2004 Telefónica Dakar back on track
STAGE 12: BOBO-DIOULASSO > BAMAKO
Burkina Faso to Mali
Liaison: 88 km - Special: 213 km - Liaison: 365 km - Total: 666 km
Assistance Teams travel: 541 km.
Finally, the 2004 Telefónica Dakar is back on track after three days of rest. With revived energy, stage 12 proved to be a fight from the word go! Although Frenchman, Cyril Despres, went all-out chasing after South African, Alfie Cox’s third place overall, it was Cox who not only defended well, but also made up time on second place Frenchman, and three times race-winner, Richard Sainct.
The morning of January, 13 saw organizers set-off 77 of the original 180 motorcycles, 72 of the original 120 cars, and 41 of the original 75 trucks at the start of stage 12 (between Bobo Dioulasso and Bamako). Instead of crossing dunes and smooth sand, the route led through tropical forests and high-speed tracks. The 213 kilometres of special stage was described as a track that would be worthy of the World Rally Championships. The going was very fast for the top drivers.
“I am very happy with my performance today. With quite technical navigation and high-speed racing involved, I did very well to gain on Richard Sainct. I did not expect to do so well and I am glad that I could prove my speed, fitness and navigation skill. This is a good start to the second half, all be it six days. With 2500 km remaining, a lot can still happen, but I feel strong and ready for the challenge,” said a very motivated Cox at the stage finish.
"This year is much harder"- Dakar Car-leader Stephane Peterhansel believes that in the 14 years he has competed on the Dakar, this year's route is certainly the toughest. The Frenchman, who is vying to become only the second person to win the event on both two and four wheels, conceded that the last three stages were extremely difficult. He added: "The second week of the race will not be easy at all. There are four or five stages, which are not too long, but they are likely to be very hard. Remember last year, it can all go wrong at any time and we must all concentrate.”
Remarks during the stage:
10:00 The whole caravan is now on its way. The trucks were the last to start racing again as usual. With 60 percent of the Dakar 2004 finished, already more than 200 teams have disappeared from the starting grid! A very hard Dakar rally this year...
10:32 Bikes: Nani Roma kept his promises and gained 6:33 minutes on Richard Sainct. Still, the Frenchman, who won the Dakar on three occasions, and on two different brands (KTM and BMW), shows an incredible will, riding with an underarm injury
10:53 Cyril Despres set the fastest time for today’s stage with 1h 43'13" for the 213 kilometres.
11:00 Surprisingly Spain Marc Coma made it into second place. But already he is about ten minutes behind Despres time. The Frenchman, who finished 2nd last year, is therefore in a very good position. In a few minutes we will know what his competitors will do...
11:05 While the first cars are passing by CP2, some more top riders in the bike category have finished the special stage. Nani Roma is third followed by Alfie Cox and the Scandinavian duo Per Gunnar Lundmark, fourth and Pal Anders Ullevalseter, fifth. Richard Sainct lost 17'58" minutes today but is still ahead of Méoni. The Italian could not really use his horsepower advantage and is currently 8th
Tomorrow the 13th stage of the 2004 Telefónica Dakar leaves Mali for Mauritania racing between Bamako and Ayoun El Atrous. The stage starts with quite a long liaison of 230 km before a 478 km special and a short, 25 km liaison to the overnight bivouac; a total distance of 733 km
Leaving the capital of Mali by the north, the competitors will find themselves back in the Sahel and on their way to Mauritania. After 200 km of lovely tarmac road comes an entirely new special. This itinerary should please the drivers; it is a fast special along a series of beautiful sandy tracks, but with many changes of direction. Navigation will make all the difference in this stage.
Bikes stage
1 : DESPRES : KTM : 1h 43' 13" (00' 00")
2 : COMA : KTM : 1h 54' 00" (10' 47")
3 : ROMA : KTM : 1h 54' 38" (11' 25")
4 : COX : KTM : 1h 55' 10" (11' 57")
5 : LUNDMARK : KTM : 1h 56' 20" (13' 07")
6 : ULLEVALSETER : KTM : 1h 58' 01" (14' 48")
7 : SAINCT : KTM : 2h 01' 11" (17' 58")
8 : MEONI : KTM : 2h 01' 33" (18' 20")
9 : ROESELER : KTM : 2h 02' 33" (19' 20")
10 : DE GAVARDO : KTM : 2h 02' 52" (19' 39")
Bikes overall
1 : ROMA : KTM : 33h 00' 13" (00' 00")
2 : SAINCT : KTM : 33h 10' 19" (10' 06")
3 : COX : KTM : 33h 29' 06" (28' 53")
4 : DESPRES : KTM : 33h 33' 42" (33' 29")
5 : ULLEVALSETER : KTM : 34h 01' 56" (1h 01' 43")
6 : LUNDMARK : KTM : 34h 03' 00" (1h 02' 47")
7 : COMA : KTM : 35h 17' 15" (2h 17' 02")
8 : FLICK : KTM : 35h 26' 58" (2h 26' 45")
9 : DE GAVARDO : KTM : 35h 30' 54" (2h 30' 41")
10 : CZACHOR : KTM : 35h 47' 09" (2h 46' 56")
Overall Motorcycle Positions Per Stage
Stage 2 1. Fretigne, 2. Despres, 3. Roma, 4. Sainct, 5. Sala
Stage 3 1. Fretigne, 2. Despres, 3. Sala, 4. Esteve Pujol, 5. Sainct
Stage 4 1. Esteve Pujol, 2. Méoni, 3. Despres, 4. Cox, 5. Roma
Stage 5 1. Esteve Pujol, 2. Méoni, 3. Despres, 4. Roma, 5. Cox
Stage 6 1. Esteve Pujol, 2. Roma, 3. Despres, 4. Méoni, 5. Cox
Stage 7 1. Sainct, 2. Brucy, 3. Despres, 4. Cox, 5. Roma
Stage 8 1. Roma, 2. Sainct, 3. Brucy, 4. Cox, 5. Ullevalseter
Stage 9 1. Roma, 2. Sainct, 3. Cox, 4. Despres, 5. Ullevalseter
Stage 12 1. Roma, 2. Sainct, 3. Cox, 4. Despres, 5. Ullevalseter
Cars stage
1 - ALPHAND / MAGNE - BMW - 1h 54' 53" (00' 00")
2 - SCHLESSER / LURQUIN - SCHLES-FORD - 1h 56' 21" (01' 28")
3 - PETERHANSEL / COTTRET - MITSUBISHI - 2h 00' 33" (05' 40")
4 - MASUOKA / PICARD - MITSUBISHI - 2h 01' 16" (06' 23")
5 - SABY / STEVENSON - VOLKSWAGEN - 2h 01' 34" (06' 41")
6 - KLEINSCHMIDT / PONS - VOLKSWAGEN - 2h 03' 27" (08' 34")
7 - MAGNALDI / LEGAL - HONDA - 2h 03' 41" (08' 48")
8 - AL ATTIYAN / BARTHOLOME - MITSUBISHI - 2h 03' 42" (08' 49")
9 - KOLBERG / LOURIVAL - MITSUBISHI - 2h 05' 27" (10' 34")
10 - MAYER / SCHULZ - MITSUBISHI - 2h 06' 23" (11' 30")
15 - DE VILLIERS / JORDAAN - NISSAN - 2h 21' 46" (26' 53")
Cars overall
1 - PETERHANSEL / COTTRET - MITSUBISHI - 30h 16' 53" (00' 00") penalty 05' 00"
2 - MASUOKA / PICARD - MITSUBISHI - 31h 21' 36" (1h 04' 43")
3 - SCHLESSER / LURQUIN - SCHLES-FORD 32h 35' 09" (2h 18' 16")
4 - ALPHAND / MAGNE - BMW - 34h 10' 51" (3h 53' 58")
5 - DE MEVIUS / GUEHENNEC - BMW - 34h 32' 23" (4h 15' 30") penalty 15' 00"
6 - MAYER / SCHULZ - MITSUBISHI - 35h 13' 07" (4h 56' 14")
7 - SABY / STEVENSON - VOLKSWAGEN - 35h 37' 49" (5h 20' 56")
8 - MAGNALDI / LEGAL - HONDA - 36h 50' 39" (6h 33' 46")
9 - KOLBERG / LOURIVAL - MITSUBISHI - 37h 08' 22" (6h 51' 29")
10 - HOUSIEAUX / FAGOT - MITSUBISHI - 37h 39' 12" (7h 22' 19")
11 - AL ATTIYAN / BARTHOLOME - MITSUBISHI - 38h 21' 44" (8h 04' 51") penalty 05' 00"
12 - DE VILLIERS / JORDAAN - NISSAN - 38h 25' 53" (8h 09' 00") penalty 05' 00"
Trucks stage
1 - KABIROV / BELYAEV / ... KAMAZ - 2h 24' 37" (00' 00")
2 - DE AZEVEDO / TOMECEK / ... TATRA - 2h 26' 57" (02' 20")
3 - DE ROOY / COLSOUL / ... DAF - 2h 29' 25" (04' 48")
4 - LOPRAIS / KALINA / ... TATRA - 2h 30' 43" (06' 06")
5 - TCHAGUINE / YAKOUBOV / ... KAMAZ - 2h 31' 14" (06' 37")
Trucks overall
1 - TCHAGUINE / YAKOUBOV / ... KAMAZ - 38h 28' 34" (00' 00")
2 - DE AZEVEDO / TOMECEK / ... TATRA - 39h 22' 58" (54' 24")
3 - KABIROV / BELYAEV / ... KAMAZ - 40h 17' 54" (1h 49' 20")
4 - DE ROOY / COLSOUL / ... DAF - 40h 19' 55" (1h 51' 21")
5 - LOPRAIS / KALINA / ... TATRA - 40h 31' 08" (2h 02' 34")
COMPILED BY OFF-ROAD MARKETING ON BEHALF OF ALFIE COX AND THE GAULOISES, MICHELIN, MOTOREX, NATRO FREIGHT, DHL, REDBULL, ORTEMA, ACERBIS, OAKLEY, KTM TEAM.
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