Ricky Brabec has shown why he’s leading the Dakar 2020 standings, claiming the Stage Six win in the provisional results, with competitors undertaking the second-longest stage of the event with 830 km covered inclusive of a 477 kilometre special – consisting mainly of sandy tracks and dunes.
Ricky Brabec
“The day was good. I didn’t really have a strategy. I wanted to catch Andrew Short who started in front of me and I did just that. I rode with him all day. It was very unfortunate for Toby because he had a wheel mishap at maybe kilometre 330. I rode to the end and now we have a rest day and I have a 20-minute lead in the general and that’s really awesome. It’s really nice knowing that. I can’t really believe it. It’s incredible. So now we are going to get some rest and recoup and refresh and get ourselves together ready for the next six days in Saudi Arabia. I’m more excited that we are here in warm weather than I am at being here for the rest day. I hate being cold. I have three layers on right now but it’s warmer and I’m liking it. Nacho’s riding really well. He’s a great team-mate and a great-camper mate. The problem with Toby is going to set him on fire next week, so we have to be careful next week. Hopefully we can stay ahead of him. I won the stage today so I have to lead out. Hopefully I can lead out well. So we will rest and put our things together and hope for a good day.”
Ricky Brabec
Fellow Monster Honda Team rider Joan Barreda was second fastest, trailing Brabec by 1min-34s, while KTM’s Matthias Walkner completed the top three, 2min-45s off the leader.
Joan Barreda
“Today I am very happy after the problems I have had recently which I’ve been trying to save something from the stages and have been trying to get the good sensations back. The truth is that I felt much better today and I kept a good pace but I also tried to focus on not making any navigational errors. I tried to regulate the pace as it was very fast throughout the day. I much prefer the dunes, which is what I’m most used to. I don’t remember a race with so many days running over rocky terrain. But well we are making positive progress which is the important thing.”
Joan Barreda – Image by Rally Zone
Matthias Walkner
“It was a very intense stage today – very long and maybe 80 percent full gas the whole way. It was tough both physically and mentally and I’m glad of the rest day tomorrow. My pace was good today, I felt comfortable and didn’t make any mistakes. With the first half of the rally done I think we are in good shape – everyone is really fast this year and it’s going to be close. The goal, as always, is to make it safely to the end, so hopefully I’ll have a good second half to the rally.”
Matthias Walkner
Rounding off the top five was Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Pablo Quintanilla, and Luciano Benavides.
Pablo Quintanilla
“I’m really happy with my performance today and with my position in the standings before the rest day. The stage was really tough for the guys at the front as we knew we would be finding the line for the whole way. We were able to set a solid pace and I didn’t lose so much time, which was good. The stage was really fast with long caps between camel grass and dunes. Towards the final 50 kilometres my body was really starting to feel tired. I’m looking forward to the rest day now and then hopefully I can have a good second half to the rally.”
Pablo Quintanilla
Luciano Benavides
“The first part of the stage today was really nice – I enjoyed it a lot. My brother caught me and we were riding together for a good while. It was a tough stage, like every stage so far. It’s really good to finish fifth, which sets me up well for the next half of the rally. I’m pleased with my riding and the bike feels great – I’ve really found a good rhythm this year.”
Luciano Benavides
Stage Five winner, Australian Toby Price was just outside the top-10 in 11th sharing that his rear wheel fell of his bike – with Andrew Short providing his to get him moving again, and ended up 16min-33s off leading pace, while fellow Australian Rodney Faggotter has remained consistent, taking 16th.
Following Stage Six and based on the provisional results, Ricky Brabec has retained his lead in the overall rankings, while Pablo Quintanilla has taken over the runner up position, with Toby Price pushed down to third, 25min-39s of leader Brabec.
Toby Price
“Today’s stage started out really good, we were navigating really well from the front and was only losing small amounts of time on the riders who started behind me so I was quite happy with the way I was racing, but unfortunately around the 400km mark my rear tyre fell off! I have no idea why this would have happened but I’m super grateful that Andrew Short pulled up and gave me his wheel which allowed me to get to the finish as quick as possible so thank you again for this mate! Overall I’m pretty gutted that this is how we finished up today but I guess that’s just how it goes sometimes!”
Toby Price
Andrew Short also put in an excellent performance on the gruelling special, pushing hard and enjoying the sandy conditions, Andrew chose to stop and assist his friend Toby Price, completing the stage in 24th position, just 35 minutes down on the day’s winner.
Andrew Short
“It was certainly a very different day for me today. I was really fast at the beginning of the stage – I started third and was able to push right away to try and catch my teammate in front of me. Things were going really good, the sand was a lot of fun to ride. About 50 kilometres from the end I stopped to help Toby. In situations like today you have to think quickly, I figured I was an hour down already in the overall after a tough couple of stages early on, so I helped my friend. Overall, I’m happy because I rode really well today and was able to mix it with the top guys. Some rest tomorrow will be good, and then it’s all systems go for the second half of the race.”
Andrew Short
Jose Cornejo and Joan Barreda are ranked fourth and fifth, while Rodney Faggotter currently sits 13th.
Rodney Faggotter
“Position 16th and up to 13th overall! Very happy with how things are going and to make it to the rest day tomorrow in good shape. Time for some sleep!”
KTM’s Toby Price leads the Stage Five provisional results, closing in on the combined lead, with the Husqvarna Factory Racing duo of Pablo Quintanilla and Andrew short completing the top-three, 1min-12s, and 2min-31s off the leader respectively.
Toby Price
“It’s been a good day, except for my teammate Sam Sunderland taking a nasty crash, wishing him a speedy recovery. I pushed hard at the start, made some good navigational calls and by then I caught up with the Honda boys. It’s been a good stage, it’s actually the first time I’ve ridden with a big group, so it was quite enjoyable, but at the end of the day we are competitive and need to stay in front of them! We’re happy with the day and we’ll see how day six goes now… I think that’s what we’re up to… I’m starting to lose count of it all!”
Toby Price – Dakar Rally Stage 5
Pablo Quintanilla showed his skill by performing superbly throughout the 353-kilometre special. The 14th rider to set off, Pablo was fourth fastest to the first checkpoint.
Pablo Quintanilla
“Honestly, the stage was tough, but I feel really good. I immediately found a strong rhythm and was able to make good progress. It was dusty up to the refuelling because I had to pass some other riders, but apart from that it was okay. After that I was riding with Andrew and we did a really good team job and were able to really push. Yesterday didn’t go so well for me but today I was able to take advantage of the position I had and make up some time. Riding 200 kilometres in the dunes was hard – you are on the pegs the whole way and there’s no time to rest. It seems stage six will be similar so I will get some rest tonight and hopefully have another solid day tomorrow.”
Pablo Quintanilla
Following a tough start to his 2020 Dakar Rally campaign, Andrew Short enjoyed his best result of the event so far, navigating well through the faster first half of the stage, the experienced American then rode with teammate Quintanilla during the latter part of the day.
Andrew Short
“My day started off really fast today and I rode really good up to the refuelling zone. After that it turned into off-piste and dunes and while I was searching for one waypoint, Pablo caught me and from then on, we rode the rest of the stage together. It was nice to follow him and see his lines and rhythm, hopefully I can keep up the same pace myself and make up some time as the race goes on.”
Andrew Short
Stage Five saw riders travel from Al-Ula to Ha’il, with a 564 kilometre total distance, with 353 kilometre timed special, including heading into the dunes in the latter half of the stage.
Overall leader Ricky Brabec meanwhile came home in fourth, ahead of Matthias Walkner.
Ricky Brabec
“My day was good. It started out freezing cold which I don’t really agree with. It was really fast. A lot of hp and sandy tracks. I rode with Nacho. We made it to the finish which is our number one goal. First in the general is amazing. We are sitting in a good spot for tomorrow to push. We will try and catch the main group and not lose too much time. Right now we are taking it day by day. It’s too hard to have a strategy. There’s a lot of racing left to do. We are going to go day by day and hope for good results each day.”
Matthias Walkner
“All-in-all it has been a good day for me today. I suffered a little with the dust at first due to starting 27th and had lost a bit of time by the refuelling. After that on the off-piste sections I think I was a little too careful in my navigation and not just pushing the tracks like it seems some of the other riders were. The good thing is I made it to the finish safely without losing too much time. It’s never nice to see your teammate after they have had a crash, it took my focus for a little while, but it seems he is not too bad and that’s always good to hear.”
Matthias Walkner
Joan Barreda finished sixth in the provisional results, ahead of previous stage winner Ross Branch, with Luciano Benavides and Kevin Benavides in eighth and ninth, while Paulo Goncalves completed the top ten.
Joan Barreda
“Today I felt a little better. The second part of the special was quite hard physically having a lot of sand and vegetation, but we were able to hold a solid pace. I trying to get the good feelings back day after day to move up positions. This week has not been easy; we have encountered loads of rocks and different kinds of navigation. Now I hoping to get some good sensations form the stages in open desert. There is still a lot of race to run.”
Aussie Rodney Faggotter was 23rd for the day, and now sits 16th in the standings as a result.
Sam Sunderland meanwhile crashed heavily, and was forced to retire from the event, with reports that he did not lose consciousness and was quickly attended to by medical staff. The British rider was airlifted from the stage with injuries to his back and shoulder and taken for immediate medical checks. Thankfully, Sam is expected to make a full recovery.
Sam Sunderland
“The pain of a crash is nothing compared to the pain of disappointment, unfortunately my race is over after a crash today at kilometre 180. While fighting for the stage win and feeling like everything was under control, I caught a camel grass mound awkwardly putting the bike sideways into the next one and a few later I have 5 broken vertebrae and a shoulder blade but luckily no surgery is required and should be right again soon! I want to thank my team for building me the best bike I could ever wish for and for everyone around who help out during the good and the bad moments. Good luck to my team mates for the rest of the race, put an orange one on the top step! Thank you all for your words of support during the race they help a lot! Also I want to thank @johnnyaubertofficial for stopping to help me when I was crashed.”
Sam Sunderland – 2020 Dakar Rally Stage Four
Jordi Viladoms – KTM Rally Team Manager
“It’s not been the perfect day for us today, but as we often see at the Dakar we have two sides – Toby has won the stage and is second overall, but unfortunately Sam had a crash and will not continue the race. Thankfully, it seems that Sam’s injuries are not too serious, he has broken some vertebrae and his shoulder, but we are hoping he will spend some time in hospital here before flying back to Europe and starting his recovery. In terms of the rally, the change in terrain should suit us more from now on – we will see lots of fast, off-piste sand tracks and difficult to navigate dunes. We are still in the fight for the overall victory and I am confident all my riders will give their best tomorrow and for the second half of the race.”
Provisional standings after Stage Five now have Ricky Brabec leading Toby Price and Kevin Benavides, with Pablo Quintanilla and Jose Cornejo completing the top five.
The Honda factory team is shaping to be the biggest threat to Aussie Toby Price scoring his third Dakar Rally win and the 19th consecutive victory for KTM.
Honda has the top three outright positions after yesterday’s 453km stage four of the rally in Saudi Arabia with Toby biding his time in fourth place outright.
It was a close stage with all top 20 riders, including Queensland veteran competitor Rodney Faggotter (Yamaha), within 13 minutes.
Rodney Faggotter
“Crazy amounts of different terrain and dusty conditions have made for another tough day, a real reminder that we’re at the Dakar Rally, “says Toby.
“As tough as today was I’m happy to have a consistent day with only a couple of little mistakes. We’re sticking to our plan and are in a great position with plenty more racing ahead of us.
“I just need to stay focused and stick to my guns, with navigation being so damn full on my brain is fried and actually makes me feel like I do have some brains up there.”
The stage was won by Chilean rider Jose Florimo (Honda) followed by teammate Kevin Benavides with Toby sixth and less than three minutes behind.
He is now just over 12 minutes behind Honda rider Ricky Brabec who is hoping to be the first American to win the gruelling rally.
(Sorry it’s in Spanish, but the images are in English!)
Top 10 outright rankings
POS.
N°
EXP.
DRIVE-TEAM
MARK-MODEL
TIME
VARIATION
PENALTY
1
9
MONSTER ENERGY HONDA TEAM 2020
15H 06′ 43”
2
7
MONSTER ENERGY HONDA TEAM 2020
15H 09′ 13”
+ 00H 02′ 30”
3
17
MONSTER ENERGY HONDA TEAM 2020
15H 15′ 14”
+ 00H 08′ 31”
00H 01′ 00”
4
1
RED BULL KTM FACTORY TEAM
15H 18′ 52”
+ 00H 12′ 09”
00H 02′ 00”
5
5
ROCKSTAR ENERGY HUSQVARNA FACTORY RACING
15H 24′ 35”
+ 00H 17′ 52”
6
3
RED BULL KTM FACTORY TEAM
15H 25′ 54”
+ 00H 19′ 11”
00H 05′ 00”
7
12
MONSTER ENERGY HONDA TEAM 2020
15H 32′ 03”
+ 00H 25′ 20”
8
16
RED BULL KTM FACTORY TEAM
15H 33′ 13”
+ 00H 26′ 30”
9
2
RED BULL KTM FACTORY TEAM
15H 33′ 46”
+ 00H 27′ 03”
10
59
KLYMCIW RACING
15H 41′ 11”
+ 00H 34′ 28”
Other Aussies
Rodney Faggotter
Rodney Faggotter finished 18th and moved back two places to 17th outright.
“It was a brutal day and plenty of potential to hurt yourself, so I just rode smooth as possible though most of the time the throttle was wedged non stop.
“Fast tracks, fast sand and a million rocks littered throughout to make it interesting.”
Other Aussie Ben Young (KTM) finished a respectable 64th and moved up 10 places to 78th while Matthew Tisdall (KTM) finished last (121st) and moves up to 124th.
Tomorrow’s 353km special stage is mainly sand with large boulders as navigation markers.
Like many Aussie sports stars and celebrities, Toby (right) is raising money for the bushfire appeal.
He is auctioning his starting jersey and pants for firefighters
Toby is also doing his bit for the current critical bushfire situation by auctioning his starting jersey and pants with proceeds going to the NSW Rural Fire Service.
It is open worldwide, just send in your bid in Australian dollars on his Facebook page or Instagram.
KTM’s Sam Sunderland has led home the Monster Energy Honda duo of Jose Ignacio and Kevin Benavides in Stage Four of the 2020 Dakar Rally, with Stage 2 winner Ross Branch fourth, and Paulo Goncalves completing the top five.
Sam Sunderland – 2020 Dakar Rally Stage Four
Previous stage winner Ricky Brabec had to settle for seventh, 11-seconds faster than defending champion Toby Price, but it was enough for Brabec to retain his overall lead, while Price moved up the standings into fourth – 12min-9s off the combined lead.
Stage Four of the Dakar Rally offered a long day in the saddle for riders, who needed to complete a total of 672 kilomtres, including a 453-kilometre timed special, offering a mix of sandy pistes and travel tracks, traveling from Neom through to Al-Ula.
Following the GPS and waypoint issues of the previous stage, Stage Four also saw the the Top-10 separated by just five-minutes, however the combined leaderboard continues to stretch out.
Aussie Rodney Faggotter finished Stage Four in 18th position on his Yamaha Motor Australia mount, 13min-4s off the leader, moving into 17th in the standings.
Toby Price – 2020 Dakar Rally Stage Four
The overall standings now see Ricky Brabec leading Kevin Benavides by 2min-30s, while a more distant Jose Ignacio is third making a Monster Energy Honda Team 1-2-3. Toby Price and Sam Sunderland complete the top five, as the leading KTM riders, while Pablo Quintanilla is top Husqvarna pilot in sixth.
Ricky Brabec has won Stage 3 of the Dakar Rally, taking the lead over runner-up and team-mate Jose Florimo, while fellow Monster Energy Honda Team 2020 rider Joan Barreda took out third for the stage in the provisional results.
Updated results have since been released, marking a noticeable reshuffling of the stage results, general standings and times posted, as well as gaps, with Kevin Benavides since listed as third fastest overall.
Ricky Brabec – Image by Rally Zone
The result catapults Brabec into the lead of the standings after Stage 3, marking the third rider to claim the lead and a stage win in as many stages, after Toby Price and Sam Sunderland took the lead in stages one and two respectively.
Ricky Brabec now holds the general standings lead by 15-minutes
Updated results have Matthias Walkner fourth, ahead of defending champion Toby price, while Joan Barreda placed sixth ahead of Luciano Benavides.
Toby Price led the Australian contingent, originally being posted as taking 12th for the stage in the provisional results and sitting 35-minutes off the leading pace for the day, but retaining his ninth place overall in the standings. Updates results have since placed him at fifth for the stage, and sixth overall, with further clarification expected, with a statement from Price on social media reflecting the original results listed.
Toby Price
“Today was a difficult day, in the early parts of the stage we were getting on pretty damn good but unfortunately, I made a few mistakes which really cost me. One of those mistakes was towards the end of the stage, where I had a hard time tracking down a specific WPC which was marked in a really tricky position. Not sure what the go is here? But all in all, it was a rough day and I’m glad to have Stage 3 behind me. Time to recharge and press on to Stage 4!”
Toby Price
Early results reported Rodney Faggotter completed the stage in 35th, leaving him ranked 21st overall, however updated results have him running 13th.
Adrien Van Beveren, who was running 14th after Stage 2, had to withdraw after an early crash during Stage 3, and was quickly attended to by the medical team.
Toby Price may have won Stage 1 even after a two-minute penalty, but it was Ross Branch who put in the fastest time on Stage 2, becoming the first rider from Botswana to take top honours with a Dakar stage win.
Stage two at the 2020 Dakar Rally also presented riders with several new challenges. The pre-coloured road books used for the first time this year were only given to competitors 25 minutes before the start of the 367-kilometre timed special. Also, with the day marking the first half of the event’s Super Marathon stage, riders were only allowed 10 minutes to work on their bikes at the end of the day, with no outside assistance permitted.
Starting the day from fourteenth, Branch took advantage of the tracks opened by other riders, to ride his own race, with navigation also proving a strong point.
Ross Branch
“Today was really good and I had a lot of fun on the bike. Starting fourteenth this morning helped a lot because there were some tracks that opened the road. I had a lot of fun and tried to ride my own race. I navigated well today which was really good for me and I think it helped a lot. Then I just took it easy…”
Stage 2 runner-up was Sam Sunderland, proving consistency is key and sitting 1min-24s off Branch’s winning time of 3:39’10”. That was enough to claim the overall lead, by 1min-32s from Pablo Quintanilla.
Sam Sunderland – Image by Rally Zone
Quintanilla improved on his Stage 1 result of sixth to claim the final place in the top three on day two, which also earnt him runner-up position in the combined standings.
Rounding out the top five for the day were Kevin Benavides and Luciano Benavides, just 3min-40s and 3min-44s off stage-winning pace respectively.
Luciano Benavides – Image by Rally Zone
Toby Price had to settle for 15th for the day on board his Red Bull KTM Factory Team machine after tackling the challenge of starting first, but held onto a top-ten position in the overall standings in ninth – 7min-34s off Sunderland’s leading pace.
Toby Price
“A very challenging day with our first Super Marathon stage complete, it is all new for everyone and doesn’t really allow us much time to work on the bikes which made things interesting. Navigation today was really difficult and the conditions were tricky with so many lines to choose from! With such heavy navigation, it leaves you feeling like you’re gambling with your decisions all day, but it makes it interesting for all competitors. Starting first is always going to be a disadvantage and today was a day I knew the rest of the field would make time on me, I don’t plan on starting first too many more times after my efforts today but I’m feeling good, the bike is in good shape for tomorrow and I’m looking forward to Stage 3!”
Toby Price – Image by Rally Zone
Fellow Australian Rodney Faggotter proved consistent, following up his Stage 1 19th placing, with a strong 16th in Stage 2, claiming 17th overall.
Rodney Faggotter
“17th quickest today. Saw a couple crashed riders today and some other riders that had started in front of me were with them – so I will possibly slip down from 17th position depending on what time they are given nack for stopping – but all good! Solid day. Had dust for about 200klms then led out in front of my group which means a lot of navigation but no dust! The riding here is so diverse and so far.. fun!”
Consistency is the key to Australian rider Toby Price’s fourth Dakar Rally, now sitting in third place after four stages and carrying the hopes of his nation for a second historic win.
Unfortunately, fellow Aussie Rodney Faggotter is out after mechanical failures on his factory Yamaha on stage three.
It was the Queenslander’s fifth Dakar mission after finishing 16th last year.
Australia’s two other Dakar competitors are rookies Victorian Ben Young (#72 Duust Rally Team) and Canberran James Ferguson (#121 KTM).
Young is in a commendable 21st position among the rookies and 67th overall.
James was in 106th overall out of 149 starters at the end of stage 3 and 34th among the rookies.
So far, he has not come in, but at this point only 95 have finished the gruelling 406km fourth stage. We will update when James finishes.
Unique rally
This year’s Dakar is unique as it is being staged in only one country, Peru, and so far almost ll the racing has been in the dunes.
It’s also one of the most competitive with four different winner sin the four stages and three different bike brands.
Leaders
Current leader Ricky Brabec
KTM, which is chasing its 18th straight win, has only scored a win in the second stage for last year’s winner, Austrian Matthais Walkner.
Joan Barreda Bort won the firsts age on his Honda, Xavier de Soultrait won stage three for Yamaha and American Ricky Brabec scored Honda’s second stage win over night.
Ricky is now leading, ahead of consistent riders Pablo Quintanilla for Husqvarna just 2 minutes behind, ahead of Toby who is less than six minutes form the lead.
Consistency
Mr Consistency Toby Price
Toby, who is also the first Australian to win the World Cross-Country Rallies Championship with victory in the final round in Morocco last month, is nursing a mending broken wrist.
“The wrist is a little sore but I think I’ll make the distance, it’s all or nothing!” says Toby who won in only his second Dakar in 2016.
Toby started racing the Dakar in 2015, became a KTM factory rider in 2016 and was the first Aussie to win the rally. He broke his leg in 2017 and last year finished an unbelievable third despite not racing for a year due to injury.
Toby’s strategy in each event is consistency in the first half and attack in the second half which starts next week.
Click here if you would like to send him best wishes for a successful rally.
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax
Proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax
What Went Down Last Weekend?
Brook and Koppe win North Brisbane Cup
FIM SuperEnduro World Championship – Round 1 – Krakow, Poland
French Beach Race Series – Round 4 – Ronde des Sables
Wade Young wins Roof of Africa
Faggotter ready for Dakar 2019
2019 WESS calendar announced
2019 AFT calendar announced
2019 GNCC calendar announced
2019 Sunshine State Series calendar announced
2019 Australian Speedway Senior Solo draw announced
Tanti joins Crawford at Serco
WBR Yamaha sign Purvis and Kukas for MXD
Argentina to kick-off 2019 MXGP season
Stefan Everts in hospital
Brook and Koppe Win North Brisbane Cup
MotoGP racer Jack Miller added some extra prestige into the annual North Brisbane Cup last Saturday afternoon and evening but it was the talented pairing of Damien Koppe and Jarrod Brook who took the overall win after winning both feature races.
Damien Koppe and Jarrod Brook who took the overall win
Some of our best speedway, dirt track, road race and enduro riders were on hand but the real pace setters were Damien Koppe, Jarred Brook, Max Whale, Jake Allen, Kayden Downing and Jack Miller – in fact, Miller has lost none of his dirt track speed after going down in turn one of the Pro Open teams event, before remounting and carving back to third place in time for the changeover to fellow Townsville terror Kayden Downing.
Despite the relatively tight confines of Mick Doohan Raceway – for a long track slider designed for a mile track – speedway pro Josh Grajczonek proved himself competitive throughout the event.
North Brisbane Cup Results
Damien Koppe, Jarrod Brook 9:21.380
Max Whale, Jake Allen 1.791
Jack Miller, Kayden Downing 13.700
Harrison Maxwell, Nick Hallas 25.592
Bailey Spencer, Ben Montgomery 26.068
Briony Hendrickson, Andy McLeisch 1 lap
Lachlan Stanford, Fraser Higlett 1 lap
Jay Southwell, Max Losch 2 laps
Daniel Perdikis, Trevor Velt 2 laps
1Ryan Douglas, Joshua Grajczonek 3 laps
Brooke Goulding, Blake Goulding 11 laps
Jack Miller made an appearance at the North Brisbane Cup
Damien Koppe, Jarrod Brook 9:22.703
Max Whale, Jake Allen 6.763
Bailey Spencer, Ben Montgomery 1 lap
Harrison Maxwell, Nick Hallas 1 lap
Lachlan Stanford, Fraser Higlett 1 lap
Benjamin Mclaughlin, Adam Bevan 1 lap
Andrew McLiesh, Grace Hudson 1 lap
Jay Southwell, Max Losch 2 laps
Brooke Goulding, Blake Goulding 2 laps
Daniel Perdikis, Trevor Velt 2 laps DNF Jack Miller, Kayden Downing Lap 19
FIM SuperEnduro World Championship Round 1 – Krakow, Poland
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Taddy Blazusiak has won the opening round of the 2019 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship held in Krakow, Poland while Cody Webb and Colton Haaker rounded out the podium
Krakow SuperEnduro 2019 Round 1 – Image by Future7Media
On a dry and fast track at the Tauron Arena in Krakow, Blazusiak delighted his home fans by taking the overall win at round one of the championship. It wasn’t plain sailing for the six-time champion however as an early fall in the third and final heat left him playing catch-up to the riders ahead.
With his KTM 350 EXC-F blasting off the line, Blazusiak secured the holeshot in heat one. The Polish rider was never challenged for the remainder of the race and after riding eight smooth and consistent laps crossed the line 15 seconds ahead of teammate Webb. Putting in a similar performance in the reverse-grid heat two, Taddy fought his way through the pack early on to win by over five seconds from the second-placed finisher Haaker.
Aiming to take the hat-trick, Taddy fell early in the third heat and was placed dead-last at the beginning of the opening lap. Charging hard, he got his head down and proceeded to pick off the riders ahead of him, ultimately battling his way through to fourth at the line – enough to claim the overall event win and with it the championship lead heading into round two in Germany.
“The whole event has been amazing. Race one went perfectly, I was able to get out in front and set my own pace to take the win. Race two was pretty much the same, I had quite a lot of pressure from the guys behind and made a couple of mistakes, but I was able to put in some fast lap times and break the challenge. In the last moto, I got a pretty good start but I got tangled up with some other riders over the first jumps and went down. I picked myself and the bike up and saw I was in last place so I took a couple of seconds to make sure everything was ok and set off again. I was pushing hard and able to overtake the guys in front quite well. I did make a mistake in one rut and washed the front again, luckily I didn’t lose too much time and was happy enough to take fourth. Championship-wise, I’m a little disappointed to lose a few points but I think we’ll all have challenging races over the season. To be leading going into round two feels great.”
The 2019 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship continues with round two in Riesa, Germany on January 5, 2019.
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax
French Beach Race Series – Round 4 – Ronde des Sables
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Nathan Watson has secured his second consecutive victory in the Championnat de France des Sables. Putting in a strong performance throughout the two-hour 30-minute beach race, Watson initially crossed the finish line in second, but was later awarded the overall win.
Yentel Martens – 2018 French Beach Races Round 4 Hossegor – Image by Pascal Haudiquert
After his confidence-boosting victory at last weekend’s round three, Nathan Watson headed to round four with hopes of making it two wins in a row and after starting strongly, he battled with teammate Camille Chapeliere for the lead during the first half of the race before taking control.
Camille Chapeliere – 2018 French Beach Races Round 4 Hossegor – Image by Pascal Haudiquert
However, despite pulling a sizeable advantage, Watson was unable to maintain his lead as the race conditions changed. With organisers cutting the event short due to an incoming tide, the Brit slipped back to second place at just the wrong moment in the race. Unable to regroup in time, Watson shadowed provisional winner Milko Potisek across the finish line for what he thought was a runner-up result. Later confirmed as the winner, Watson claimed his second consecutive beach race win.
Nathan Watson
“I’m disappointed to have physically just missed out on that race win but naturally pleased to be awarded the overall win. The race to the chequered flag itself was close and I was right behind him crossing the finish line. I had a good race and was leading with about a one-minute advantage. Then suddenly he came past me and I was shocked because I didn’t realise he was catching me so quick. I must have been riding too relaxed in traffic. He passed me on the last lap and I tried to regroup, but it was too late. With two tough rounds back-to-back and my victory at Red Bull Knock Out, I’ll take a bit of time to recover over the Christmas break and then work hard to prepare for the next round.”
Nathan Watson – 2018 French Beach Races Round 4 Hossegor – Image by Pascal Haudiquert
Claiming the holeshot on his KTM 450 SX-F, Watson’s teammate Camille Chapeliere put in a series of blisteringly fast laps to hold firm at the front of the results and maintain the race lead during the first hour of racing. With lapped traffic hampering his vision, the Frenchman was forced to pit earlier than scheduled for a fresh pair of goggles. Despite his strong pace during the latter half of the race, Chapeliere was unable to catch the leaders and had to settle for third overall, but was later awarded second.
Camille Chapeliere
“After last weekend’s disappointment I was determined to return strong here. I worked a lot to be ready and I wanted to show my speed on the track. My first hour was good. I took the holeshot and lead for quite a while. I had a little issue with my goggles and was unable to hold that position as I needed to pit early for a fresh set. But overall it’s been a good race and now I will continue to work and be ready for the next round as we build towards Enduropale le Touquet.”
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Yentel Martens delivered a strong ride at round four of the French Beach Race series in Ronde des Sables, Hossegor-Capbreton to claim a confidence-boosting fourth-place result.
Yentel Martens – 2018 French Beach Races Round 4 Hossegor – Image by Pascal Haudiquert
Yentel Martens
“Today was a positive step forward for me. After some bad luck last weekend and then picking up a small foot injury I was nervous about how things would go. Unfortunately, my start wasn’t the best and I was outside the top 20, so had a bit of work to do there. But my speed was good and I was able to make up the positions quite quickly. I caught up to Jeffrey Dewulf near the end but crashed and lost some time to him that I wasn’t able to recover. However, I’m happy with the progress. I know my speed is good enough to win now and as a team we are all working hard to make it happen.”
The Championnat de France des Sables continues with round five in Grayan on January 13, 2019.
Yentel Martens – 2018 French Beach Races Round 4 Hossegor – Image by Pascal Haudiquert
Results – French Beach Race Series, Round 4
Nathan Watson, KTM, 25 laps 2:23:11.880
Camille Chapeliere, KTM, 2:26:59.150 +3:47.270
Jeffrey Dewulf, KTM, 2:28:59.550 +5:47.670
Yentel Martens, Husqvarna, 2:23:59.550 +1 lap
Daymond Martens, Honda, 2:24:01.590 +1 lap
Championship Standings (After Round 4)
Jeffrey Dewulf, KTM, 500 points
Milko Potisek, Yamaha, 500 pts
Nathan Watson, KTM, 435 pts
Maxime Sot, Yamaha, 397 pts
Yentel Martens, Husqvarna, 390 pts
Wade Young Wins Roof of Africa
Wade Young has topped off an incredible 2018 hard enduro racing season by winning the infamous Motul Roof of Africa in a total time of 14-hours and 47-minutes, a clear 23-minutes ahead of the second placed rider, Travis Teasdale.
It has been widely reported that the 2018 version of the Roof of Africa was one if the toughest with legendary racer and former Roof winner Alfie Cox reporting, “It was tough. It was not a walk in the park and people had to dig deep. Some blokes were on the bike for ten to eleven hours a day. But that is what the Roof of Africa is all about.”
Wade Young wins the 2018 Roof Of Africa – Image by www.trompievanderberg.co.za / www.zcmc.co.za
While the mountains of Lesotho proved unforgiving, Wade Young made short work of the competition with a 40-minute lead after a strenuous 8-hours and 28-minutes on the bike after the first day of racing. Young played it safe on day-two, relinquishing some of his lead but ensuring his fourth Roof of Africa title.
The Sherco Factory rider claimed a number of high-profile hard enduro events in 2018 with victory in the Sea to Sky, Romaniacs, Megawatt and Australia’s own Wildwood Rock Extreme.
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Faggotter Ready for Dakar 2019
Yamalube Yamaha Rally team riders Adrien Van Beveren, Xavier de Soultrait and Aussie Rodney Faggotter will be aboard the newest edition of the WR450F Rally works machine as they take on the 41st Dakar which will be for the first time contested exclusively in Peru.
Rod Faggotter
Playing a crucial role for the Yamalube Yamaha Rally team during the last two Dakar Rallies, Rodney Faggotter remains with the squad going into the 2019 edition of the event after an extremely consistent run that saw him finish 16th overall and the highest placed Yamaha rider at the 2018 Dakar Rally.
Rodney Faggotter
“I’m looking forward to the 2019 Dakar. I’ve been racing some Bajas and training hard back home in Australia these last few months. I feel strong physically and also mentally. In the beginning of December, we’ve spent a full week testing and training with the team in Morocco and that was a good morale booster for me. We have a great spirit within the team and I want to be there for my teammates if they need me. I want to have a good clean run and do my own race. This Dakar might seem shorter, but we all know it’s still going to be a long and demanding race. If it all goes well, I’m confident I can improve my overall result from last year and fight for a spot inside the top-10.”
Rodney Faggotter – Dakar 2018
Race Schedule – Dakar Rally 2019
Stage 1 | Jan 7 | Lima to Pisco | SS: 84km | Total: 331km
Stage 2 | Jan 8 | Pisco to San Juan de Marcona | SS: 342km | Total: 554km
Stage 3 | Jan 9 | San Juan de Marcona to Arequipa | SS: 331km | Total: 779km
Stage 4 | Jan 10 | Arequipa to Moquegua | SS: 352km | Total: 511km
Stage 5 | Jan 11 | Moquegua to Arequipa | SS: 345km | Total: 776km
Rest Day | Jan 12 | Arequipa
Stage 6 | Jan 13 | Arequipa to San Juan de Marcona | SS: 317km | Total: 839km
Stage 7 | Jan 14 | San Juan de Marcona, return| SS: 323km | Total: 387km
Stage 8 | Jan 15 | San Juan de Marcona to Pisco | SS: 361km | Total: 576km
Stage 9 | Jan 16 | Pisco to Pisco | SS: 313km | Total: 410km
Stage 10 | Jan 17 | Pisco to Lima | SS: 112km | Total: 358km
2019 WESS Calendar Announced
The World Enduro Super Series will be an eight-round championship for the 2019 season with two additional Classic Enduro events scheduled for the coming season, combined with established Hard Enduro favourites, plus the Hawkstone Park Cross-Country.
2018 Gotland Grand National – WESS Round 7
The Extreme XL Lagares will once again open the season in Portugal, on May 10-12 before moving to France and the Classic Enduro at the Trèfle Lozérien AMV, then the Erzbergrodeo Red Bull Hare Scramble, Red Bull Romaniacs, Hawkstone Park Cross-Country in the United Kingdom, the Solsona Enduro in Spain et and finally GetzenRodeo in Germany on November 2-3.
Winfried Kerschhaggl – WESS Series Manager
“Further broadening the mix of events in the championship, while sharpening the focus on true Enduro competitions has been our goal. Traditional Enduro is always close to our hearts, fuelling our passion for racing, and for that reason it has led to the addition of two Classic Enduro events being added to the calendar. Combined with some of our much-loved events from 2018, plus the welcomed addition of the GetzenRodeo, we are very much looking forward to the start of the new series and the battle to find the 2019 Ultimate Enduro Champion.”
WESS 2018 – Round 8 Red Bull Knock Out – Image by Future7Media
World Enduro Super Series – 2019 Schedule
Round 1: Extreme XL Lagares (Portugal) May 10-12
Round 2: Trèfle Lozérien AMV (France) May 17-19
Round 3: Erzbergrodeo Red Bull Hare Scramble (Austria) May 30-June 2
Round 4: Classic Enduro (Italy) TBA
Round 5: Red Bull Romaniacs (Romania) July 30-August 4
Round 6: Hawkstone Park Cross Country (United Kingdom) September 21-22
Round 7: Solsona Enduro (Spain) October 5-6
Round 8: GetzenRodeo (Germany) November 2-3
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2019 AFT Calendar Announced
American Flat Track has finalized its 2019 schedule and prepares to launch ticket sales in time for the holidays.
The 2019 running of the New York Short Track at Weedsport Speedway in Weedsport, NY has been moved back one week to July 13, 2019. Race fans can plan on an entire weekend of excitement, as AFT Events will once again throw a pre-race kickoff party with food, live music, entertainment and rider meet & greet session.
American Flat Track 2019 calendar announced
AFT’s season finale returns to the Meadowlands Racing & Entertainment at the famed MetLife Sports Complex in East Rutherford, NJ for a second running of the Meadowlands Mile. The race is set for September 28, 2019 – one week earlier than its 2018 date. This venue provided showstopping race action in 2018 and has already become one of the most highly-anticipated events of the upcoming season.
Cameron Gray, COO of AFT Events
“Now that we have finalized our 2019 schedule, we can hit the ground running. We’ve got new venues, freshly-built and redesigned racetracks and are planning some major improvements to overall fan experience for the coming season. AFT fans can look forward to the most exciting season of American Flat Track to date.”
AFT returns in 2019
American Flat Track will kick off its 2019 season with its bar-banging Daytona TT in appropriate fashion – during the wild Bike Week festivities in Daytona Beach. The 2019 Daytona TT happens Thursday, March 14 once again under the lights of the iconic Daytona International Speedway. Tickets will be available soon at https://www.americanflattrack.com.
2019 American Flat Track Schedule
March 14: Daytona TT – Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, FL
March 23: Atlanta Short Track – Dixie Speedway, Woodstock, GA
April 20: Texas Half-Mile – Texas Motor Speedway, Fort Worth, TX
April 27: Wild Horse TT – Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park, Chandler, AZ
May 11: Perris Half-Mile – Perris Auto Speedway, Perris, CA
May 18: Sacramento Mile – Cal Expo, Sacramento, CA
May 26: Springfield Mile I – Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield, IL
(AFT Singles Springfield TT same weekend)
June 1: Red Mile – Red Mile, Lexington, KY
June 15: Laconia Short Track – New Hampshire Motor Sp., Loudon, New Hampshire
June 29: Lima Half-Mile – Allen County Fairgrounds, Lima, OH
July 13: New York Short Track – Weedsport Speedway, Weedsport, NY
August 4: Buffalo Chip TT – Buffalo Chip, Sturgis, SD
August 6: Black Hills Half-Mile – Black Hills Speedway, Rapid City, SD
August 17: Peoria TT – Peoria Motorcycle Club, Peoria, IL
September 1: Springfield Mile II – Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield, IL
(AFT Singles Springfield Short Track same weekend)
September 7: Williams Grove Half-Mile – Williams Grove Sp., Mechanicsburg, PA
September 21: Minnesota Mile – Canterbury Park, Shakopee, MN
September 28: Meadowlands Mile – Meadowlands R & E, East Rutherford, NJ
2019 GNCC Calendar Announced
Racer Productions, producer of the AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series, is pleased to announce the 2019 series schedule.
New for the 2019 season will be the expanded Micro (50cc) Racing program, while the eMTB racing will take place at eight rounds including an eMTB only race held on July 27 at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee.
2019 GNCC calendar announced – Image by Ken Hill
Jeff Russell – GNCC Trail Boss
“We’re excited to get the 2019 season rolling. With a great schedule of events on some of the best off-road courses the country has to offer, the upcoming season is shaping up to be one of the best yet. We have several facilities to consider for the fall TBA event. A lot of factors go into finding a venue to host a GNCC event and we hope to have an announcement on that round as soon as possible.”
The 2019 schedule welcomes back many of its most seasoned venues, including Camp Coker Bullet in Society Hill, South Carolina; X-Factor in Peru, Indiana; The John Penton in Millfield, Ohio; Tomahawk in Alpine, New York; West Virginia’s popular Snowshoe GNCC in Snowshoe, West Virginia; and the Ironman GNCC in Crawfordsville, Indiana.
The Queensland Motocross subcommittee is pleased to announce details of a freshly revamped 2019 Sunshine State Motocross Series, with four exciting venue additions from last year’s Airoh series.
2019 Sunshine State Motocross Series calendar announced
Since its inception as a B & C Grade series more than 25 years ago, the ‘Sunny States’ have made a consistent contribution to the development of Queensland’s racing stocks, and established a tradition as a proving ground for up-and-coming riders.
Averaging around 330 riders per round, the series contributes significantly to the ‘dirt bike economy’ that fuels small towns in South-East Queensland, while offering competitors the best prizemoney of any comparable series.
Next year’s incarnation will see a mix of trusted and true venues and exciting new locations, with the respected Suncoast Junior Motorcycle Club both raising and lowering the curtain on the series, boasting two rounds at its iconic Coolum track.
2019 Sunshine State Motocross Series calendar announced
In between though, riders will take a thrill ride of fresh racing challenges to grow their skills, re-visiting old favourites like a recently-updated Roma, Mundubbera, Kilcoy and Goondiwindi.
New series coordinator Rachelle Houterman is anything but a new face on the scene, and in taking over the reins from Jason Watson, will look to maintain what’s great about the series, but improve what she can.
She’ll again assume the role of Race Secretary for the series and will steer the ship overall with help from the Motocross Subcommittee, as well as the promoting clubs and series officials.
Rachelle Houterman – Race Secretary
“It’ll be a busy year for me and my helpers, but we have a lot of experience with all aspects of the series and we’re looking to continue to grow Queensland’s premier motocross series as well as trying to increase the payback to the clubs and open up more contingencies for juniors. Some riders may not have previously experienced a few of these tracks, but are sure to be in for a great time at venues that older riders still speak very highly of. Roma has had some exciting new changes as well, so there’ll be lots of opportunity for riders to learn new tracks and gain new skills. Kilcoy has also been missing from the series lately, but the Kilcoy Motorcycle Club has gained a huge following in recent years, so we’re happy to return this track to the calendar.”
The Motocross Subcommittee wishes to thank Jason Watson for all of his hard work over the past two years and wishes him all the best for his new endeavours. Jason remains a valued member of the MX Subcommittee.
2019 Sunshine State Motocross Series calendar announced
The series sponsor is expected to be announced very soon, and a host of sponsorship opportunities now exist with the Sunshine State MX Series. Please contact Rachelle direct on 0409 174 273 or email [email protected].
2019 Sunshine State Series Venues and Dates
Coolum 16/17 February
Roma 23/24 March
Mundubbera 6/7 April
Kilcoy 11/12 May
Goondiwindi 1/ 2 June
Coolum 15/16 June
Further information, Rachelle Houterman, Series Coordinator. Ph: 3281 2255 E: [email protected]
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2019 Australian Speedway Senior Solo draw announced
The 2019 Australian Senior Solo Speedway Championship kicks off bright and early on January 3rd 2019 at Gillman Speedway, South Australia, and the seeded and qualifying line-up is locked and loaded!
For the first time in three years, the Australian Senior Solo Speedway Championship will run a Qualifier the day before Round 1, where 16 selected riders will battle it out for the remaining eight spots in the Championship.
2019 Australian Speedway Senior Solo draw announced
Gillman Speedway will play host to the first round of the Championship, setting the bar higher than the South Australian Summer temperature! Round 1 will commence with the Qualifier on Wednesday night, January 2nd, where each rider will vie for their spot in the available eight places remaining on Thursday night.
With no brakes, gears or fear, Thursday 3rd January is anticipated to be an absolute scorcher, as tensions continue to run high after a tough Qualifier the day prior. Speedway Commission Chair, Ivan Golding, reflected on the draw of seeded and qualifying riders for the 2019 Australian Senior Solo Speedway Championship.
Ivan Golding – Speedway Commission Chair
“This has been one of the strongest qualifiers we have experienced in quite some time! Yesterday’s draw was extremely tough, making our job even harder than in previous years. The depth of nominations received for the 2019 Championship are some of the best we have received, which has made the draw super tough. The quality of riders to pick from was very impressive, and we are no doubt locked in for a thrilling 2019 Championship!”
The field includes eight seeded riders, including the 2018 reigning Champion, Rohan Tungate, alongside the likes of Max Fricke, Chris Holder, Jack Holder and Jaimon Lidsey.
The full list of seeded riders in the 2019 Australian Senior Solo Speedway Championship are as follows:
The 16 riders selected for the Qualifier on January 2nd are as follows
At the close of Round 1, riders will move North to Mildura, Victoria for Round 2 on 5th January, followed by Round 3 on 7th January at Undera, Victoria. The penultimate round will be held on 9th January at Albury Wodonga, Victoria, with a close to the Championship at Kurri-Kurri, New South Wales on 12th January.
Tanti joins Crawford at Serco
Serco Yamaha will again be a force to be reckoned with next season after enlisting Nathan Crawford and Aaron Tanti to steer their YZ250F’s in the 2019 MX Nationals and Australian Supercross Championships.
Nathan Crawford
“I hate being off the bike and not riding and its driving me crazy but my motivation is as good as it’s ever been and I’m excited to be locked in with Serco and the opportunity to race the YZ250F again. I haven’t even ridden the 2019 bike, but it looks and sounds amazing and I know Serco Yamaha will give me the best bike in the class. I’m able to bare weight on my leg and start physio this week with a view to start riding again by late January. That still leaves me enough time to get myself bike fit and ready to go for the MX Nationals and I’m already looking forward to racing again.”
Nathan Crawford
Aaron Tanti
“Up until last year, I was juggling work with racing but for 2018 I was able to get myself in a position where I could ride and train full time and it instantly showed improvement in my results. The reward of the hard work and sacrifice came when Gavin approached me about racing for Serco in 2019. Now to have the support and structure of the Serco Yamaha team behind me and entering the new year feeling fit and refreshed, I am confident 2019 will be my best season yet as I feel there is still a lot of room for improvement in my riding and racing.
Aaron Tanti joins Crawford at Serco in 2019
“I spent a day on the bike earlier this week and I’m impressed with everything about it. We just ran through some basic things like bar bends to get me comfortable, stiffened up the fork a little and I was good to go. The Yamaha YZ250F feels awesome and that is just the production bike, I can’t wait to ride the full- blown race bike Serco will build for me. I’m proud to have achieved this ride with Serco Yamaha but I know the real work is about to come. But I will give it my all and aim to win as many races and championships as I can.”
Aaron Tanti
Round one of the MX Nationals takes place at Appin, west of Sydney on March 17.
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WBR Yamaha sign Purvis and Kukas for MXD
WBR Yamaha team will be out to match their 2018 success that saw them claim the top two spots in the MXD class at the MX Nationals, with Max Purvis and Jack Kukas lining up for 2019.
Max Purvis
“I have done two seasons in Australia now and I feel comfortable racing here now as I know the riders and how the events work. But, it’s also the first time I have had major support over here and its cool to be a part of the WBR Yamaha. I had to race against them in 2018 and I know how well prepared and organised they were so it’s exciting to now be on the same side as them. I won plenty of rounds last year, but I just wasn’t consistent enough in the rounds that I didn’t win so that’s an area I need to address this year. Championships are won on your bad days, so I need to find a way grind out a good result when things aren’t going my way and be consistent across all 10 rounds. I love racing in Australia and the MX Nationals is a great series. Doing the NZ Nationals, the MX Nationals and the Australian Supercross Championship will be a huge year for me, but I can’t wait to get started.”
Maximus Purvis with WBR Yamaha in 2019
Jack Kukas
“It’s awesome to be back here in Australia and on the WBR Yamaha team for the 2019 season. I have been a Yamaha rider all my life to so get the opportunity to ride for the official Yamaha MXD team is a bit of a dream come true. I have already spent a week down with the team in Echuca just getting settled on the bike and meeting everyone. Travis and Nathan are awesome to deal with and are so helpful in getting me comfortable on and off the bike. I can’t thank them enough for giving me this chance and I hope to repay them with some good results. The 2019 YZ250F is such a good bike and we have a great group of sponsors on board for next year so I’m going to give it my all and try and get another championship for Yamaha and the WBR team.”
Jack Kukas to 2019 WBR Yamaha team
The first time both riders will be on track together will be the opening round of the MX Nationals at Appin, west of Sydney, on March 17.
Argentina to kick-off 2019 MXGP season
Youthstream has revealed that the first round of the 2019 MXGP and MX2 FIM Motocross World Championship season will take place at the Patagonia-Argentina circuit of Neuquen on Sunday the 10th of March with bikes racing for the first time of the new season in Qualifying on Saturday.
MXGP 2019 kicks off in Argentina
MXGP’s return to Patagonia Argentina’s beautiful Neuquen circuit is exciting for the riders, fans, and industry members as amazing GPs have taken place at the venue since first hosting the FIM Motocross World Championship in 2015. Serving as the second round of 2017 and then the opening round of 2018 the previous years have resulted in stunning racing amongst the hillsides lined by thousands of South American motocross fans.
David Luongo – Vice President of Youthstream
“It is great news to be back in Argentina for the opening Grand Prix of the season. The circuit of Neuquen is for most of the riders, the most beautiful track of the championship and its location in the middle of Patagonia is breathtaking. We really want to thank David Eli from Mas Eventos along with the local and national authorities making this Grand Prix possible, we are sure that it will be a great success and will bring a lot of attention and exposure Argentina.”
Stefan Everts in hospital
Ten times World Champion Stefan Everts was hospitalized last week and remains at the University Hospital of Leuven in Belgium in an induced coma.
Stefan Everts
Everts participated in a charity event three weeks ago in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo to raise funds for the construction of schools in the area and contracted malaria, a mosquito-borne disease caused by a parasite.
During his legendary career, Everts won the record numbers of 101 Motocross Grands Prix and ten FIM world titles. After his career, he worked at KTM and then ran the Suzuki World MXGP team before Suzuki suspended its support for the FIM Motocross World Championships last year.
The moto world holds its combined breath waiting for Stefan to pull through and our hearts go out to the family.
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Rodney Faggotter is all set to compete in the 2019 Dakar Rally in January again with the Yamalube Yamaha Rally Team, alongside teammates Adrien Van Beveren, Xavier de Soultrait, Franco Caimi (TBC) and Alexandre Kowalski.
Rodney Faggotter
The riders are all-set to take on the 2019 Dakar aboard the newest edition of the WR450F Rally works machine for this 41st edition of the event.
Working hard during the last few months to be ready for the biggest event in the annual rally racing calendar, the Yamalube Yamaha Rally team members are all looking forward to the 2019 Dakar. Remaining under the guidance of team director Alexandre Kowalski, team manager José Leloir and sport manager Jordi Arcarons, all riders are looking to make the most of their experience as they battle against the world’s elite rally racers in what is expected to be an anything but easy event.
Playing a crucial role for the Yamalube Yamaha Rally team during the last two Dakar Rallies, Rodney Faggotter remains with the squad going into the 2019 edition of the event.
Rodney Faggotter
Enjoying an extremely consistent run that saw him finish 16th overall at the 2018 Dakar Rally, the Aussie will look to improve on this result in January 2019.
Rodney Faggotter
“I’m looking forward to the 2019 Dakar. I’ve been racing some Bajas and training hard back home in Australia these last few months. I feel strong physically and also mentally. In the beginning of December we’ve spent a full week testing and training with the team in Morocco and that was a good morale booster for me. We have a great spirit within the team and I want to be there for my teammates if they need me. I want to have a good clean run and do my own race. This Dakar might seem shorter, but we all know it’s still going to be a long and demanding race. If it all goes well, I’m confident I can improve my overall result from last year and fight for a spot inside the top-10.”
Rod Faggotter
Leading the team’s efforts for yet another year is Adrien Van Beveren, eager to impress by fighting for the overall victory and at the top of his game following months of hard work, the French rider is ready for the dunes of Peru.
Adrien Van Beveren
Putting in many thousands of racing and training kilometres aboard his WR450F Rally machine in 2018, Xavier de Soultrait is also set to enter the fifth Dakar Rally of his career this coming January and is working hard to further improve his navigational skills.
With the team 100% ready to have Franco Caimi enter the 2019 Dakar Rally, his participation will be decided just before the start of the race. Doing everything possible to return to full fitness following his injury during the Morocco Rally, the rider from Argentina is expecting to undergo his last medical checks just a few days before the start of the event.
Franco Caimi
Further strengthening Yamaha’s presence at the 2019 Dakar will be Camelia Liparoti. Teaming up with Rosa Romero Font as her co-driver, the two highly-experienced racers will compete in Yamaha’s YXZ1000R side-by-side machine at the coming edition of the event in Peru.
Dakar Rally 2019
Taking place in the southern part of Peru, the 2019 Dakar Rally features a total of 10 demanding stages. The race kicks off on January 7 in Lima, with competitors returning to the Peruvian city for the big finish on January 17 and after an exhaustive 5,000km in the dunes of the South American country.
Adrian Van Beveren
Dakar Rally 2019 Schedule
Stage 1 | Jan 7 | Lima to Pisco | SS: 84km | Total: 331km
Stage 2 | Jan 8 | Pisco to San Juan de Marcona | SS: 342km | Total: 554km
Stage 3 | Jan 9 | San Juan de Marcona to Arequipa | SS: 331km | Total: 779km
Stage 4 | Jan 10 | Arequipa to Moquegua | SS: 352km | Total: 511km
Stage 5 | Jan 11 | Moquegua to Arequipa | SS: 345km | Total: 776km
Rest Day | Jan 12 | Arequipa
Stage 6 | Jan 13 | Arequipa to San Juan de Marcona | SS: 317km | Total: 839km
Stage 7 | Jan 14 | San Juan de Marcona (return) | SS: 323km | Total: 387km
Stage 8 | Jan 15 | San Juan de Marcona to Pisco | SS: 361km | Total: 576km
Stage 9 | Jan 16 | Pisco to Pisco | SS: 313km | Total: 410km
Stage 10 | Jan 17 | Pisco to Lima | SS: 112km | Total: 358km
