Paul Carruthers | January 11, 2007
Jordi Viladoms won his first stage of this year’s Dakar Rally, the Repsol KTM rider beating his teammate and overall leader Marc Coma by 57 seconds in today’s 506-mile run from Tan Tan to Zouerat.
Coma’s second place finish increased his lead in the overall standings over Isidre Esteve to 12 minutes and 7 seconds with Esteve finishing fourth in today’s stage on his Gauloises KTM.
American Chris Blais ended today’s stage in third place behind Viladoms and Coma and that finish propelled him past Cyril Despres, who was 10th today, and into fourth in the overall standings. Blais also gained ground on third-placed David Casteu with the Frenchman finishing eighth in today’s stage.
The other Americans have yet to finish today’s stage, though Tim Hall did end up limping in at the end of yesterday’s stage after crashing and tearing a radiator hose off his bike.
Paul Carruthers | Editor
Paul Carruthers took over as the editor of Cycle News in 1993 after serving as associate editor since starting his career at the publication in 1985. Carruthers has covered every facet of the sport in his near-28-year tenure at America's Daily Motorcycle News Source.
