Sainct not disappointed

ByEurosport

Published 18/01/2004 at 15:22 GMT

Defending Moto champion Richard Sainct, who was lucky to finish the final stage after a slight electrical problem, conceded that he wasn't disappointed to finish second on this year's event considering the fall he suffered on the first desert stage, in which he sustained a badly cut left arm.

"Half way through the special the bike stopped dead," Sainct said. "For 10 minutes I looked everywhere for the problem before I finally found a lose wire on the CDI unit. For a while there I really thought I wasn't going to make it to the final finish line – as they say ‘it isn't ever over until you are on the podium'.

"Concerning the race I can't say I am disappointed – given how I started, with my crash on the first stage in Morocco, I am relieved to be here at all," he added. "More importantly my desire to win is as strong as ever and I think that I showed with this year's performance that I am still capable of doing so."

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