After the first competitive stage of the Dakar, KTM has shown that they are ready, capable, and serious about capturing their 10th consecutive title. Ruben Faria, Cyril Despres, Marc Coma, and Juan Pedrero Garcia all brought their KTM machines to the top four positions.
Pal-Anders Ullevalseter - KTM - 26th
"It was a terrible stage. After 20 km I had to stop to repair my antenna. I must have lost one minute. And then I just drove badly. For 10 years, I used to brake early because I was riding a big 690. Now I may not brake late. I have to learn. I did not participate in any race this year. It will take me two or three days to adjust to this 450cc bike."
Juan Pedrero Garcia - KTM - 4th:
"I am very, very happy. It was a great special stage for me; I arrived here without trouble and I am an official pilot. I m very happy about the bike. We had tested it but in race conditions, things are very different. I am pretty surprise about my timing. I was really motivated at the start; the ground felt like enduro racing and I grew confident after a while. A great motivation."
Cyril Despres - KTM - 2nd:
"The day started really early this morning. Waking up at 3:00 AM was a bit of a rough start but the conditions were good. It was not too cold in the liaison but that section was almost the toughest because the special stage was really great fun. It was a great warming-up exercise, a winding route, big sliding sections, a mix between skiing and riding. I am in good shape; all is fine... In the beginning of a Dakar, one always wonders, especially now that all the top riders are riding 450cc bikes. Is this going to change much? Even if we tested our bikes, a Dakar will always be a Dakar. The race is on now and staying focused is of the essence."
Ruben Faria - KTM - 1st:
"I managed to keep a good tempo from the beginning to the end. This special stage looked very much like what I am used to seeing in Portugal. I am glad to know that in the end it paid out and I got the day's best clock. I did better today than many great riders with different driving styles. It's already a good point of reference. I am also very happy to see that my team mate Cyril Despres also made excellent time."
Marc Coma - KTM - 3rd:
"A good warming-up stage; not an easy one though: it had a highly technical section and a faster section. What matters is reaching the end of the first stage without trouble. It's always a bit strange to start a new Dakar. Obviously, the fact that I was opening the route made me loose time on the others but this is the game of the race. The next few days will tell me how to catch up."
