The 6th stage of the Dakar has been cancelled. Marc Coma will have to wait until tomorrow for another chance to try to reel Cyril Despres back in.
The Dakar riders will still travel to Copiapo today, but it won't be a competitive ride. The Dakar rally riders will ride in a convoy over today's course and we'll get ready to race tomorrow.
A statement from the organizers of the Dakar reads:
"Due to the bad weather continuing over the Andes Mountain Range (rain and snow), the Chilean authorities were forced to close, for the night, the border at the Paso de San Francisco pass, situated at 4700 m.
"For the 7th time, the Dakar is about to cross over the Andes, and because of very unfavourable conditions, added to the fact that the course has been hit by rain and snow, in order to guarantee the security of the competitors and those following the rally, the organizers have decided to organise a convoy for all vehicles tomorrow. The itinerary has been changed after the border (follow the main road on the right which goes to Diego de Almagro)."
Cyril Despres currently leads the way ahead of Marc Coma by nearly 10-minutes. Chaleco Lopez is currently in third place, but Lopez is more than 45 minutes behind the leader.
You can see a video summary of the fifth stage of the Dakar here.
