PH2: Despres takes Dakar (just)
Tough man takes tough win on Dakar rally
Having covered a total of over 5,000 miles split into 14 stages containing a mixture of road, tracks and sand dunes, Despres was just 53 minutes and 20 seconds ahead of Coma after the Spaniard suffered a gearbox failure on the eve of the last round, robbing him of 45 minutes and the spectators of an epic final stage.
"This is without a shadow of a doubt the toughest Dakar I've ever raced in. It was difficult physically, but even more psychologically. Challenging yourself every morning and fighting on the course takes its toll on your mind," said Despres.
"It's not like a 42-kilometre marathon; here, you have to earn your place every morning. All victories are beautiful, but this one is special because it came down to the wire and was decided at the last minute. This was an unimaginable scenario, with the leaders separated by mere seconds. I've done 90 or 85 rallies throughout my life, and this one was the one where I had to fight the hardest. Today will leave its mark on me."
There should be extreme challenges like this, I'd just prefer it if they could hold the event a bit closer to home. Not sure there's enough open land left in the uk though....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4LPWpHd12U
It's not winning if you win like that.
Autosport doesn't find it a problem to mention it!
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/97034
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4LPWpHd12U
It's not winning if you win like that.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4LPWpHd12U
It's not winning if you win like that.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4LPWpHd12U
It's not winning if you win like that.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mYnGyHX9OY
shocking... and he got away with it!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mYnGyHX9OY
shocking... and he got away with it!
I've lost a lot of respect for ASO and the Dakar this year....shame as I've been an addict for as long as I can remember.
This year was all about a double french victory and it blows. You'd think it was an election year over there or something.
Now, where's my baguette?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mYnGyHX9OY
shocking... and he got away with it!
Didn't Despres just leave the biker who helped him out of the mud behind too?
Gassing Station | Biker Banter | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff