Photo: Dakar.com
With KTM and Marc Coma leading the overall rankings after 11 stages (12th under way), 37 minutes ahead of Honda's Joan Barreda Bort, it's the battle for the third step of the podium which draws all the interest.
Coma claimed yet another stage win, and Despres made up for some of the gap separating him form the podium, as he finished second, 3 clawing back 3 minutes over Olivier Pain and Jordi Viladoms and 6 extremely important minutes from Honda's Helder Rodrigues.
Barreda took a fall 250 km (155 miles) into the day's special and broke all his navigation instruments and was forced to finish the timed stage relying on eye navigation solely. It cost him 8 minutes, but he's alright, and the bike is ok, as well.
Stage 11 linked Antofagasta and El Salvador, with 144 km (89 miles) of liaison and one of the longest timed sections summing 749 km (465 miles).
The general ranking has Coma in the lead, followed by Barreda. If no technical failure or crash occurs, we can safely presume the top two positions will not change through Val Paraiso.
However, the squirmish for third sees no less than 5 riders with very reasonable chances for the podium. Currently in third, Viladoms leads Pain with 14 minutes. Rodrigues is 9 minutes adrift, followed by Despres who is less than a minute slower. The final pretender to the podium is Przygonski, some 12 minutes behind the 5-time champion.
Stage 12 is underway between El Salvador and La Serena, with 350 km (217 miles) of timed section and 349 km (217 miles) of road section.
US - Stage 11 - Car/Bike - Stage Summary... de Dakar
Barreda took a fall 250 km (155 miles) into the day's special and broke all his navigation instruments and was forced to finish the timed stage relying on eye navigation solely. It cost him 8 minutes, but he's alright, and the bike is ok, as well.
Stage 11 linked Antofagasta and El Salvador, with 144 km (89 miles) of liaison and one of the longest timed sections summing 749 km (465 miles).
The general ranking has Coma in the lead, followed by Barreda. If no technical failure or crash occurs, we can safely presume the top two positions will not change through Val Paraiso.
However, the squirmish for third sees no less than 5 riders with very reasonable chances for the podium. Currently in third, Viladoms leads Pain with 14 minutes. Rodrigues is 9 minutes adrift, followed by Despres who is less than a minute slower. The final pretender to the podium is Przygonski, some 12 minutes behind the 5-time champion.
Stage 12 is underway between El Salvador and La Serena, with 350 km (217 miles) of timed section and 349 km (217 miles) of road section.
US - Stage 11 - Car/Bike - Stage Summary... de Dakar
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