Dakar 2013 – Leg 10: Cyril Despres takes the lead

The four-time Dakar winner moved to the top of the 2013 event’s provisional leaderboard after today’s SS10, between Cordoba and La Rioja. He is joined on the all-KTM/Michelin podium by Faria and Lopez, while Spain’s Joan Barreda collected his fourth stage win.

Leg 10: Cordoba-La Rioja (636km)

The sun shone down hard today on Serrezuela, location of today’s special stage finish. At midday, the thermometer read 32°C, while the ground temperature exceeded 50°C, but that didn’t dissuade the locals from waiting patiently for the competitors under the shade of eucalyptus trees while nibbling at empanadas…

The bikers had no time to sample the region’s speciality, however, since they still had a further 248km of long straights across the Argentine plains to cover before reaching the shelter of tonight’s overnight camp in La Rioja. Once there, everybody’s objective was to recover ahead of the two big challenges that await them: Fiambala and Copiapo.

The method preferred by Cyril Despres was to do a little cycling and the Frenchman appears to be in great physical and mental shape after dislodging team-mate Ruben Faria from first place. “Today was great fun; I had a good run-in with Joan Barreda.” Indeed, the two men were split by a tiny second at Km164!

“When I saw Cyril’s tyre marks, I realised that I needed to push harder,” commented the Spaniard who went on to claim his fourth stage win of the rally. “We had an enjoyable run together up to the refuelling point.”

His team-mate Paulo Gonçalves (3^rd) had a particularly broad smile at the finish: “Speedbrain-Husqvarna got two bikes into today’s top three, which is a great performance.” Alessandro Botturi was less enthusiastic, however, after hurting a little finger in a fall at Km100. Olivier Pain (Yamaha/Michelin) fell again, too, and is sporting a nasty cut to his right arm.

KTM/Michelin’s Joan Pedrero and Kurt Caselli rounded off today’s top five, ahead of the surprising Ivan Jakes who is contesting the Dakar for the sixth time on a privately-entered KTM 450 Rally. The Czech is fourth overall behind Chile’s Chaleco Lopez who has missed the vast open spaces and dunes he left behind in Calama. KTM/Michelin monopolises tonight’s top four.

Stage 10 classification:

1, Barreda (Husqvarna), 4h43m14s. 2, Despres (KTM), +1m15s. 3, Gonçalves (Husqvarna), +2m44s. 4, Pedrero (KTM), +4m27s. 5, Caselli (KTM), +6m56s. Etc.

Provisional positions after SS10:

1. Despres (KTM), 30:47:04 – 2. Faria (KTM), +1min37s – 3. Lopez (KTM), 13min41s – 4. Jakes (KTM), +18min21s – 5. Botturi (Husqvarna), +24min25s…