Caselli wins Dakar Rally Stage 11, Despres maintains overall lead
In the weather-affected 11th stage of the 2013 Dakar Rally it was America's Kurt Caselli who obtained his second stage victory of the event aboard his KTM, while general standings leader Cyril Despres further increased his lead.
Stage 11 of the Dakar Rally offered up Baja style terrain for the competitors to contend with.
In the weather-affected 11th stage of the 2013 Dakar Rally it was America’s Kurt Caselli who obtained his second stage victory of the event aboard his KTM, while general standings leader Cyril Despres further increased his lead.
After the stage was shortened by 30 kilometres following bad weather in recent days over the region, Caselli took advantage of the packed down sand due to the recent rainfall, showcasing show his power and skill on the Baja type of terrain.
Coming from a fifth place start, Caselli took his second stage victory of the event by 4:45 over Paulo Goncalves in second, while defending champion Cyril Despres followed closesly in third.
Despite a small navigational error at the start of the stage, Despres made up for it by the end of the stage and strengthened his leading position in the overall standings.
Despres now leads teammate Ruben Faria by 13:16 while Francisco Lopez, who finished the stage in fifth place, rounds out the top three overall.
Stage 10 winner Joan Barreda suffered a serious crash 50 kilometres from the finish line during Stage 11, the Spaniard injuring his shoulder and unsure if he will return to the event.
Australia’s Rod Faggotter continues to lead the charge for the Australian contingent of riders. Faggotter holds 15th place aboard his Yamaha, while Ben Grabham sits just two spots behind in 17th place on his KTM.
Fellow Aussies Warren Strange, Todd Smith, Simon Pavey and Matt Fish currently sit 29th, 35th, 63rd and 105th respectively as the race currently continues into it’s 12th stage.
Recent
