Side x Side News
by Jon Crowley
The Pharaons Rally, the final round of the 2012 World Cross country Rally Championship saw two leading KTM riders, Jakub “Kuba” Przgonski of Poland and Spain’s Jordi Villadoms finished second and third behind Joan Barreda of Spain after a tough 2500 km encounter with Egypt’s shifting desert sands.
The final round got underway without the KTM factory riders. Marc Coma of Spain already took the title in the previous round in Sardinia and he and teammate Cyril Despres, together with other leading KTM riders are to contest the Morocco Rally as they fine tune their training ahead of the Morocco Rally on October 14-20.
Barreda was the outstanding rider of the competition but Przgonski was always in touch with the leaders and rode consistently throughout the six-day event. The Polish rider secured his second consecutive FIM Cross Country Rallies World Championship third place finish after the strong showing at the Pharaons Rally. It was a race of ups and downs for Przgonski’s Orlen Team. Kuba’s teammate Jacek Czachor finished sixth overall but won the open category but their teammate Marek Dabrowski had to retire with two broken wrists.
Viladoms was also consistent although riding injured and his second place in Egypt also gave him second behind Coma in the 2012 World Championship rankings. With Viladoms in second and Przgonski in third, KTM took all three places in the 2012 World Championship, also registering another triumph for the Dakar Rally winning KTM 450 Rally bike.
Results Stage 6
1, Paulo Goncalves, Portugal, Husqvarna
2, Juan Carlos Salvatierra, Spain, Honda at 00:51 min
3, Jordi Viladoms, Spain, KTM at 1:57
4, Joan Barreda, Spain, Husqvarna 3:51
5. Jakub Przygonski, Poland, KTM at 6:09
??Final standings Pharaons Rally
1, Barreda 22.47.48
?2, Przygonski, KTM at 19.56
3, Viladoms, KTM at 1:04.59
4, Goncalves, Portugal Husqvarna
Final World Championship Standings
1, Marc Coma, Spain, KTM
2, Viladoms, Spain, KTM
3, Przgonski, Poland, KTM
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