N° 002 - TEAM KTM REPSOL

COMA Marc ESP 07/10/1976

Vehicle

MODEL	MAKE
LC4 660 RALLYE	KTM

Marc Coma: «A difficult edition would suit us »

Marc Coma has an out of the ordinary talent and determination. Hs first result (4th on his first Dakar in 2002, 11th the following year despite a fractured wrist, and 2004 team mate to Nani Roma), gave an early indication of his potential. Confirmation came in January, 2006 on the 28th Dakar when he dominated, winning ahead of Cyril Despres after finishing runner-up to the Frenchman in 2005. The 29-year old Spaniard thus confirmed his stature as a champion capable of being among the very best. Yet In 2008, he finds himself in the position of challenger.

Nearly unbeatable for the past two years, Marc Coma has suffered just one setback. But it came two days before the end of the 2007 Dakar, when the cruelty of rally-raiding peaked its ugly head. Physically infallible, escaping the string of gearbox problems that struck the other KTMs, the Catalan, winner of tree stages, seemed beyond reach. A lack of concentration, then a navigation error and a violent crash in the Mauritanian forest put an end to his hopes of a repeat win.

For the 30th edition, Coma lines-up for the start in similar conditions but with the added lesson in humility he learned last January. Once again, the reigning world cross country champion, thanks to mistake free riding during the five rounds that he raced in, will be weary of Cyril Despres, of course, his rival that he got the better of this year at their lone confrontation in Dubai. To hope to win, he will count on his solidness and consistency that sees him rarely make a mistake. He can also rely on the support from his team, who he is counting on to reach his objective. “Once again, we arrive in top form, with a good chance of winning. The race is expected to be particularly hard: a difficult edition is exactly what suits us”.

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