Dakar 2005: Stage 14 The Final Spurt is On!
When two or three professional riders watch each other closely it is an opportunity for a daring amateur rider to get the better of the pros. Jean de Azevedo managed to do so today. On his 660 KTM the Brazilian private rider overtook the factory riders and claimed today's stage. Jean was incredibly happy, "I'm thrilled! For the first time I have won a stage on the Dakar. A dream has come true. This is also a victory for my service team. Before the rally, my mechanics worked on my bike for nights on end. Now their hard labor has been rewarded. Also I like to add that the support I receive from KTM is excellent. I'm so happy now."
Chris Blais was in a similar mood. It is his first Dakar and his first rally through the African desert, and the young American I doing a great job. Just like yesterday, Chris clinches a third place. "I am very satisfied," he claimed, "The route and the terrain were to my liking. This year I am here to learn and so far things have worked out very well. I got a bit closer to Dakar today. I definitely want to participate next year again." In the overall Blais claims a 9th spot.
Andy Caldecott rode along in the leading group until CP [check point] 2. It was than, that the mousse in his rear tire melted. "I had to replace the inner tube," explained the Australian in the bivouac, "A few precious minutes slipped away. But I'm not really disappointed to have lost time and a few spots in the rankings. I did well and I'm closing in on Dakar, the final destination."
Alfie Cox who ranks in fourth today, 34 seconds adrift, described the difficulties of the stage, "There were a lot of tracks from the trucks on the road today. You had to be extremely careful. But it was the large potholes on the track that were really dangerous. Most of them were filled with dust and were tough to see. In the worst case, you didn't see them at all until it was too late."
Cyril Despres didn't want to take any risks, like some of the others as well. His riding was well thought-out and restrained and was thereby able to defend his leadership in the overall standing. But he lost a few minutes today. "I did my best today, but I'm having trouble focusing. I'm riding carefully now. We want to keep our promise that a 'guy in blue' will claim the victory and stand on the podium in Dakar. Therefore I'm not going to risk anything."
It was already visible during today's race: The rally is coming to an end and the same can be said about the energy of the competitors. Everyone is calling on the last of their strength for the final few stages. Nobody wants to ruin what he has accomplished so far by making a stupid mistake. Tomorrow's special runs for 225 km. But the riders will need to mobilize their spirit as well as their powers once more. The route passes through a savanna landscape where navigation is not easy. At the end of the stage the riders will reach Dakar, the final destination.