2020 Andalucia Rally

Day 4 – Stage 3

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Shortened for safety reasons, stage three of the Andalucia Rally saw riders complete the first 114 kilometres as planned before leaving the special and rejoining at kilometre 183. As such, the initial 300-kilometer timed special was reduced to 230 kilometres of racing, through the winding, hilly tracks east of Seville.

While Joan Barreda took the stage win, Australian competitors Toby Price and Daniel Sanders were both within the top-10, with Sanders the top performing Australian for Stage 3 in ninth, while Toby Price came home in 10th, and now sits fifth overall in the overall classification, 15-minutes off leader Kevin Benavides.

Matthias Walkner was second fastest for the stage followed by Kevin Benavides, while Xavier de Soultrait and Skyler Howes completed the top five. The overall standings see Benavides in first, followed by Adrien Van Beveren and Lorenzo Santolino. Franco Caimi is fourth, followed by Price, Joan Barreda in sixth and Matthias Walkner in seventh. Daniel Sanders is currently 13th.

Setting off from behind, Spaniard from Castellón Joan Barreda was able to set a solid pace, clawing back time from his rivals to finish with an advantage of over three-and-a-half minutes over the day’s second best finisher. Barreda, despite yesterday’s penalty, thus pulls back positions in the general standings and is now sixth overall in the race.

Joan Barreda

“I started behind, at first I had to be careful because there was a lot of dust and you could not do any crazy overtaking as there was no air and the dust stayed suspended in the air and it was dangerous. I was able to pass a few riders when the open track arrived and I kept calm and was able to recover quite a bit of time with some good pace. I’m quite happy with the stage, because I liked the terrain, with fast tracks and some rocks which really punished the tyres.”

Capitalising on his later start time, Red Bull KTM’s Matthias Walkner immediately pushed right from the start of Friday’s shortened stage, clocking the fastest time to the waypoint at kilometre 41. From then on, the Austrian held a strong pace through the remaining 200 kilometres, never falling from the top two. Earning provisional second on the day moves Matthias up to seventh in the overall standings with only Saturday’s stage four left to race.

Matthias Walkner

“It was a really nice day today – I enjoyed the riding more than I have so far this rally, there was a lot more grip on the stage than previous days. I did have one moment where I hit a rock that was hidden in the grass, that gave me a little scare, but apart from that, all went well. Like a lot of people today, I found a few issues with the road book, but when I reached the finish, my time was good. We were told there might be an issue with my GPS today, so we’ll have to wait a little longer for the final result. For now though, I’m happy.”

Kevin Benavides also produced a fine stage three showing, posting third and keeping command of the overall leader board for a further day. Benavides has an advantage of more than six and a half minutes over the nearest second-placed rival with just the final stage to run before the race concludes.

Kevin Benavides

“It was a good day today. I made some navigational mistakes, but the pace and speed on the bike were good, allowing me to make up some lost time. I’m also happy because my arm didn’t hurt at all. We have passed another positive day and there is just one more day of racing remaining to enjoy.”

Placing sixth on stage three, Adrien Van Beveren put forward a calculated ride to end the day one step closer to an overall podium finish. Pushing hard from the beginning of the stage, the Frenchman opted to slow his pace during the second half to reduce any potential mistakes and ensure another strong result. Following three consistent stage finishes, Van Beveren now sits in a comfortable second place with one day remaining.

Adrien Van Beveren

“Another good day today. I felt good on my bike and early on I pushed really hard as we have one day left and I want to finish on the podium. Halfway through I slowed my pace a little to avoid any navigational errors and I finished the stage in second so I’m really happy. I’ll approach tomorrow with the same mentality and focus and hopefully we can come away with a positive result.”

Posting the ninth-fastest time on the day’s special, KTM Factory Racing’s Daniel Sanders showed he is more than capable of staying with the top riders in the sport, despite his relative inexperience. Riding without mistakes, the 26-year-old put in a mature performance to give himself a strong start position for tomorrow’s final stage.

Daniel Sanders

“I achieved my goal today of completing the stage in a good time and without any penalties. There were some modifications in today’s road book and as I’m still learning to deal with all the navigation, I found these a little confusing but it’s all part of the experience. I started really well and was able to push for a lot of the special. Eventually I caught up to three riders ahead of me and it was too difficult to pass cleanly, so I rode the last 50 or 60 kilometers at a solid pace and just kept things safe, hopefully for a strong finish tomorrow.”

Setting a solid pace on the fast, dusty Spanish tracks, Toby Price continues to follow his goal of a good, safe finish at the Andalucia Rally. Again, riding without mishap, the Aussie star placed 10th on the stage and now lies a strong fifth in the overall standings, due in part to being awarded time for issues on the stage one special that he encountered while opening on Wednesday.

Toby Price

“Stage three went quite well for me. I made one small navigation mistake, but again it seems like most riders suffered the same issue with things not quite matching up with the road book. Generally though, the road book today has been spot on. On the whole, I’m feeling good, the bike is performing perfectly and we’re happy with our pace so far. One day left now, so bring on tomorrow!”

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Stage four of the 2020 Andalucia Rally, the final of this year’s event, will see riders tackle 233 kilometers of riding, including two timed specials that make up the 210 kilometers raced against the clock. The initial section is a repeat of the 110-kilometer route seen on stage one, that is then followed by another 100-kilometer loop that brings competitors back to the bivouac at Villamartin and the checkered flag.

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2020 Andalucia Rally – Stage 3 Results

2020 Andalucia Standings following Stage 3

Source: MCNews.com.au

2020 Andalucia Rally

Day 3 – Stage 2

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Stage 2 saw an epic battle fought between road opener and Stage 1 winner Kevin Benavides (Monster Energy Honda) and Yamaha’s new recruit Ross Branch (Monster Energy Yamaha Rally) who started down in 13th place. Despite the pressure of finding the way, Benavides led for much of the special and very nearly achieved the rally-raid holy grail of winning from the front.

In the end a crash in which he hurt his arm and a 2-minute time penalty for missing a waypoint put paid to his hopes and saw Branch take the stage win. Also starting far back, Toby Price (Red Bull KTM Factory) got up to third but eventually fell back to fifth, meaning that an impressive Lorenzo Santolino (Sherco TVS Rally Factory) took second for the stage. That saw Adrien Van Beveren (Monster Energy Yamaha Rally) moved up to third, with Kevin Benavides fourth at 2’42.

A clearly delighted Ross Branch is obviously stoked with his new French-based team and effortlessly making the transition from promising privateer to factory team front runner.

Ross Branch

“Yeah really good day today. I tried to slow down a bit because yesterday I think I was pushing too hard. The tracks are a little bit slippery and I know the guys at the front are really quick. I just had some fun today and tried to navigate and not miss any waypoints. The Yamaha is going amazing and I’m really happy with the team and the position we’re in. Learning everyday for Dakar – that’s the main goal. It feels awesome to get a stage win! It was a great day, I set off steady, minimising mistakes as these can prove costly. Everything is on point. My bike, navigation, and I’m just pumped to take the win today. It’s a great feeling and sets me up for another strong day tomorrow.”

In the overall standings, Benavides can find consolation in the fact he maintains the overall lead 2’52 ahead of Santolino with Van Beveren third at 5’30. Ross Branch moves up to fourth at 8’45.

Kevin Benavides

“It was a very good stage for me. I started out very focused. I was doing very well over the first 100 kilometres, opening the track but opening a gap from the rest. Two kilometres before the finish of the first part I had a small fall, scratching my arm a little. I slowed down a bit for the rest of the stage, but I did well. I think finishing second today is a great job. We will try to keep progressing and try to finish as best we can.”

Another rider who impressed over the 243 km special was Sherco TV Factory Rally pilot Lorenzo Santolino. Starting behind Joan Barreda (Monster Energy Honda) is never a disadvantage, but when he made a mistake Santolino took over and maintained his position for the remainder of the special.

Lorenzo Santolino

“I had a great day. I was behind Barreda and he made a mistake so I passed ahead of him. I rode my own race, controlled the rhythm. Then Kevin fell and I just concentrated to getting to the finish without any problems.”

Coming back from his Dakar injury, that many predicted could put an end to his career, Adrien Van Beveren (Monster Yamaha Rally Team) again showed consistency to finish well up the rankings, proving he is once more very much in contention.

Adrien Van Beveren

“Today’s stage was good. I started off near the front so there were very few lines. I took my time, stopping to check the roadbook a couple of times to make sure I was heading in the right direction. I lost some time doing this, but it was a better option than going off course. I’m not pushing too hard, it’s still early in the race and I’m riding safe and fast, so I’m happy. My navigation was good so I look forward to another strong day tomorrow.”

Toby Price had to ride through the dust from the competitors ahead in order to make up time and despite the disadvantage, the Australian was able to fight his way through to third at the stage’s halfway point. A small mistake cost Price some time in the second part of the special, but the former Dakar winner held on for fifth at the finish, putting him a strong position moving forward..

Toby Price

“Day two has gone a little better, but the rally is certainly proving to be quite a challenge. A lot of people had some crashes today, including Sam and Matthias, so the main goal, as ever, is to get to the finish unscathed and on two wheels. I’m pleased with how I rode, it wasn’t easy starting further back and having to deal with the dust, but the result is ok. Two days left now so we’ll see what happens tomorrow.”

Fellow Australian and KTM Factory Racing rider Daniel Sanders continues to learn and gain knowledge onboard his KTM 450 RALLY. Putting in an excellent performance on his second-ever competitive rally stage, Sanders placed 11th, despite a couple of crashes along the way. Now with the rally at its halfway stage, Daniel is starting to settle into the race and looks forward to more solid results from the remaining two stages.

Daniel Sanders

“Today has been good, it was easier for me starting at the back and being able to follow the lines, so that made things easier to navigate. I started off really well but made a mistake quite early on – the tape was down and the layout didn’t match what I had on the roadbook – I think a few people got lost there. I did have a couple of crashes, but generally I found that I could get into a good rhythm today and find a nice flow. We repeated part of yesterday’s stage too, so it was good to be able to push there. I’m feeling good, and the bike has been great – looking forward to tomorrow now.”

Retirements include Sam Sunderland (Red Bull KTM Factory) who pulled out after crashing and hurting his arm and Joaquim Rodrigues (Hero Motorsports) who was forced to pull out of the special with an electrical fault. He will restart tomorrow.

Jordi Viladoms – KTM Rally Team Manager

“It’s been another tricky stage here for everyone. Toby did very well, coming from behind through all the dust and he was able to make a good result. Matthias, Sam, and Daniel all had crashes today, Sam’s was very early in the stage, and unfortunately it was impossible for him to continue. Thankfully, nothing is broken and so for him, we can continue preparing for Dakar. Matthias and Daniel have really good speed, but we can see, the rally is more of a challenge than we thought, with many broken tracks and dust. We will continue to do our best and hope for a strong result at the finish.”

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Friday’s stage three of the 2020 Andalucia Rally, the penultimate of the event, will see competitors cover a total of 434 kilometers. A single timed special of 300 kilometers will once again test riders’ skill and judgement as they navigate through the Spanish tracks and farmland.

Andalucia Rally Stage 2 Results

Andalucia Rally Stage 2 Standings

Source: MCNews.com.au

2020 Andalucia Rally

Day 2 – Stage 1

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The first stage on the Andalucίa Rally saw the dust that everybody was so worried about a secondary concern, with the special proving favourable to those starting just outside the top ten, with Kevin Benavides, Joan Barreda and Lorenzo Santolino finished first, second and third respectively.

Playing a low profile yesterday on the Super Special prologue, Kevin Benavides started 14th and went on to win the stage, more than three-minutes ahead of his teammate Joan Barreda.

Kevin Benavides

“It was a good day. I started a little behind and I was happy with that position, even if I knew it could go either way. I suffered a little in the dust but was feeling good on the bike until kilometre 170 when the road book broke, and I had to finish the stage by looking at the marks on the ground. It required a lot of concentration but in the end I won the stage, even if the last 5 kilometres weren’t easy, after seeing my brother lying on the ground. The important thing is he is OK.”

Joan Barreda

“Today was a good stage after yesterday’s, we have seen a lot of fast riders in this rally. Today was important to have a first stage without making any navigation errors. In the first part there was practically no navigation, but as the kilometres passed there were more open areas where I was able to pick up the pace. There were some complicated parts, which we had to really pay attention to. Maybe I’ve dropped a bit of time there, but I think it was a good stage overall.”

Starting respectively first, second and fourth, Aussies Toby Price and Daniel Sanders, plus teammate Matthias Walkner all of the Red Bull Factory Team finished 17th, 19th and 12th. A frustrated Toby Price, was still happy to end the day safely.

Toby Price

“Day one has been a little frustrating, the organization informed us of a few changes before the stage, but they didn’t really give that much detail so it was tricky to follow things especially from the front. I opened the special for probably 80 or 90 percent and stayed on two wheels, so I’m happy about my navigation and riding. The body feels good and the bike is performing well and as always, the team are doing a great job. We’ll see what tomorrow brings.”

Daniel Sanders, second to enter stage one, performed well, running with the more experienced members of his team and making the minimum of mistakes on the tricky to navigate route. Posting the 19th quickest stage time, the 26-year-old Australian is feeling confident and looks forward to day two.

Daniel Sanders

“Well, my first day racing rally was certainly a tough one! I started off feeling a little uncomfortable, but by the halfway mark I was able to find my rhythm, keep a good pace and concentrate on the road book. I made a couple of little mistakes along the way but all-in-all it was good and a useful learning experience. There’s three more days to go, so the goal is to make the finish safe and try and gain as much knowledge and experience as possible.”

Under the GasGas awning, Laia Sanz didn’t start this morning after yesterday’s crash in the super special. With her arm badly swollen, the Spanish rider decided to pull out just before the start. A further blow for the Austrians was the retirement of Luciano Benavides. Making his début in the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing colours, he crashed just 5 kilometres from the finish. Suffering from an impact to his thorax, initial medical examinations are reassuring.

The chances of seeing a Husqvarna up at the front of the rankings now depends on the performance of the Frenchman Xavier de Soultrait, riding for the HT Rally team, who finished the stage in sixth place.

Xavier de Soultrait

“The dust was hanging in the trees at the start of the rally and after 50 kilometres I thought it would be risky to push harder. At the first pause I saw that I wasn’t far from Kevin (Benavides) who is quick on these types of tracks. So I decided to hang on to him. With very tricky navigation, the kind we aren’t that used to, in the end it is better not to push too hard.”

Finishing third on the day, Sherco TVS Rally Factory rider Lorenzo Santolino expressed a similar sentiment.

Lorenzo Santolino

“It was a good day and finally the dust wasn’t too bad, as Barreda, who started in front of me, set a good pace. I was never on the limit and was surprised by my final finishing position.”

Over in the Monster Energy Yamaha Rally camp, Andrew Short started third and didn’t managed to find the right rhythm. His teammate Adrien Van Beveren also admitted to struggling to find his mark but nevertheless finished a better than expected in fourth place.

Adrien Van Beveren

“It was a solid start to the Andalucia Rally. It took me until around 50km in to settle in and ride a bit looser, but with so much time off that’s normal. I then just focused on my technique and felt good on the bike. Navigation was super-tricky. It wasn’t easy to find the balance between navigation and speed but overall it was a positive day. I did make a couple of mistakes and lost a couple of minutes so tomorrow I will try to remain calm through stage two.”

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The second stage will take place Thursday, with two 140-kilometre and 130-kilometre timed-stages plus a 95-kilometre liaison section. The second special of Stage 2 will cover the same route as Stage 1.

2020 Andalucia Rally – Stage 1 Result

Source: MCNews.com.au