KTM's Pal Anders Ullevalseter (Stage 12 photo) took the honors over Stage 13. If the Norwegian holds on to his current spot he will finish runner-up in the overall standings.
Today’s penultimate round of the 2010 Dakar Rally saw a different competitor take the victory over Stage 13. KTM’s Pal Anders Ullevalseter captured his first-ever Dakar stage win and nabbed second in the overall standings ahead of rival Francisco “Chaleco” Lopez Contardo. The Norwegian gains a 4:22 advantage over Chaleco heading into the final round.
For most of the day it was the big KTMs running out in front with Ullevalseter leading the way. Once past the Nihuil sand dunes, the remainder of the 229-mile special favored the big machines with fast, open stretches, and by Check Point 1, the Norwegian had amassed a 44-second window ahead of the two biggest names in Dakar, Cyril Despres and Marc Coma.
As the riders cleared CP2, Ullevalseter had given six seconds back to fellow KTM rider Coma and gained five seconds over Despres, but still boasted the best provisional time. In the super-competitive fight for the top-five spots, Alain Duclos had managed to recover some of his deficit to rival David Fretigne when the Yamaha rider suffered a small mechanical problem. The KTM-mounted Frenchman gained over eight minutes heading into the final 44-mile stretch.
In the rocky sections leading out of CP2, it was the current overall leader, Despres, who had gained the lead over Ullevalseter. However, with only 89 miles remaining, the Norwegian had recovered the gap and held onto it as the bikes reached the final CP and the end of the timed section. Two-time title holder Despres finished with the second best time just 43-seconds back but a full two minutes ahead of title rival Coma.
Current leader Cyril Despres was a picture of consistency as the Frenchman rode cautiously to protect his position.
Aprilia’s Lopez Contardo lost 5:35 to Ullevalseter and moves down one notch to third with a 12:06 lead in the overall in front of Rodrigues. Duclos, who posted the fifth best time, still remains in sixth overall, but has moved to within three minutes of his fifth-place rival, Yamaha’s Fretigne. Jonah Street maintains seventh in the standings by finishing in eighth.
Street’s fellow US competitor, Ludovic Boinnard, gained one spot in the overall with his 43rd-place finish.
The final stage of the rally begins tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. with the riders covering 208 miles total with a 128-mile special that features an “all or nothing” super-fast type of terrain, meaning Ullevalseter's 690 will have an advantage over Lopez' smaller Aprilia 450. This final blast will be the ultimate decider of who graces the podium steps.
Rider Quotes:
Pal Anders Ullevalseter (NOR – KTM) 1st, 2nd OA
“A fantastic stage for me. I started third and after 40 km I was in the lead. Today was a route for big bikes. We could really attack and in the last hours I was riding at more than 160km/h. It’s perfect!”
Cyril Despres (FRA – KTM) 2nd, 1st OA
“There was only a small section of sandy tracks and about 20 km of sand dunes. It’s always a pleasure to ride that. The sand dunes have different colors and different shapes. There are bushes here and there. It was cool when the liaison section started then it got hotter fast. It is much easier to stay focused when you drive a bit fast. I trust my KTM and my tires. I knew I would drive fast and it would be fine.”
Alain Duclos (FRA – KTM) 5th, 6th OA
“Today’s special stage is not decisive but the one tomorrow will be. Still it was important. I was 13 minutes behind Frétigné. I gained 10 minutes back... it’s already something. If I’m in the same shape tomorrow, it will be fine. But nothing is ever certain. I have to watch out... I have someone big in front of me. I am clinging on to the top-five because it was my goal. I know that David Frétigné had other ambitions but well... I am happy about today but the game goes on. As long as the finish line has not been crossed, I believe in it...”
The penultimate stage of the 2010 Dakar featured a 229-mile special that puts riders through sand and rocky sections.
1. ULLEVALSETER (NOR) KTM 03:27:05
2. DESPRES (FRA) KTM 03:27:48 00:00:43
3. COMA (ESP) KTM 03:29:51 00:02:46
4. LOPEZ CONTARDO (CHL) APRILIA 03:32:40 00:05:35
5. DUCLOS (FRA) KTM 03:33:29 00:06:24
6. RODRIGUES (PRT) YAMAHA 03:35:13 00:08:09
7. PRZYGONSKI (POL) KTM 03:35:14 00:08:09
8. STREET (USA) KTM 03:36:38 00:09:33
9. PAIN (FRA) YAMAHA 03:43:01 00:15:56
10. FARIA (PRT) KTM 03:43:11 00:16:06
2010 Dakar Rally Overall Standings:
1. DEPRES (FRA) KTM 49:38:44
2. ULLEVALSETER (NOR) KTM 50:42:56 01:04:12
3. LOPEZ CONTARDO (CHL) APRILIA 50:47:18 01:08:34
4. RODRIGUES (PRT) YAMAHA 50:59:25 01:20:41
5. FRETIGNE (YAMAHA) 51:34:50 01:56:06
6. DUCLOS (FRA) KTM 51:37:50 01:59:06
7. STREET (USA) 52:24:57 02:46:13
8. PRZYGONSKI (POL) KTM 52:52:21 03:13:37
9. PAIN (FRA) YAMAHA 53:06:47 03:28:03
10. PEDRERO GARCIA (ESP) KTM 53:09:41 03:30:57
