Dakar: KTM stage 12 report

Coma and Despres get lost
The change of scenery when arriving in Mali is huge, compared to Mauritania.

Villages, people, animals, trees and lots of tracks. The roadbook already indicated many changes of directions and crossroads. Navigation made the difference today.

That was exactly the reason Marc Coma (KTM Repsol) and Cyril Despres (KTM Gauloises), the numbers one and two in the standings, lost time today. They made a mistake and had to make a 10 km loop to get back on the right track. Coma finished 16th, Despres 13th.

Despres and Coma were together, trying to find the tracks. 'It was a matter to paying close attention and respecting one another. When Marc was leading and made a mistake, I took over. And the other way around as well. We had to do it together today. Overtaking was impossible in the dust.'

Frans Verhoeven (KTM Gauloises) had to withdraw with two dislocated shoulders. The Dutchman was riding the second fastest time at km 181. He was in the same group, trying to stay close behind his leader pilot Despres. 'I was trying to slow down Coma, to give Cyril some advantage. And then I made a mistake and was thrown off my bike. I landed on my shoulders. I managed to put the left arm back in position, but the right one was too painful.'

-credit: ktm