes: The other leaders at the start of the last stage

As the Dakar comes to a close, hat-tip to Laia Sanz, the only female motorcycle rider to make it to the finish, with a very enviable 16th place.


In the category of motorcycles without assistance, Dutchman Robert van Pelt is in the lead ahead of South African Brett Cummings and fellow Batavian Jan Bastiaan Nijen Twilhaar.


Finally, another Dutchman sits at the top of the rookie classification, as Henricus Vogels leads Chile's Cristian Naser Colombo and Frenchman Xavier de Soultrait.




09:06 Bikes: Motorcycles enter the special

Yannick Guyomarc'h and his motorcycle blasted into the 157 km long last special of the 2014 Dakar at 9 h 00'30' local time. The riders at the top of the general classification will start just before 10 am.



08:34 Bikes: Motorcycles in the link section

78 motorcycles and 15 quads are on their way towards the start of today's 157 km special, which they will start in the inverse order of yesterday's stage. Thus, no. 118 Yannick Guyomach will open the course for the motorcycles and Eugenio Favre for the quads.




- ASO -   photo DPPI