The route at Dakar just wont give the riders a break. Day five brings the off-road bikers 670 km through the Atacama desert from Copiapo to Antofagasta. The physically demanding route climbs to 3000 meters twice, dropping back down to 1000 meters quickly after.
The rough terrain is perilous to even the most experienced riders. David Casteu, who had been battling with the current leader Cyril Despres for the past four days for first in the overall standings, took a bad fall at the 394 km mark.
He had to be airlifted out due to a severe open wound in his thigh. This is the first time in seven Dakar attempts that Casteu has ever had to withdraw.
“When you see that a rider like him can make a small mistake it is a reality check,” says David Fretigne, who finished third for the day. “It only takes two tiny seconds of lack of attention at a bad time and you can hit a rock, dip into a ravine and fall.”
Mark Coma, another contender for the title, had his hopes dashed yet again due to a tough fifth stage. After blowing a rear tire, Coma waited for nearly 40 minutes until Italian Luca Manca, in a strange but generous move, gave Coma a tire.
So who had a good day? Lopez Contardo rode his Aprilla with grace through his home country of Chile for his first stage win of the year. With Casteu out of the race, and Coma more than an hour out of first place, Contardo will attempt to put the pressure on Despres, even if it is from 37’37” behind him.
“In Chile all is fine... even gas is better,” says Contardo. “But again... I won a special stage, that is great, but to get up in the standings there is still a lot to do.”
