BIKES first news from Dakar stage 12 17.01.2014: Dakar Rally 2014 stage 12 El Salvador - Serena January 17th, 2014 09:34 Bikes: Despres leads at CP2 after 90 km

Dakar Rally 2014
stage 12 El Salvador - Serena
January 17th, 2014




    09:34 Bikes: Despres leads at CP2 after 90 km

Cyril Despres has completed 90 km with a lead of 29' over Helder Rodrigues, the Portuguese rider having led the race since the start of the special.

Marc Coma is third, 1’17' behind Despres, Olivier Pain is 1’41' behind his countryman and Jordi Viladoms is 5’41' behind the current stage leader.


    09:24 Bikes: Gouet third after 44 km

 Chilean Daniel Gouet has climbed into third position at this time check point, but has slowed pace in relation to the start of the special.

Van Niekerk and Svito have been caught by the leaders and now trail the stage’s fastest man, Helder Rodrigues, by 1’31' and 5’20' respectively.


    09:09 Bikes: First tendencies after 44 km

Helder Rodrigues can feel his rivals in the general breathing down his neck and has been the quickest man after 44 km.

He leads Cyril Despres by 4', Marc Coma by 50', Juan Pedrero Garcia by 1’11', Olivier Pain by 1’13' and Jordi Viladoms by 1’25'. Changes are likely in the coming minutes, since Gouet, Svitko and Van Niekerk were very quick over the first few kilometres.



    08:25 Bikes: Coma starts

The first bikes are setting off for this Friday’s special stage. At 8.15 AM local time, the leader of the general standings, Marc Coma, kicked of proceedings.

The winner of yesterday’s special, but given a 15 minute penalty for the stage after having changed his engine at the bivouac, Coma is followed out by Cyril Despres, Olivier Pain and Jordi Viladoms.


    08:03 : Start times and starters

The fog known locally as La Camanchaca is starting to lift from the Dakar village. There is no link stage today and the special starts directly from the bivouac. 350 km against the clock are on the menu, before a 349-km link stage to La Serena.

The following have been cleared to start this morning: 79 bikes, 15 quads, 66 cars and 50 trucks. The first departure on 2 wheels is scheduled for 8.15 AM local time and the first car will set off at 9.50 AM, instead of 10.18 AM as initially planned.


    08:02 Bikes: New engine and a penalty for Coma

The leader of the bike general standings changed the engine of his KTM at the bivouac, leading to a 15 minute penalty for the rider.


As a result, Marc Coma loses out on his stage victory of yesterday, handing it to Cyril Despres, even if he was quickest on the specials stage.

This morning, Coma still has a lead of 37’36' over Joan Barreda, once this penalty has been taken into account.




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