Red Bull KTM’s Marc Coma’s strong second-place finish today allowed him to stretch his lead during Stage 10 – the first half of the second marathon stage of the Dakar Rally. Photography by Red Bull Content Pool.
Joan Barreda led the way on Stage 10 as riders headed into the second marathon stage of the Dakar Rally. The HRC rider took his third stage win of the rally today, finishing a minute and a half ahead of Red Bull KTM’s Marc Coma. But Coma celebrated a “victory” of his own, finishing ahead of his closest rival, Paulo Goncalves, and fattening up his lead by over 2 minutes.
“It’s been a tough Dakar,” Coma said. “We have to fight many adverse situations but after so many days and despite the suffering, I am still enjoying it. That is what is great about this race. It makes you confront your limits and when you think you can’t do any more, you face them and move on. Today’s stage was very hard; at first there was the altitude, and then a technical part that really tested us. But I tried to keep up the same pace throughout the stage.”
“There’s nothing I can do now apart from finishing like this,” said HRC’s Joan Barreda, who topped the Stage 10 special today. Despite his winning capabilities, it looks unlikely he will be able to rejoin the top-10 by the close of the Dakar Rally. Photography by HRC.
“I got off to a great start this morning,” said stage winner, Joan Barreda. “Everything fell into place. It was easy because there wasn’t much in the way of navigation. It was basically a main track we had to follow. It’s a pity, what happened in Uyuni, on the salt flat. I was in the lead, the toughest part was over, the odds were stacked in my favor. There’s nothing I can do now apart from finishing like this. It’s just about helping the team and trying to get a good result.”
Goncalves, of Honda’s HRC squad, finished fifth on the day, behind Ruben Faria in third and Toby Price in fourth. Price continues to amaze with his speed and skill, with his consistency is moving him ever closer to the overall podium. At the end of Stage 10, Price is now breathing down the neck of KTM’s Pablo Quintanilla – a mere 30 seconds away from overtaking third in standings.
Another solid finish for KTM’s Stefan Svitko has cemented his position in fifth overall, while the remaining top-10 sit 1-2 hours back. Ruben Faria of the factory KTM camp had a decent ride today, but took a hit in standings with a 40-minute penalty. But the deficit only took him from sixth to seventh. HRC’s Laia Sanz still follows in eighth after taking another step up in the top-10 yesterday after Sherco’s star rider Alain Duclos lost over 4 hours on Stage 9.
In other bad luck, KTM’s Matthias Walkner withdrew from competition today. The young Austrian’s debut Dakar ended “due to illness,” according to a release from KTM.
Sickness has caused KTM’s Matthias Walkner to withdrawal from the Dakar Rally today. Photography by RallyZone Bauer/Barni.
The second and final marathon stage of the Dakar Rally continues tomorrow with Stage 11. Now back in Argentina, the course extends east toward the finish of the race in Buenos Aires. Tomorrow racers head to Termas de Rio Hondo for a 318-mile stage including a 218-mile special.
Dakar Motorcycle Results – Stage 10
1. Joan Barreda (Hon)
2. Marc Coma (KTM)
3. Ruben Faria (KTM)
4. Toby Price (KTM)
5. Paolo Goncalves (Hon)
6. Stefan Svitko (KTM)
7. Helder Rodrigues (Hon)
8. Pablo Quintanilla (KTM)
9. Ivan Jakes (KTM)
10. David Casteu (KTM)
Provisional Standings After Stage 10
1. Marc Coma (38:13:50)
2. Paulo Goncalves (+7:35)
3. Pablo Quintanilla (+31:42)
4. Toby Price (+32:02)
5. Stefan Svitko (+45:19)
6. David Casteu (+1:41:14)
7. Ruben Faria (+1:41:40)
8. Laia Sanz (+2:05:00)
9. Ivan Jakes (+2:25:51)
10. Oliver Pain (+2:50:11)
