After 7 stages at the 2011 Dakar Rally, Marc Coma and Cyril Despres still lead the way. But Chilean Fransisco Lopez cut into their lead today with his first stage victory. Lopez is still 18 minutes behind Coma, 10 behind Despres, but has shown the two KTM riders that he is a serious contender for this year's Dakar Rally.
Here are some quotes from the 2011 Dakar Rally.
Francisco Lopez: "A good day"
It was not easy. There was a lot of dust in the beginning. I went a little faster afterwards but I lost my exhaust at mid stage more or less. So after that, I was afraid my engine would break. Fortunately, it was the shortest special stage since the beginning of the raid; if it had not been the engine would have been hit bad. I won and that is all that matters. I had a good day. Everything is fine. Last week, I had a cold, but I feel better now. I am in great shape. I feel that I am driving well.
Pal-Anders Ullevalseter
This stage was a rather good one for me. I am really getting used to the bike now. I know how to handle it. And - by the way - I am having much more fun now and I am much faster as well. The feeling is getting better every day. I know I will not be able to win anymore. A few days ago, the aim was to finish in the Top 10. Now that it's done, I must keep climing the ranks. The race is still long.
Helder Rodrigues: "A place on the podium, or even better..."
I had to open the road in the first kilometers. It was going pretty well. After the sand dune, Cyril Despres overtook me. I stayed behind him till the end. My aim is a place on the podium, or even better. But it will be a tough call. Chaleco is a fast rider and he is on home turf.
Cyril Despres: "Thank you David Castera"
The rest day was a good thing for the bike and for the man. Today was one of the best days of motocross-type racing of my entire life. Thank you David Castera for such a fun riding experience. Not only was it a beautiful stage, it was also a fantastic one to ride. A really great day, even in terms of results. This morning, we were wondering if we would have our fill with 272 km; now my answer is YES.
Marc Coma: "A technical stage"
It was a technical stage. There was a purely motocross part to the stage... nice but demanding. I suffered in the first part, because I was behind Ruben Faria and I was getting a lot of his dust; it was hard to pass. But in the last part, the sand dunes, I could ride at my own pace.
