Coma wins his second Dakar

January 18, 2009

Catalan Marc Coma (KTM) has become the first Dakar winner in Latin America, maintaining his composure in the final 227km special stage between Cordoba and Buenos Aires to score the honours.

Coma finished nearly 86 minutes ahead of teammate and two-time winner Cyril Despres, with the impressive David Fretigne third - and first in the 450cc class - on his Yamaha.

"I can't describe the feeling - happy doesn't even come close," said Coma. "It is so good to be able to draw a line under two difficult years - losing the 2007 Dakar two days from the end and then the cancellation of the 2008 edition.

"Winning this race is all about preparation and Jordi (Viladoms), Gerard (Farres) and I worked very hard on that this year. It has been a difficult rally for both the organisers and the competitors, due to our lack of experience in racing on this continent, but we have all risen to that challenge. What really made this Dakar special were the people of Argentina and Chile who were so welcoming and enthusiastic."

Australian David Schwarz was 36th on his KTM, nearly 15 hours behind Coma. Schwarz's compatriots, Simon Pavey (BMW) and Christophe Barriere Varju (KTM), both retired.

Volkswagen was 1-2 in the car section, with Hummer third.

Meanwhile, Spanish rider Cristobal Guerrero (here) remains in a coma after suffering a heavy crash on January 13, but reports now suggest his life is not in danger.

Photos: J Edmunds