Only two or three days ago we spoke about solidarity between the competitors. We were referring to privateers, who have to count on eachother to increase everyone's possibilities of reaching Dakar. Today we had confirmation of this particular soul inborn in the adventure of Dakar. This time the story comes directly from the head of the race.
This morning, in the middle of the special test of 444 kilometers, three riders were leading: Despres, Coma and Esteve. The track was fast, and navigation insignificant. The main problem was monitoring speed. All of a sudden, Cyril Despres went down. It was at kilometer 273, in an undulated terrain section of the special test. He went down hard.
Shortly after, Marc Coma came and stopped near Despres, immediately stopping his race. Competitors suddenly switched to colleagues, then to friends. No more team partision or antagonism. Cyril was unconscious, so The Repsol KTM World Champion turned on Depres' emergency radio beacon and alerted the medical headquarter of the organization.
Isidre Esteve also pulled up, and the riders stayed near the unfortunate Gauloises KTM Team exponent until Despres showed he was able to continue. But from there on, all three riders proceeded together until the finish at reduced speed. Meanwhile, Chilean Carlo De Gavardo reached the leaders and, due to his starting position, won the special test.
At the bivouac, Despres was checked by the doctors: not any fracture, but the dislocation of the left collar bone. Cyril Despres has announced that he will try to start in the tomorrow's stage, but the pain induced by the dislocation of his shoulder will be significant. The rider was truly a hero during those last 170 kilometers of the special test.
Carlo De Gavardo won the special test just in front of his Repsol KTM teammate Giovanni Sala and Isidre Esteve. Norwegian Paul Ullevalseter was fourth and Coma fifth. In the overrall standings the gap between Coma and Despres is now less than 4 minutes, but the today's accident is pending on the result of the race.
The sixth stage of the Rally started very early this morning, The riders left Tan Tan at 01:40 AM and reached the border between Morocco and Mauritania only at 6:00 AM. So riders had only a short hour to rest before the start of the long today's special test. It was therefore a short yesterday's afternoon: the competitors prepared their "luggage," had a fast dinner and reached their sleeping bags early. Today's stage has been exhausting, and the race is not finished; tomorrow competitors will face one of the longest special tests of the rally, almost entirely in the dunes, full of navigation difficulties.
A moving village. When you think of the Dakar, you refer to the race. And this is correct; the evident and shining side of the competition is the main highlight. But the other side of the race is the adventure. Imagine now how 2,500 people can move across the desert. It is something ancient, like a migration of a nomadic population. Every night a small town springs up in the middle of nowhere. A small village characterized by this strange architecture of modern tents that disappears every following morning. This small "republic" is inhabited by men and womenfolk, without social differences. In the Republic of the Dakar, what you do is more important than you who are, and everyone has the same goal. For these people, the organization deploys hospitals, "restaurants," airplanes and satellite communications. Their ministers makes any effort to give to the people all kind of support so they can realize their dreams of this two week adventure. For all, the main dream is to reach Dakar.
Rankings: Special - 444 km
Stage Results:
1. De Gavardo (Repsol KTM), 04:00:32h
2. Sala (Repsol KTM), + 03:23
3. Esteve Pujol (Gauloises KTM), + 03:52
4. Ullevalseter (KTM), + 05:31
5. Coma (Repsol KTM), + 05:55
6. Caldecott (Repsol KTM), + 06:44
7. Despres (Gauloises KTM), +08:13
8. Fretigne (YAMAHA), + 08:19
9. Viladoms (Repsol KTM), + 10:14
10. Amaral (KTM), + 11:12
11. Grider (Red Bull USA KTM), + 11:28
12. De Azevedo (KTM), + 12:00
13. Blais (Red Bull USA KTM), + 12:31
14. Katrinak (KTM), + 12:44
15. Rivera (KTM), + 14:21
16. Duclos (KTM), + 17:40
17. Marchini (KTM), + 19:11
18. Rodrigues (YAMAHA), + 23:54
19. Farres Geull (YAMAHA), + 24:09
20. Czachor (YAMAHA), + 24:50
23. Gau (Gauloises KTM), + 28:03
25. Casteu (Gauloises KTM) + 37:09
Overall Results:
1. Coma (Repsol KTM), 18:15:45 h
2. Despres (Gauloises KTM), 18:19:28 h, + 03:43
3. Esteve Pujol (Gauloises KTM), 18:20:10 h, + 04:25
4. De Gavardo (Repsol KTM), 18:21:42 h, + 05:57
5. Caldecott (Repsol KTM), 18:43:28 h, + 27:43, Penalty: 02:00
6. Fretigne (YAMAHA), 18:50:13h, + 34:28
7. Sala (Repsol KTM), 18:53:35h, + 37:50
8. Ullevalseter (KTM), 18:57:53 h, + 42:08
9. Katrinak (KTM), 19:13:05 h, + 57:20
10. Casteu (Gauloises KTM), 19:13:56 h, + 58:11
11. Blais (Red Bull USA KTM), 19:17:56 h, + 01:02:11 h
12. De Azevedo (KTM), 19:22:17 h, + 01:06:32 h
13. Farres Guell (YAMAHA), 19:42:26h, + 01:26:41 h
14. Agra Carrera (YAMAHA), 19:43:38 h, + 01:27:53 h
15. Amaral (KTM), 19:44:05 h, + 01:28:20 h
16. Gau (Gauloises KTM), 19:44:26 h, + 01:28:41 h
17. Duclos (KTM), 19:50:47 h, + 01:35:02 h
18. Faria (KTM), 19:52:07 h, + 01:36:22 h, Penalty: 12:00
19. Rivera (KRM), 19:59:40 h, +01:43:55 h
20. Grider (Red Bull USA KTM), 20:05:59 h, + 01:50:14 h
23. Viladoms (Repsol KTM), 21:00:00 h, + 02:44:15 h