Due to a mistake made by Argentinean police yesterday, time bonuses were added to the riders who were led astray by an incorrectly marked trail at km 13. The time bonuses stripped Frans Verhoeven of yesterdays stage victory, and handed it to Marc Coma for his third straight win of the 32nd Dakar.
More importantly, the lead established by Pal Anders Ullevalseter yesterday over “Chaleco” Lopez for second place vanished, and both riders started at exactly the same time. With just two days left in the Dakar, and first place well secured by Cyril Despres, the 90-plus rider race comes down to two men.
Ullevalseter opened the day strong, as his 690cc KTM moved quickly through the beginning half of the stage to establish a lead as high as 1’34”. As the rocky hills turned to sand, “Chaleco,” and his small 450cc Aprilla overtook Ullevalseter and finished the race with a 1’13” lead.
“It was a route that suited my machine, but it was difficult,” said Lopez. “For one of the last few stages of the Dakar, it was one of the toughest.”
Cyril Despres, who started the race an hour and twenty minutes ahead of Ullevalseter and Lopez, had his lead cut down by twenty minutes. Still with a prominent lead, if Despres takes care of his bike, he is a sure win for the 32nd Dakar.
