Dakar Rally – Stage Eight - Enduro Tyres
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Dakar Rally – Stage Eight

Dakar Rally – Stage Eight

On an eighth stage with a slightly modified route, Cyril Despres picked up his first special stage victory of 2014 – finishing ahead of Joan Barreda and Marc Coma.

Even though the weather conditions prevented the bikes from crossing the salt pans of Uyuni as initially planned, there was no shortage of excitment during the 499 kilometre long stage eight as Cyril Despres returned to the top of the  headlines.

Third to start the morning, Despres soon caught up with Marc Coma. Both riders rode together and gradually began to reign in Joan Barreda. Despite the Honda rider stepping on the gas towards the end of the stage it was the Frenchman who tasted triumph placing two minutes and 10 seconds ahead of Barreda and a further six seconds in front of Coma.

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Behind them, Portugal’s Helder Rodrigues and Frenchman Olivier Pain confirmed the good form of Honda and Yamaha with fourth and fifth respectively.

With Yamaha’s Michael Metge taking sixth, South African Riaan van Niekerk claimed his best stage result of the rally with seventh.

And while Yamaha, Honda and KTM enjoyed a strong stage six the same could not be said for Sherco with both Joan Pedrero and Alain Duclos running into difficulties. Pedrero lost over 14 minutes while Alain Duclos a mechanical problem at the start of the stage that cost him almost 35 minutes.

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Results – Dakar Rally, Stage 8

1. Cyril Despres (FRA, Yamaha) 05:23:20 hrs

2. Joan Barreda (ESP, Honda) +00:02:09

3. Marc Coma (ESP, KTM) +00:02:15

4. Helder Rodrigues (PRT, Honda) +00:06:38

5. Olivier Pain (FRA, Yamaha) +00:10:40

6. Michael Metge (FRA, Yamaha) +00:12:58

7. Riaan van Niekerk (ZAF, KTM) +00:13:15

8. Daniel Gouet (CHL, Honda) +00:13:23

9. Jakub Przygonski (POL, KTM) +00:13:29

10. Jordi Viladoms (ESP, KTM) +00:13:34

Provisional overall standings:

1. Marc Coma (ESP, KTM) 32:06:19 hrs

2. Joan Barreda (ESP, Honda) +00:38:08

3. Jordi Viladoms (ESP, KTM) +01:27:22

4. Alain Duclos (FRA, Sherco) +01:49:09

5. Jeremias Israel Esquerre (CHL, Speedbrain) +01:52:05

6. Olivier Pain (FRA, Yamaha) +01:59:07

7. Jakub Przygonski (POL, KTM) +02:06:06

8. Helder Rodrigues (PRT, Honda) +02:12:41

9. Cyril Despres (FRA, Yamaha) +02:23:58

10. Daniel Gouet (CHL, Honda) +02:38:51