Arras-Madrid-Dakar: Stage 15 quotes

<pre> Saturday, January 12, 2002 Stage 15 - Kiffa to Dakar Marathon Two, Part II

BIKES

FABRIZIO MEONI
"I didn't expect to do so well with the new bike, yet alone win. The rally has been very hard and the sections have been long and tiring. The Marathon stages are really punishing. What with the weather and the long liaison sections, they have really made us work hard. I need some sleep now, I feel really tired. The win is not far away, but tomorrow is another day."

RICHARD SAINCT
"It was a pleasure to arrive last night and rest on the bike. Here at the hotel I will be able to eat and relax a little. The second Marathon stage was no better than the first, in a sporting sense, to race at night is not in the interest of competition and it is dangerous. Everyone agrees. My result was not decided out on the course, but I am a little disappointed about the time penalties I incurred at the start of the rally."

BERNARDO VILAR
"It was a difficult night. I only slept one and a half hours before the stage, the liaison was very bad. It was a special stage in my favour. I took pleasure in riding. It was quite technical. I have a broken collar bone and that makes it quite difficult to ride. I didn't think I would win the stage, but I used the gas sensibly without making a mistake with the road book."

JOAN ROMA
"I am very tired, but in a good frame of mind. I broke nothing. I will return next year and will be prepared to attack to win. I try each day to win. You cannot always cater for accidents, to be competitive that is a part of life."

ALFIE COX
"I would have been third without the retirement of Nani Roma, but that is the race. I won today's stage in 1998 on my first Dakar. It was quite straightforward, but the cars left a few minutes after us and we crossed the piste together. I am happy with my race and physically, I am okay."

CARS

HIROSHI MASUOKA
"We are in Dakar, but it is not over yet. The special stage was quite easy. But the section was so long and the road was very twisty. You had to be very careful, especially where it was raining and the track was slippery. I feel very tired and need to sleep well and look forward to tomorrow. My fingers are crossed. It is not over just yet."

JUTTA KLEINSCHMIDT
"It was hard for us, because at Kiffa we didn't sleep. Then we had to drive for 400 kms on a bad track to arrive at the stage start. Then we slept a little, but not much. I don't like those Marathon stages. I think they are dangerous. Of course, I would have liked to win, but I had many problems this year. I have broken my transmission twice, we have lost one hour repairing the damage and with that it is impossible to win. I suppose second place is not too bad."

-aso-