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Sainz goes marching on in Dakar Rally
(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-01-15 09:24 COPIAPO, Chile: Spain's two-time rally world champion Carlos Sainz further extended his overall lead in the Dakar Rally here on Tuesday as he won the 476km 10th stage around Copiapo.
Sainz, who was winning his sixth stage of this year's edition and fourth in a row, beat home US driver Robby Gordon, and was 7 minutes and 39 seconds ahead of his American Volkswagen team-mate Mark Miller. Gordon said that it had been a relatively easy stage for him, although he bemoaned the lack of competitiveness between his Hummer and the Volkswagens. "We had a good day," said Gordon. "We managed to have a problem-free stage. As soon as we are on faster trails, they (the Volkswagens) shake us off. They have so much more power than we do." South Africa driver Giniel de Villiers cursed what he saw as being another day when lady luck did not ride alongside him. "Twenty kilometers from the end of the stage, I crossed a sand dune and I really had bad luck waiting for me on the other side," said de Villiers, who is third overall. "We were in the wrong place and ditched right into the hole. I lost 20 minutes trying to get out. It was just bad luck. Of course I am disappointed because we have lost even more time. We just have a lot of bad luck. "This is really not our Dakar!" Spanish rider Jordi Viladoms, on a KTM, won the motorbike section, finishing 1 minute and 6 seconds ahead of Franco-Malian rider Alain Duclos (KTM) and 8:29 ahead of Portuguese biker Helder Rodriguez, also on a KTM. Viladoms' compatriot Marc Coma retained the overall lead and increased his lead over second placed rider David Fretigne of France despite finishing 12:17 behind the stage winner. Viladoms said it had been a ride to remember. "In the last 10km it became completely crazy," he said. "I was riding with Coma, Cyril Despres and Duclos. When I reached the end and saw that I could follow Marc and Cyril, all my concerns disappeared. "It feels really good and I am satisfied." Coma for his part was relieved to have not suffered too much damage despite the toughness of the stage. "I misinterpreted a note and lost a lot of time," said Coma. "It was important to spend a day like this not losing one's head. "It is the kind of stage that leaves its toll on the rally like the Tourmalet stage in the Tour de France." Another Spaniard Cristobal Guerrero was in a coma on Tuesday after a heavy fall, organizers said. Guerrero, riding a KTM, fell some 160km into the 430km stage and was taken to Copiapo hospital where he underwent a scan. Chilean rider Francisco Lopez also had a heavy fall, losing consciousness in the process. Lopez, seventh in the overall standings overnight, recovered consciousness to finish the stage. The start of the stage was delayed two-and-a-half hours with the Chilean race venue of Copiapo enshrouded in thick morning fog - even thicker fog was predicted for yesterday, prompting the race organizers to cancel the stage. Agencies |
