Google leads to Dakar Rally penalty

A participant in the Dakar Rally has been penalised for making an illegal tyre change after he was caught in the act by search engine Google.

Spanish rider Marc Coma made his tyre change during the seventh stage of the race. The course director, Marc Ducrocq, stated, “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”.

“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.”

Coma’s penalty moved him from second to 24th in the race, but managed to regain his position during the eighth leg. However, Coma, who has won the rally twice, continues to maintain his innocence.

“I consider this decision an injustice. At no time can it be proved that I changed a wheel,” he said.