Live Tracking HERE - great tracking with zoom. So far Cyril Despres has a 16 minute lead on the next to last stage.
Rider comments from the 450's and back markers:
12. Jordi Viladoms (E) “We rode most of the way as one big group which was fun, and with the pushing and jostling for position it was more like moto cross. I might be tired now but it was fun.”
18. Tim Trenker (D) “Today was awesome, riding in a big group. I did most of the navigation and after yesterday’s big fall I am sore. Over the last 50km I couldn’t stand because my legs were hurting.”
83. Mohammed Al Shamsi (UAE) “Excellent weather today with good visibility meaning I could see everything in front of me. The bike is running well, but a little slow on the fast sections because of the weight.”
Rider comments after Nissan SS3
1. Marc Coma (E) “It was really tough, especially with all the soft sand and with the high temperatures, and after 200km in the saddle it is very hot.” Asked if he was confident of a third successive win in the UAE he smiled and said: “We’ll leave that for the moment because there’s still a long way to go.”
2. Cyril Despres (F) “It was a long, hard day and really fast desert conditions. It wasn’t what I had expected. I expected more dunes.”
3. James West (GB) “With the foggy start, it was like a winding road in Scotland. The stage today didn’t allow you to relax at all. In fact in the first 20km I came off the bike three times because of the soft sand. The middle part was ok and in the last part again I had the same problems, coming off the bike several times.”
6. Francisco Lopez (RCH) “Today was very, very difficult and very long. Combined with the soft sand it proved to be good training and I feel very happy about the way I rode the bike.”
32. Ruben Faria (P) “It was very hard for most of the way. There were some fast sections which were good. 20km from the finish I suffered clutch problems so I’m pleased to complete the stage.”
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