The second in the new Dakar Series rallies concluded on Sunday in Portugal with KTM factory riders Cyril Despres and Marc Coma taking second and third place in an event that finally went to local rider Ruben Faria.
Following the introduction of the Dakar Series in the form of the Central European Rally earlier in the year, in part a consequence of the last minute cancellation of the classic Dakar race last January, riders were anxious to test their mettle in the atmosphere of the Portuguese countryside.
The course, which took riders from Lisbon north to Castelo Branco, then south over - Samora Correia and Alochete to the finish in Portimao in the south of the country - was also a chance for riders to sharpen their skills ahead of the first Dakar to be held in South America in January 2009.
The results perhaps reflected that local conditions and knowledge may have favoured home country riders but Despres said organizers had done a good job, even if it was not really possible to recreate the wide open spaces of Africa and South America in Europe. "That means one of the key elements of rally-raid, navigation, did not come into play," the Frenchman said. He proposed that in future events that navigation zones, like the present speed control zones, may be an additional interesting feature of similar events.
Despres, who with Coma had been shadowing the Portuguese leader throughout the race, said he realized going into the last stage that it was his last chance to get close to the leader, even if Faria was firmly on home ground.
"I could see straight away that there was no way I was going to be able to get close to the Portuguese rider on his "little" 450. With so many twists and turns my brakes began to fade so in the end I decided to back off and preserve my second place." The Frenchman said although he would have preferred to win, he was nevertheless satisfied with his performance. "The bike performed well, I didn't make any mistakes and I rode to the best of my abilities," he said.
He, Coma and other top KTM riders will now tackle the UAE Desert Challenge next month where their bigger bikes will be more at home with the conditions and terrain. The Desert Challenge is a final to hone skills before the big epic "Dakar" to be staged in South America in January.
Results:1. Ruben Faria, Portugal, Honda
2. Cyril Despres, France, KTM
3. Marc Coma, Spain, KTM 4. Helder Rodrigues, Portugal, Honda
5. Paulo, Goncalves, Portugal, Honda
6. David Casteu, Fance, KTM
