Coma overtakes nemesis to hit lead

While the KTMs are still leading the motorcycle class in the Dakar rally, sitting pretty in positions one and two, Frenchman Cyril Despres has been overtaken by fellow KTM factory rider Marc Coma. But can the Spaniard hold on to his narrow two second lead?

The stage crossed the Andes at an altitude of 4800 metres today, via the Paso de Jama pass, meaning that competitors had to contend with low oxygen levels. The stage also crossed over into Chile and will wind its way through one of the most hostile deserts on the planet - the Atacama.

Spanish-born Marc Coma finished first in stage four of the Dakar Rally, his second in a row, and though he took to the overall lead he explained that it wasn't overly important: "I'm happy and I felt great. I hope it stays like that right until the end. The general standings don't matter for the moment. The most important thing will be the last day. It's essential to have a good pace and avoid making mistakes. Now we'll have to deal with two very difficult stages."

Despres, having lost the lead, was nevertheless upbeat: "For this type of terrain that's so different you need to change the way your brain's wired. There's no more hard ground, just desert, off-track riding and surfaces that break up ... It's a superb battle with Marc. Today again we opened up a little more of a gap on the others. This evening, I'm in second, two seconds behind. For a number two, that's a neat trick, isn't it?"

Local Chilean rider Francisco Lopez Contardo moved into third place on his Aprilia but he still sits a good 20 minutes behind the leading KTMs, so it is shaping up to be a two man KTM race to the final stage.

The leading Australian rider in the 2011 Dakar Rally remains Jacob Smith, but he dropped several places in the overall ranking to 35th after finishing 86th in the gruelling fourth stage.

The other Australians still in the rally include privateer Simon Pavey (BMW) in 90th place and Warren Strange (Honda) in 94th place. Mark Davidson (Honda) in is 108th overall.

General Standings after Stage 4

1. Marc Coma, Spain, KTM 11:43:12
2. Cyril Despres, Andorra KTM, at 00:02
3. Francisco (Chaleco) Lopez, Chile, Aprilia, at 20:12
4. Paolo Goncalves, Portugal, BMW, 25:40
5. Helder Rodriguez, Portugal, Yamaha, at 26:02
6. Juan Pedrero, Spain, KTM at 26:23
7. Ruben Faria, Portugal, KTM at 27:07

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