N° 020 - TEAM MOVISTAR KTM
- LOPEZ
- Francisco
- CHL
- 15/09/1975
|
| MODEL |
MAKE |
| LC4 660 RALLYE |
KTM |
This is could be considered as a return to a first love. He exploded on to the international scene in 2006, winning the 450cc world championship. After a 2009 Dakar abard a KTM 690, Francisco « Chaleco » Lopez has opted back to the smaller motorcycle for his 3rd Dakar. He’ll be riding on an Aprilia, which is making its Dakar debut thanks to the new regulations. Forgotten are his retirements in 2006 and 2009, which was a tougher blow for the Chilean who was competing on home turf. “We were never able to resolve our tyre problems”, says Chaleco, who still managed to win stage seven of the first ever Dakar run in Argentina and Chile, before dropping out on day 13. Everything has changed and his ambitions and moral have come storming back. “I really tested the bike on the Rally of Egypt and it felt very good right away. I like this this 450cc a lot. It is fast, easy to ride and should be competitive because this year will be wide open, of course, but also very technical.” Comfortable on his new machine, Chaleco Lopez also believes his motivation will be a determining weapon in his arsenal and that the fervor of the publis and the geography can only work in his favour. These arguments, however, don’t have the Chilean falling into the risky game of making a prognostication. Chaleco, 2 Dakars, 2 retirements for the moment, prefers to hold on to a basic objective. “I have to go all the way and not make any mistakes.“ In his team, built around him, he will be able to rely on the solid Gerard Farrès Guell for support. “He is a fast rider and knows the rally very well.” Chaleco, a veteran of the massive sandy portions of the Atacama, has a number of positive working for him. Just enough, maybe, to give him some ideas.
