Cyril Despres was able to hold on to the lead during the final stage of the 2012 Dakar to claim his fourth victory in seven years. KTM's winning streak is even more impressive. KTM has one the last 11 Dakar Rallies.
Marc Coma suffered mechanical problems during the penultimate stage and gave Despres a big lead on the final day. Despres was given an even bigger lead when Coma was forced to change out his engine and incur a 45-minute penalty.
"Today we won and it's simply fantastic," Despres said. "This is without a shadow of a doubt the toughest Dakar I've ever raced in. It was difficult physically, but even more psychologically. Challenging yourself every morning and fighting on the course takes its toll on your mind. It's not like a 42-kilometre marathon; here, you have to earn your place every morning. All victories are beautiful, but this one is special because it came down to the wire and was decided at the last minute. This was an unimaginable scenario, with the leaders separated by mere seconds. I've done 90 or 85 rallies throughout my life, and this one was the one where I had to fight the hardest. Today will leave its mark on me."
Coma was disappointed to end the 2012 Dakar Rally in second, but the KTM rider is confident about this chances in 2013. Coma and Despres have alternated victories for the last seven years. If that pattern holds, Coma will be crowned the champion next year.
"I finished second in what was a difficult rally," Coma said. "I gave it my all every single day. I wish to congratulate Cyril. He's the champion. But I'm going to work hard to try and win again next year. If we keep alternating... it should be my turn! But first I have to work."
Behind Coma and Despres, Hélder Rodrigues took the third spot on the podium for the second consecutive year.
"Making it to the end of a Dakar is always terrific," Rodrigues said. "So finishing on the podium is simply incredible. There are two great riders, Marc and Cyril, and they're tough nuts to crack. I lost 20 minutes in stage 4 and 20 more two days later. I was 40 minutes back, so I knew catching up with them would be hard. Winning the Dakar requires perfect preparation all year round and making sure everything goes well during the race. I'll try and find the solution to be as good as they are. I need a bit more of everything, especially money to build a strong structure."
