Sanders, Price go 1-2 in final stage of Andalucia Rally
Section: Competition
Honda-mounted Benavides wins the Spanish rally event overall.
Image: Supplied.
Australian debutant Daniel Sanders has led countryman Toby Price in a KTM Factory Racing 1-2 within the final stage of the Andalucia Rally.
Sanders has switched from enduro to rally in a shock move with KTM, but has instantly displayed his capabilities and has now qualified for the 2021 Dakar Rally.
Closing out the Andalucia Rally, stage four covered a total of 233 kilometers, 210 of which were timed special held on the now familiar dirt tracks of the region. With much of the stage sharing the same route as used on previous days, navigation was less of an issue and riders were able to push harder on the fast, open terrain.
The debut of Sanders was an impressive one, proving he is more than capable of delivering accurate navigation and the speed required to mix it with the top rally racers just weeks after commencing his road book training. He was 11th overall for the week.
“I really enjoyed today,” Sanders said. “Being more familiar with the navigation, I was able to focus more and start to push. I made a few little mistakes, but all through the day there was nothing in it. I kept my head down and found a nice flow.
“Honestly, I thought I would place around the top-five mark, so to come away with the stage win feels great. I wasn’t aiming for the win and definitely didn’t want to try anything stupid, but to go fastest with most of the top guys here is really encouraging.”
Multiple Dakar winner Price was second in the stage with Red Bull KTM, claiming a provision fourth overall as he sets his sights on next year’s Dakar Rally while using Andalucia to test his latest-spec KTM 450 Rally.
“Today wasn’t too tricky, we followed a lot of the tracks we’d been over earlier in the rally and so navigation wasn’t too much of an issue,” Price said. “I feel good in myself and on the bike and so I was able to push a little harder today.
“Finishing fourth and missing out on the podium is always a little disappointing, but we’re fit and healthy with no issues and that is always the main goal. We’ve learned a lot and have been able to test a few things, so I’m really looking forward to Dakar now.”
Despite the success of KTM riders to cap-off the event, this year’s Andalucia Rally was won by Kevin Benavides (Honda) in a total time of 10h30m51s, which placed him 7m42s ahead of Adrien Van Beveren (Yamaha) and Lorenzo Santolino (Sherco).
Closing out the Andalucia Rally, stage four covered a total of 233 kilometers, 210 of which were timed special held on the now familiar dirt tracks of the region. With much of the stage sharing the same route as used on previous days, navigation was less of an issue and riders were able to push harder on the fast, open terrain.
Kevin Benavides claimed the overall victory from Adrien Van Beveren (R) and Lorenzo Santolini (L)
The final day of the 2020 Andalucia Rally has seen Kevin Benavides (Monster Energy Honda Team) win the overall, over seven minutes in front of runner up Adrien Van Beveren (Yamalube Yamaha Official Rally Team), while Lorenzo Santoli (Sherco TVS Rally Factory) claimed the final podium position.
The final stage however was dominated by Australian Daniel Sanders, who finished seven-seconds in front of fellow Aussie Toby Price, with Jamie McCanney third for the stage.
Daniel Sanders – Image by Rally Zone
In what was only his first competitive rally event for the KTM Factory Racing team, Daniel Sanders has shown he is more than capable of delivering accurate navigation and the speed required to mix it with the top rally racers. Just weeks after commencing his road book training, the likeable Aussie has claimed an international rally stage win – an impressive achievement for any rider. In successfully completing the Andalucia Rally – securing 11th place overall – Sanders qualifies for the Dakar Rally in January. His training will now continue over the months leading up to the iconic event.
Daniel Sanders – Stage 4 Winner
“I really enjoyed today, being more familiar with the navigation, I was able to focus more and start to push. I made a few little mistakes, but all through the day there was nothing in it, so I kept my head down and found a nice flow. Honestly, I thought I would place around the top-five mark, so to come away with the stage win feels great. I wasn’t aiming for the win, and definitely didn’t want to try anything stupid, but to go fastest with most of the top guys here is really encouraging. The whole team has worked really hard to fast-track my rally skills, but it looks like it’s paying off and I can’t thank them enough.”
Daniel Sanders – Image by Rally Zone
Claiming a provisional fourth overall at the close of racing is perhaps not the result that Toby Price wanted going into the Spanish event. Nevertheless, always one to ride intelligently, the two-time Dakar Champion was pleased with his race pace and navigation. Now, having used the Andalucia Rally to regain his focus and test various new components on his KTM 450 RALLY, Toby looks ahead to Dakar and is confident of a strong result.
Toby Price – P4 Overall
“Today wasn’t too tricky, we followed a lot of the tracks we’d been over earlier in the rally and so navigation wasn’t too much of an issue. I feel good in myself and on the bike and so I was able to push a little harder today. Finishing fourth and missing out on the podium is always a little disappointing, but we’re fit and healthy with no issues and that is always the main goal. We’ve learned a lot and have been able to test a few things so I’m really looking forward to Dakar now.”
Toby Price – Image by Rally Zone
Jamie McCanney also recorded a positive end to the Andalucia Rally, claiming third place on the final stage. At the head of the field for much of the day, McCanney frustratingly caught two riders and, without forcing the issue and risking a mistake due to the dust created in front of him, opted to bring home his WR450F Rally home safely. A great conclusion to the rally saw Jamie advance to seventh in the overall standings.
Jamie McCanney
“I’m happy enough with the overall result. Today’s stage was good for me. I think I was leading for a lot of it, but then because I set off 20th – I’m not sure why as I didn’t finish 20th yesterday – I caught up to some riders towards the end and then sat in their dust for 30 or 40 kilometres. It was unfortunate but the safe option. Leaving here healthy and happy with my riding and my Yamaha puts us in good shape ahead of Dakar.”
2020 Andalucia Rally Champion – Kevin Benavides
Kevin Benavides, who held the field in check in the final stage, conceding just 2’48” to the day’s winner, confirmed his position at head of the competition leaderboard. The Monster Energy Honda Team rider ends the race, leaving the nearest overall second-place rider trailing almost eight minutes behind.
Kevin Benavides – P1 Overall
“Today I went out intending to ride a stage with good pace, focusing on not making any mistakes. My elbow bothered me a bit, but as the day went on, it didn’t hurt so much. I think I rode a good final stage to close this race week. I’m very happy with this win: I needed it too. It’s a victory that rewards all the effort we have made. Now, we are going to continue with all the preparations to reach the 2021 Dakar in even better conditions. Thank you very much to the entire team for an exceptional job done every single day and for keeping the bike running perfectly throughout the race.”
Kevin Benavides
Hard work paid off for Adrien Van Beveren at the Andalucia Rally as he enjoyed a mistake-free week of racing to claim second overall. Consistent results on every stage signalled that the Frenchman has returned from injury and is back to his usual, competitive form. With his 2020 Dakar Rally crash and subsequent surgeries well behind him, Van Beveren’s runner-up finish puts him in a positive position for the 2021 rally season.
Adrien Van Beveren – P2 Overall
“It’s been a really good rally for me. All week I have been consistent with no crashes, no navigation or speed zone issues, so it’s great to see that my training has paid off. I’m happy with the direction that I’m going in and will keep working hard towards the Dakar Rally. I’m so happy to be back to my old self and on the podium. A great result for myself and the team.”
Adrien Van Beveren
In third place, taking his first podium racing against the cream of rally-raid riders, was the Spaniard Lorenzo Santolino (Sherco TVS Factory).
Lorenzo Santolino – P3 Overall
“Yes super happy to finish third here. Maybe the fact that I am Spanish and we were racing on Spanish soil was good for me but it is nevertheless important for my confidence going into the Dakar. The team has been working hard to develop the bike and it went really well here, so many thanks to them.”
The 2021 Dakar Rally to be held in Saudi Arabia from January 3 to 15 will be the next event for many competitors.
“However, we managed to make a great qualifier. Starting in front is very important for tomorrow, given that at least ten riders have the pace to be able to fight for the podium. After the last race in Catalunya, I have good braking sensations again and the low temperatures can also help me, so I am optimistic about achieving a good result.”
Elsewhere, one to watch out for is Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team). The Italian is looking to reignite his 2020 title challenge and could well do so at the French GP, a race he finished second at last season. On his last lap of FP4 Dovizioso set a 1:33.068, good enough for P11 on the times. However, his tyres at that stage were 27 laps old. So at full race distance, Dovizioso was still able to set a low 1:30. And starting from P6 – his best grid slot since Austria – the number 04 is going to be a contender.
6. Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Team) has qualified in third place (his third successive front row start in Le Mans), which is his first front row start since he was also third on the grid for the Italian Grand Prix last year. He, of course, converted that front row start into his only Grand Prix victory to date.
Despite a weekend off, Crutchlow’s arm is still far from in a pretty state. However, the Briton has got his head down, gritted his teeth and will start from his best qualifying position of the season. P4 in Le Mans Q2 is – probably – ride of the day and, rather understandably, Crutchlow was happy to be back amongst the battle for pole position.
The lights went out again and Ferrari once more got the jump, but there would be huge World Cup drama at Turns 3 and 4. As the MotoE™ pack piled into the tight Turn 3, Ferrari was safely through but in the middle of the group, three riders went down. Xavier Simeon (LCR E-Team) crashed and his wake was Aegerter, who in turn collected Niccolo Canepa (LCR E-Team) as the trio were down. Then, moments later, race leader Ferrari lost the rear firing his way out of Turn 4 and the World Cup leader was out of contention. Aegerter remounted but the Swiss rider was down in P14, with the drama leaving Torres out front with a nice advantage.
Teammates Xavi Vierge and Jake Dixon (Petronas Sprinta Racing) complete the third row, with both riders still seeking a podium finish this season, while Thomas Luthi (Liqui Moly Intact), Aron Canet (Inde Aspar Team Moto2), and Fabio DiGiannantonio (MB Conveyors Speed Up) were the other riders who made it through Q1, but none could break into the Top 10.
