The Dakar rally is just around the corner, but some of the top teams are seeing some major lineup changes.
The biggest news concerns Marc Coma’s woes. Coma crashed in this fall’s Rally of Morocco, injuring his left shoulder. We should know for sure today, as he’s appearing at a news conference to report on his injury’s status, but AS.com is saying he’s not likely to race.
That’s a major game changer for the Dakar rally; Coma and KTM teammate Cyril Despres have dominated the Dakar rally in recent years. They’ve split the first and second place overall finishes between them for the last nine years. If Coma can’t make it, maybe another manufacturer will finally have a crack at the top of the podium.
You might figure this would make it easier for Honda to make it to the top of the standings, but their Dakar team is also struggling with injuries. Ultimate Motorcycling is reporting Honda has lost Felipe Zanol and Sam Sunderland to injury while practicing in the Mojave, leaving them with Johnny Campbell, Helder Rodrigues and Javier Pizzolito on board.
