Marc Coma stage 7 report

Stage 7. Marc Coma is being intractable

The AMV rider was third in what has been the seventh stage and continues leader in the overall with a difference of 7 minutes and 24 seconds to Frenchman Cyril Despres.

Marc Coma (KTM), who still leads overall with a difference of 7 minutes and 24 seconds on his trusty tracker, Frenchman Cyril Despres (KTM), today completed the seventh round with a partial time of 3 hours 33 minutes and 30 seconds, 3 minutes and 45 seconds of the Chilean rider "Chaleco" Lopez who today won the stage ahead of Frenchman Cyril Despres.

The hardness of the rally forced the organization to reduce the stage, which, on paper, should be the longest stage of 2011. Still, many participants came to the ordeal and exhausted after carrying thousands of kms behind them.

The "waterboy" of Marc Coma, Joan Pedrero, with a time of 3 hours 47 minutes 50 seconds, was tenth at 18 minutes and 5 seconds behind the winner of the stage. In the overall, Pedrero is seventh with a difference of 1:16:33 to the overall leader.

MARC COMA Pilot AMV: "Today's stage, which was originally to be the longest has been shorter than we expected. In the end, 273 kms of the 631 km that initially we should go. Before us, we have a really crucial stage. We are leading in the overall but we must not give too much importance now. The tomorrow's special, very hard and in that small mistakes are very expensive, will be divided into three distinct parts. Really, the Dakar is very hard but I am satisfied with the pace that we are doing."

-source: marc coma