After the first two stages of the Dakar, KTM has to be pleased with the performance of its motorcycles. Last year's winner Cyril Despres has captured the first two stage wins aboard his KTM 450, his 25th stage win of his career, and he is followed by two more KTM machines. Marc Coma and Ruben Faria are riding the other two KTM's at the top of the leader board. But KTM can't get too comfortable at the top. BMW, Aprilia, Yamaha, and Sherco all have bikes toward the top of the time sheets.
[You can read more about the second stage of the Dakar here.]
Here are a few quotes from the Dakar's top riders.
Jonah Street: Yamaha - 8th Place
“I felt like I could’ve rode a little faster in the morning. I felt good, but I didn’t feel like I was carrying the right speed over the rises like I should be. Overall, I’m happy with the way I rode today. There is still a long way to go. These two stages are a lot different from what we’ll see in Chile”.
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Chaleco Lopez: Aprilia - 6th Place
“I really had fun on this special. It was a stage that really suited my bike. Mind you, I suffered because of the dust quite a bit and it was difficult to catch up with the riders ahead. The race has really started for me now. It’s been a positive day”.
David Casteu: Sherco - 11th Place
“I asked for news about the spectator that I hit yesterday and he only has two broken ribs, so I’m very relieved, because it wasn’t a very easy evening to go through yesterday. Today, I was still thinking about it, but there were much less people on the tracks and I was able to attack a lot. I ended up in the dust of Rodrigues, Viladoms and Verhoeven. I even managed to overtake them, but it wasn’t easy. At one point, I was travelling at 163 kmph, which is not bad at all for a 450cc. The bike is working very well and I’m really enjoying riding it”.
Marc Coma: KTM - Second Place
“It was a long stage, 300 km with lots of riding and virtually no navigation. I managed to get past Ruben Faria after losing a bit of time, so I tried to push on to make up time, but the main priority was to look after the tyres. Towards the end I slowed down a little to take it easy until the finishing line”.
Cyril Despres: KTM - 1st Place
“Today the track was full of bends and very skiddy, like a 300-km giant slalom with jumps, like skiing. I noticed at the refuelling point that I’d taken almost a minute less than Coma. I was feeling good, so I decided to attack a bit in the second part, though I was careful to look after my tyres because I nearly wore them through today. The most important thing is to find a god pace and have the right feeling. For the moment, the riding demands a lot of concentration”.
Here is the video from the second stage of the Dakar.
