Bike news from stage 5

DAKAR 2012 - Argentina/Chile - stage 5  January 5th, 2012


12:23 - bike Borreda Bort sneaks into third place...

Young Spaniard Juan Borreda Bort, twelfth to start, has just achieved the third best time of the day, 12'42” behind Cyril Despres.


Jordi Viladoms has also shone in this special stage by picking up the fifth best time, 14'17” behind the day's winner, ahead of Pal Anders Ullevalseter.


The Norwegian completed the timed section 14'41” behind the day's best time, finishing in front of Chilean Francisco Lopez (19'10” behind Despres).



12:16 - bike Rodrigues reaches the finish...

More than 25 minutes after the uncontested leaders of the Dakar 2012, Cyril Despres and Marc Coma, Helder Rodrigues has just arrived at the finishing line, followed by Paulo Goncalves and Stefan Svitko.


For the scratch time, the Slovak is on the last step of the day's podium for the moment, 13'55” behind the day's winner, with Goncalves in fourth, 19'31” behind Despres, Juan Pedrero in fifth place, 20'45” behind. Rodrigues features next in sixth (21'08” behind) having lost a significant amount of time around CP1 whilst looking for the right track.


As a reminder, the most time lost today will be for Dutchman Frans Verhoeven, who has returned to the special stage and has so far completed 57 km...



11:38 - bike 002 - Despres wins the special!

Frenchman Cyril Despres has won the stage in 2:28'33”. He beat Marc Coma by 1'41” on completion of the 185-km route. As a result, Despres increases his lead in the bike general standings of the Dakar 2012



11:33 - bike 014 - Problems for Casteu?

French rider David Casteu stopped after 133 km of the special stage, just after reaching CP1. He appears to have lost half a dozen minutes at this point.



11:13 - bike 003 - Rodrigues third...

A little less than six minutes behind the current stage leader, Portugal's Helder Rodrigues has just reached CP1 in third place, after 128 km of the day's special for bikes.



10:59 - bike Despres leads Coma at CP1

With a time of 1:45'56”, Cyril Despres reached CP1 in the lead, in front of Marc Coma by a margin of 58 seconds.



10:57 - bike 302 - Have Coma and Desprès got lost?

The two KTM riders were localised too far to the north in relation to the planned route, in particular concerning CP1, located at the 128 km point. Cyril Despres and Marc Coma then returned to the check-point after having ridden for several kilometres too far.


10:06 - bike 015 - Continuing setbacks for Verhoeven...

After his first stop at around 9.20 AM local time, Frans Verhoeven was able to resume the race, albeit at a slow speed before turning around on the special stage. He is now heading towards the start of the stage, most likely to meet one of his assistance vehicles.




10:04 - bike Short stop for Barreda and Duclos...

Spaniard Joan Barreda Bort and Frenchman Alain Duclos stopped briefly after 32 kilometres of the special in an area of small dunes typical of the pampa grasslands.



09:36 - bike 015 - Verhoeven at a standstill…

The Dutch rider stopped on the special stage after 16 km for approximately ten minutes, and has only just set off again.



09:10 - bike 001 - Special stage underway!

Marc Coma kicked off proceedings for the day's special at 9.00 AM local time. The Spaniard, who won yesterday's stage, will set off on to the tracks ahead of his team-mate Cyril Despres, Frans Verhoeven, Helder Rodrigues and Paulo Goncalves. A pack of 150 bikes will be tackling this re-shaped 186-km special stage.



08:58 - bike Special stage shortened...

The timed section, which will start in the following minutes, will be shortened due to the heavy rainfall that has adversely affected the end of the stage route.


The finishing line will therefore be moved to the 186 km point, instead of the 265 km, as previously planned for the bikes. The route for the cars and trucks remains unchanged apart from the removal of the first 24 kilometres decided upon during the night.


07:03 - bike 001 - Coma heads to Fiambalá

Marc Coma, winner of yesterday's stage, has left the bivouac. It was at 6.00 AM local time that the first of the one hundred and fifty bikers expected to take starter's orders this morning left Chilecito towards the start of the day's special.


There are 151 kilometres of link stage to cover before reaching the timed section, measuring 265 km for the bikes and quads, who will not be taking the same route as the bikes and trucks today. The start of the special stage is scheduled for 8.30 AM local time.



19:13 Stage 5: Chilecito-Fiambalá

With further significant changes at the top of the classification, the cars, with yesterday's winner Stéphane Peterhansel at the fore, will follow a very different course from that taken by the motorcycles, still led by Cyril Despres. The finish of the special will be the only point in common.


The final challenge will be the white dunes of Fiambalá, whose sands put an end to Carlos Sainz's ambitions on two different occasions (2009 and 2011). The weather may also be a factor in this special, since storms are expected for this stage, following heavy rainfall in the region on Wednesday.


The trucks and quads will obviously be part of this equation with multiple unknowns, where the dunes, navigation and weather (with the possibility of snow in the mountain passes!) have the potential to disrupt the plans of even the most experienced pilots.



- copyright ASO -

Photos on automobilsport.com under PHOTOS SLIDESHOWS and PHOTOS Ecards OFF ROAD