Today the Dakar riders got a much needed rest day on the border of Chile and Peru. Cyril Despres and Marc Coma, the favorites of the 2011 Dakar rally, are currently leading the way. Both riders have two stage wins during this year's rally, but Coma currently has an 8 minute lead over his rival.
Coma and Despres have a somewhat comfortable lead ahead of the rest of the pack. Fransisco Lopes is the closest competitor, 22 minutes behind Coma. But as the Dakar Rally heads into the Atacama Desert for three consecutive stages, no lead is safe.
The rally will get back underway tomorrow, as riders will have to endure the longest stage of the Dakar Rally. From Arica to Antofagasta, the riders will have to endure more than 800 kilometers of riding. The 8th and 9th stage wont be as long, but they will be jut as grueling. The riders will have to endure the Atacama Desert, which is one of th driest places on the planet. After that the riders will have to cross back over the Andes as they head back to Buenos Aires.
