Cyril Despres claims his fifth Dakar rally victory

KTM Redbull rider Cyril Despres has won the 2013 Dakar Rally at Santiago, Chile. The French rally rider already has four Dakar rally titles to his credit and was the favourite along with his teammate Marc Coma to win the 2013 title. Marc Coma had to exit the rally due to his shoulder injury from the Morocco rally, but Despres’ did face tough competition from teams like Husqvarna and Yamaha.

“I went for it, with all the surprises a Dakar can throw at you. Little navigational mistakes, perhaps fewer than the others, taking care of my motorcycle and being in a good team. In the end, I’ve got a good reason to be very happy. The day when winning the Dakar becomes easy; it won’t be interesting any more. And this day is still far!" said Despres. He also added, "It’s too long, it’s too tough, it’s too hot. It’s too cold. You’ve got to get up early in the morning. You’ve got to find your way out of the maze of dunes in Peru and Chile. You’ve got to tackle the stones and cactuses on the courses near Córdoba. It’s just too tricky for it to be easy to win. And it’s even better when you win a difficult race. I’m always focused on what I have to do. We’re up against a grueling element, the desert. Then there are the stones, the Andes and we experience them. It’s as real as it gets.”