Interviewtje
Cyril Despres (Fra / KTM 450): "Beautiful warm-up! I caught up with Marc Coma after 50 km when he hesitated, a few miles after; it was I who got slightly lost. This was my first race in 6 months; it feels great to be back! First outing for the KTM 450 and first win… the man is still there. "
Marc Coma (Spa / KTM 450 # 1): "Navigation was not easy, but hey!, it was mostly a good start with the new bike. Everything went very well and the next few days promise to be more full bodied."
Frans Verhoeven (NL / BMW 450 # 9): "My BMW was fired up. I had a little trouble on the faster sections where Przygonski overtook me before getting lost. To reach third position here, is particularly encouraging for the entire BMW team ... "
Olive Bread (Fra / Yamaha 450 No. 6): "A very positive first leg, the bike is much more manageable. This is really an excellent basis on which to work on "
Jakub Przygonski (Pol / KTM 690 # 3): " Suspension far too soft. Could not ride properly today with a bike jumping in all directions ... "
David Fretigne (Fra / BMW 450 # 4): "I made a lot of ground on the tracks ... my handling of the bike looks very promising ..."
Bruno Da Costa (Fra / Yamaha 450 No. 12): "I fell at kilometer 77. I managed to get back on. At the” assistance park I patched up the bike. Twenty kilometers further on, the bike started to backfire, I saw flames. I tried to put them out with some sand. A rider tried to help me push it into the sand to extinguish the fire. But in vain, all I had left were my eyes to cry with... "
Harite Gabari (Mar / Yamaha 450 No. 15): "I drove really carefully, but I sorely lacked speed. This is not due to a lack of power, but to my weight!... "
Joe Janas (USA / KTM 690 # 31): "For my first rally in Africa, I was overwhelmed with the beauty of the area. It was magnificent. I rode at my own pace. Nothing comparable to Illinois, where I usually ride enduro. The Sahara is really beautiful. Tomorrow we attack the dunes. This is another discovery for me ... "
