Standings stage 14 – Saturday 16th January:
Cyril Despres
| Pos.. | Rider | Bike | Time | Penalty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DESPRES (FRA) | KTM | 51:10:37 | 00:00:00 |
| 2 | ULLEVALSETER (NOR) | KTM | 52:13:29 | 01:02:52 |
| 3 | LOPEZ CONTARDO (CHL) | APRILIA | 52:20:25 | 01:09:48 |
| 4 | RODRIGUES (PRT) | YAMAHA | 52:30:10 | 01:19:33 |
| 5 | FRETIGNE (FRA) | YAMAHA | 53:06:33 | 01:55:56 |
| 6 | DUCLOS (FRA) | KTM | 53:09:12 | 01:58:35 |
| 7 | STREET (USA) | KTM | 54:00:20 | 02:49:43 |
| 8 | PRZYGONSKI (POL) | KTM | 54:26:36 | 03:15:59 |
| 9 | PAIN (FRA) | YAMAHA | 54:38:57 | 03:28:20 |
| 10 | PEDRERO GARCIA (ESP) | KTM | 54:44:25 | 03:33:48 |
French KTM rider Cyril Despres sealed victory in the 2010 Dakar Rally after 9000 kilometres across Argentina and Chile. This is his third Dakar victory and the tenth consecutive victory for KTM, the Austrian-made sports motorcycles.
Portuguese rider Rubin Faria won the final stage with Despres finishing five minutes and five seconds behind finishing in eighth place.
Despres said “All victories are nice but this one is particularly beautiful,” he said. “It is the victory of hard work, of expertise and of an incredible team. There are nine of us in the team and not one of us ever let go. We all wanted to win; we all wanted to fight hard and we won. It’s just fantastic. Of course there is a lot of emotion.” Despres whose racing career has had its setbacks, injuries and a constant battle with his arch rival, fellow KTM rider Marc Coma of Spain said he was genuinely moved by the victory. “I am human,” he said “I know I have been riding this bike for 15 days and I am exhausted but the little strength I had left just went in tears. KTM played a big part in this victory. They trusted us. We chose everyone. We have been working 24/7 for months. One thing is clear; I was not afraid of losing. I just wanted to win. And this will to win was stronger than the fear of losing. It was a tough Dakar, a beautiful Dakar and I am so glad I won.”
Norwegian Pal Ullevalseter finished second on the day and second overall.
“To finish second in the standings is more than I expected. I had dreamed of it and there it is. On this Dakar, I only had good times. No problems, no crash. The bike worked well. I may not be the fastest rider but I am experienced. I know how to navigate, I know the technique and I am much more relaxed. With my first stage victory yesterday, I have lived so many things in two days. It’s great times. The party is on for weeks to come now. I’ve been training for this moment for 25 years!”
Portuguese rider Helder Rodrigues came third on his Yamaha but it wasn’t enough to catch Chilean Francisco Lopez who, despite finishing tenth, still managed to hang to third overall.
This is yet another win for KTM who first won the Dakar Rally in 2001 and have been undefeated ever since. Six of those victories have come with either Despres or Marc Coma, with each winning three victories each.
UPDATE: Take a look at these stunning photos on the Boston Globe website.
