Tuesday, January 17 2012
Cyril Despres has won his fourth Dakar motorcycle victory, and as the epic rally comes to a close, congratulations are in order to all riders and drivers who completed this treacherous challenge.
A demanding three weeks saw Despres and Marc Coma battle for the top spot- their finishes always within minutes of the other, it must be said that this was what really sparked the tension and anticipation of the whole race.
Interestingly, both first and second place in the car category went to drivers who had each won the Dakar before- on a motorbike!
Cyril Despres: “Without a doubt this fourth Dakar victory was the hardest – both physically and psychologically. From the very first stage, all the way to the end of the last real stage, Marc Coma and I battled it out and mentally that made it particularly exhausting. We are so close in terms of outright speed and navigational ability that the slightest error can allow the other to pull out a decisive lead – there is never a moment to relax. To have such a rivalry doesn’t make either of our lives easy, but it does add to our sport’s excitement and gives our victories greater merit.
“We were both blessed with excellent machinery and a fantastic road book with which to fight our battle, so a very sincere ‘thank you’ to KTM for producing such a great bike and ASO for organising such an excellent event. The last part of the rally in Peru provided some of the best terrain I have ever raced over, the 12th stage in particular left a lasting souvenir. Finally, I must say a big thank you to my team and sponsors for making this fourth victory a reality.”
