Marc Coma takes on admin role for Dakar rally

The 38-year-old Spaniard (who won this year's moto division) will assist event director Etienne Lavigne, effective immediately. One of Coma's first jobs will be to reconnoitre the route for next year's running of the marathon rally.

 

Coma's history on the Dakar started in 2002 at the age of 25 years and has brought him the utmost delights, but also painful disappointments, with withdrawals, injuries and time penalties. After having completed a cycle of twelve participations on a bike, the future could have seen him return on four wheels, as moto rival Cyril Despres did this year. However, it is another crew that he has chosen to join, following the proposition from Etienne Lavigne, who wanted to entrust him with the position of the event's sporting director.

 

With arguably nothing left to prove as a rider, Coma will now be required to draw on all his qualities to take on a new role within the organising team.

 

For Etienne Lavigne, the idea to call on Coma was self-evident: "It was the first choice that came to my mind, because we both share the same passion for the Dakar. I know that when he commits to something, it is always to the full. I like his thoroughness and calmness.

 

 

Honoured to have been asked to take on such responsibilities, Coma was nonetheless initially surprised by the proposal of Etienne Lavigne, but it did not take long for him to make up his mind: "My first reaction was 'wow'… I was in shock! Winning the Dakar 5 times was already a dream for me, but now I realise just how lucky I am: being part of the organising team, with this level of responsibility is an opportunity for me to put back into the rally everything that the Dakar has given me".

 

The former rider, now focused on the tasks awaiting him, is undergoing a transitional period and has eagerly donned a new cap: "I still feel a bit like a competitor, but since I've started working, I get the feeling that I will be looking at the race from different angles. I know that it's the right time for me. My goal is to put all my energy into ensuring that the Dakar remains the greatest rally in the world and my philosophy is to give priority to a sense of adventure".