DAKAR STAGE 9: BIG CRASHES HAMPER CRESCENT KTM AND FRONT ROW GB’S PROGRESS ON STAGE NINE

The Crescent KTM and  Front Row GB team of Stan Watt and Tim Forman both had dramatic days on stage nine of the 2013 Dakar after suffering spectacular crashes.

In a day that the majority of riders complained about severe dust, Watt had a huge 120kph crash in which he dislocated his shoulder. Thankfully his shoulder went back in on its own and the tough Irishman was able to grind out the remainder of the stage, finishing in 50th place. Due to the severity of the crash, Watt was initially reported to be out of the Dakar due to his injury, but continued to ride despite the accident happening only 120km into the 593km stage. Although 50th place is Watt’s second worst stage result of the race, he wasn’t the only rider having problems which meant he has actually moved up the overall standings to 29th position.

Tim Forman was also the victim of severe dust and quads. Having started in a lowly 83rd position he was unable to ride at his normal fast pace, but was still able to make big inroads, finishing the stage in 45th place, despite a crash. Like Watt he moved up in the standings and now holds 33rd spot.

Tomorrow’s stage will take the Crescent KTM Front Row GB team from Cordoba to La Roja with the organisers likening parts of the route to Ireland! It includes a total of 279km of liaison and a 357km special.

Stan Watt: “I had a big crash today – the best way I can describe it is like the Connor Cummings crash on the IOM TT! I had four quads in front of me and because of the dust they throw up it was so dangerous. The bike was flying and I’d got past three of them. I went for a pass around the outside of a fast corner and lost the front. There was a raised edge on the track and that sent me up into the air and then I dropped about 30ft, landed on a load of rocks and then came to a stop at the base of a tree. The bike had gone even further, but luckily there were some locals around who managed to get my bike out. It was a big hit, but I knew I had to get going pretty quick otherwise I would have seized up.

“The front of the bike was all bent - as were the discs - but it started up in about 10 seconds and I got on with it. Unfortunately it was only at the start of the stage so I had a fair way to go. Because there were so many trees, the dust was just hanging and the quads kick up so much it really was dangerous trying to make a pass. I must have been going 120kph when I went down, but it was my fault.”


Tim Forman: “I was going around a right-hand sweeping corner and there was a fork in the path with rocks in the middle. I realised I wasn’t going to make it so I laid the bike down and slid along the ground. I stopped and I could see the bike still sliding and I thought it had gone over the edge of a ravine, but when I got there the wheels were hanging over the edge and I was able to pull it back and get going again. I bruised the side of my right hand in the crash, but that’s about it. It’s really is so difficult to pass the quads on terrain like this, one went out in front of me when he broke a wheel and they also seem to pull over occasionally, but that was about the only way I could get past.”