Dakar: Coma gets 6 hour penalty for tire change

ANTOFAGASTA, Chile — Spanish KTM rider Marc Coma, a top challenger for the Dakar Rally title, protested his innocence on Saturday after being handed a six-hour penalty by organisers for an illegal tyre change during the previous day's seventh stage.

Noting "the stop he made behind a house and the images we have thanks to Google which show exactly where he stopped and for how long, coupled with today's high definition images of the tyre .. these images are clear, the tyre did not do 200km," said moto course director Marc Ducrocq.

"The decision has therefore been taken by the organisers to hand him a six-hour penalty.

"Everyone knew that he had tyre problems. He tried to sort it out in his own way and he was caught," said Ducrocq, who added that the Spanish rider "continues to insist that he did not change a wheel."

Coma, the Dakar motorcycle winner in 2006 and 2009, denied any wrongdoing.

"I consider this decision an injustice. At no time can it be proved that I changed a wheel," said Coma, adding that he would take a day to consider whether to continue on in the race.

"It depends a bit on the mental state in which I find myself."

The penalty effectively leaves fellow KTM rider Cyril Despres almost certain to claim the title as he was already just over an hour clear of his Spanish rival, having just edged him by 29sec on the day.

Third-placed Helder Rodrigues of Portugal on a Yamaha is 1:20.08 adrift - 14 minutes more than Coma had been - and Norwegian KTM racer Pal Ullevalseter is five minutes further back.

Saturday is a rest day before the 9,000km adventure resumes on Sunday with a 472km special stage from Antofagasta to Copiapo.