The Dakar rally is a somewhat controversial event, criticized for its alleged environmental impacts, its supposed colonial connotations oh and the fact that on average at least one competitor is killed every time the race takes place. This year, for security reasons, the race went nowhere near Dakar, instead taking place on a completely different continent, South America. And after 15 hard stages and having covered a distance of nearly 10,000 km, it was Spanish KTM factory rider Marc Coma who survived the bike race the best coming through 1 h 25'38" ahead of his French teammate Cyril Despres. For Coma, who won the race in 2006, it was the perfect antidote to the cancellation of last year's event and an agonizing crash two days from finishing in 2007. As he said after his victory "I can't describe the feeling - happy doesn't even come close. It is so good to be able to draw a line under two difficult years - losing the 2007 Dakar two days from the end and then the cancellation of the 2008 edition." This year saw a total of 113 bikers complete the course, with one death, the body of 49 year-old Pascal Terry being found in a remote section of the second stage having been missing for three days.