Frenchman Cyril Despres finished fourteen grueling stages of the 2010 Dakar Rally on top, winning the 5,550+ mile competition aboard his KTM 690 Rally Replica.
Second place was claimed by Norwegian Pal Anders Ullevalseter aboard a KTM 690, and a non-factory supported Aprilia RXV450 scored an impressive third place finish at the hands of first-time Dakar competitor Francisco "Chaleco" Lopez. The Aprilia ended with a cumulative time that was a mere 6 minutes, 56 seconds behind second place.
Despres' victory was his third at Dakar, but he was humbled at the end of his draining journey. "I am still human; I know I have been riding this bike for 15 days and I am exhausted but the little strength I had left just went in tears," he said after the win, adding, "KTM played a big part in this victory. They trusted us."
As much as Dakar is a testimony to the incredible stamina exhibited by racers and their support teams, it's also an awe-inspiring display of the machinery that manages to overcome seemingly insurmountable terrain. To get an idea of what these racers faced, take a look at the photo gallery on Boston.com, and for complete results, see Dakar.com
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Photo © KTM / van Oers J.
Finishing the Dakar is an amazing accomplishment… winning it… is almost superhuman!