Marc Coma had already been champion of the Rally dos Sertões in 2010. Photo: Ricardo Leizer/WebventureWith information from Isabela Rios, from Belo Horizonte (MG)
There were about 2,600 kilometers between the cities of Goiania, in Goias, and Belo Horizonte, capital of Minas Gerais, in only seven days of competition. The 22nd edition of the Rally dos Sertões once more brought a lot of emotion, disputes and beautiful landscapes. In the bikes, riders with high technical level and the participation as part of the FIM World Cross Country Rally, made the competition be even more intense. For the second time, the champion of the Sertões was the Spaniard Marc Coma, who had already won in 2010.
Paulo Gonçalves shows the sporting spirit and congratulates the second time winner of the second biggest rally in the world. Photo: Victor Eleuterio/WebventureThe KTM Red Bull Rally Team rider made the total time of 18h21min51 and ended ahead of the Team Honda HRC Portuguese rider by 3min23. I am very happy. I knew it would be a difficult day for me: there was a lot to lose and little to win. I am happy about whole rally. I knew that Paulo (Gonçalves) would race and attack the maximum and I would have to defend my position. We have to be proud of winning the race. Said the Spaniard. It is very difficult to win the Rally dos Sertões. I know by experience. Even more so when there are strong riders in the running, such as Paulo and Jean, especially, who challenged me since the first kilometer, he guarantees.
The imposed rhythm was very high, I had to apply myself to the fullest to win this year. In my whole career I only won the Sertões once. If it is ten days or seven days, it has the same value for me. It was as difficult to win today as it was in 2010, points out Coma.
Paulo Gonçalves won the seventh stage, ended in second in the added time and complimented the rallys team. The programming was very nice. The road books an the sheets are very well made, very strict, he says. This rally was almost perfect or me. I managed to win five of the eight stages. The only thing that is missing is the victory in the end. Marc was also very strong, winning three days, but they were three very important days, he analyses.
Today I had a very small chance of taking off for minutes and a half, I did something that isnt very common, that is opening the track (starting first) and winning the special. I managed to recover one minute and a bit from Marc, but it wasnt enough. But we proved that the team did a wonderful job and the bike is perfect. We have to be happy. The only thing that wasnt so good was not winning the general in this rally. But Marc is a rightful winner because he, of course made an excellent job, compliments the Portuguese competitor, who also paid compliments to Brazil and the Brazilian people.
Jean Azevedo showed happiness with the result against whom he called the best in the world. Photo: Jonne Roriz/WebventureWith the little experience of the 19th year in the Rally dos Sertões, Jean Azevedo was the best Brazilian ranked in the competition and showed himself proud of the third place in the overall. It was a very good year. We already knew that the best in the world would be here, the best bikes in the world would be here. Factory bikes. I race for Honda, but my bike is a serial bike. A bike that anyone can go to a shop and buy it. It is not a prototype to race in a rally. So we knew it would be tough. But we raced a good rally: me with the support of the whole team. I dont to anything alone, it dependes on a whole structure that is behind it. And I managed to stay in third between the best in the world, I am very happy. It was a result that surpassed all our expectations, concluded the Rally Honda Mobil rider.
Teammates of Paulo Gonçalves and Marc Coma, respectively, Helder Rodrigues ended the rally in the fourth place and Jordi Viladoms was the fifth best in the overall result.
The best of the 7th stage an in the overall (extra-official result):
Bikes 7th Stage
1. #1 PAULO GONCALVES (HONDA / TEAM HONDA HRC) 01h34min57s
2. #2 MARC COMA (KTM / KTM RED BULL FACTORY TEAM) 01h36min11s
3. #5 JEAN AZEVEDO (HONDA / HONDA MOBIL DE RALLY) 01h36min47s
4. #12 RUBEN FARIA (KTM / KTM RED BULL FACTORY TEAM) 01h38min29s
5. #4 HELDER RODRIGUES (HONDA / TEAM HONDA HRC) 01h38min40s
Bikes Overall
1. #2 MARC COMA (KTM / KTM RED BULL FACTORY TEAM) 18h21min51s
2. #1 PAULO GONCALVES (HONDA / TEAM HONDA HRC) 18h25min14s
3. #5 JEAN AZEVEDO (HONDA / HONDA MOBIL DE RALLY) 18h35min56s
4. #4 HELDER RODRIGUES (HONDA / TEAM HONDA HRC) 18h43min37s
5. #3 JORDI VILADOMS (KTM / KTM RED BULL FACTORY TEAM) 18h48min28s
Este texto foi escrito por: Marcos Souza
Last modified: agosto 30, 2014
