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2015 Dakar Rally Stage 13

Paulo Gonçalves runner-up in the Dakar. An impressive Laia Sanz ninth

The Dakar 2015 ends after circling the loop and ending up back in Buenos Aires a fortnight later, bringing new successes for Team HRC. Paulo Goncalves finishes the world’s toughest rally in second place, while Laia Sanz breaks new ground with an unprecedented ninth place overall finish.

After picking up the world championship runner-up prize last October at the Morocco Rally, Portuguese ace Paulo Goncalves has once again pulled off another achievement for Team HRC. It was a display of grit, tireless effort, consistency and teamwork, which finally brought the rider’s Rally Dakar 2015 adventure to a close as runner-up in the final rankings.

Paulo Goncalves very nearly pulled it off in the world’s greatest rally challenge too. The rider had collected a total of 17 minutes of penalties, and eventually finished just 16’53” behind the eventual race winner Marc Coma.

Another of the big Team HRC success stories from this Dakar has been the astonishing ninth-place finish for a brilliant Laia Sanz. The Spaniard claims the best ever final position in the race’s female category. Besides showing excellent riding dexterity and a true command of navigation aboard the Honda CRF450 RALLY, the athlete proved herself by finishing several of the special timed stages up among the top ten riders.

Noteworthy too, was the overall performance of Joan Barreda, with four stage victories, and always the man to beat at this Dakar 2015. The Castellon rider was unstoppable at the head of the race until stage eight, when extreme weather conditions at the Uyuni salt flats put an end to his chances of a win in the campaign. Barreda’s final overall ranking was an unjust 17th.

Helder Rodrigues has, likewise, been a cornerstone of the Team. In addition to two stage victories, Hélder finished in 12th place on the final leaderboard.

Honda South America Rally Team close their crusade after a valiant effort that sees Javier Pizzolito and Jean Azevedo take 19thand 22ndrespectively. HSA Rally Team offered crucial support to the riders of Team HRC throughout the event.

The rally came to an end in Baradero, with what had been planned as a 174 kilometre special, reduced by 73 kilometres due to the conditions, before the final connection phase brought the entourage into Buenos Aires, where the final ceremonial podium was held in Tecnopolis.

Paulo Goncalves 2nd +16'53

I think the whole team deserves this result, especially after all the hard work that they have done. All that’s needed now is to go one small step further and win the rally. We are well-prepared and on the right track. I’m pleased with the result, and I want to thank the whole team, but most especially my team-mates Joan, Hélder and Jere, who were there to help me out in the most delicate moments. If it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t be on the podium here in Dakar.

Laia Sanz 9th +2:24'21

I’m very happy. Really! If they had offered me a top-ten finish before the race, I would have signed. Many said that it was plausible, but the Dakar is a highly-unpredictable, difficult and risky race. You’ve got to have your wits about you all the time. It’s a great result that I want to share it with the whole team, who have put their trust in me from the first moment, giving me this great chance, and also with the fans and followers who been with me all the way through. ¡Muchas gracias!

Helder Rodrigues 12th + 4:00'15

For me the Dakar has been a bit unlucky I couldn’t really do much due to a couple of setbacks, but I’m pleased all the same, not just for the two stage wins, but most of all because Team HRC has made the podium with Paulo. The squad has worked really well together and now we are off to begin preparing the next one.

Joan Barreda 17th + 5:54'35

After the problems in the marathon stage, I think that we made a great team effort and have got a good final result. I was leading the race for a few days and I won four stages, and I don’t think there’s much more I need to show. The thing that I’m most proud of is Paulo’s result. He really deserves it.

Javier Pizzolito 22nd + 6:22'16

The last day was in keeping with the rest of the Dakar and was full of surprises. It started to pour and that complicated the stage. At the end of the Dakar, you are left with the feeling that you didn’t achieve the goal. But I think that in the race that we had planned out, we showed great character, consistency and got a decent final result.

Yoshishige Nomura HRC President

Unfortunately, we were not able to win overall, but our riders and team members have made an excellent effort, and we won second place on the podium. I'm really proud to their professional work. I also appreciate all the rider’s great support in helping to get Paolo onto the second step of the podium. I'm very disappointed that we will have to wait another year for a first place on the podium of the Dakar. Anyway, our challenge at the Dakar continues. Lastly, I’d like to wish all the riders and team staff a good rest. Thanks for a job well done!

2015 Dakar Rally Stage 12

Strong Team HRC presence among Stage 12 top finishers

As the Dakar draws towards its conclusion, the final push to secure podium places continues. The penultimate stage sees Paulo Gonçalves defend his overall second. Barreda finishes the stage second, as Laia seals tenth spot both on the day and in the general rankings.

Paulo Gonçalves has refused to throw in the towel, and remains locked in the battle at the head of the Dakar 2015 course. The Portuguese star grabbed third place in the rally’s twelfth day of racing, behind Joan Barreda, and goes into the final showdown tomorrow 17’49” off the leader, but 7’29” clear of the nearest third place pretender.

Rosario, the city where the race started from last year, played host to the last but one Dakar assault and featured the longest liaison section so far encountered, at 726 kilometres, with a modest 298 km timed special. It was a relatively complication-free affair, not too navigationally demanding, but not without its dangers either, with regular incursions from animals popping up at various points on the route.

Joan Barreda, once more, opened the way and was once again untouchable, crossing the finish-line outside Córdoba on the Honda CRF450 RALLY without having been reached. He recorded the second fastest time in the special.

Hélder Rodrigues, had it tougher, heading out from behind and having to eat a lot of dust before the day was done. Hélder chose the prudent option and sat it out with the group instead of going for the high-risk overtaking alternative.

All Team HRC finishers thus find themselves congregating the top-ten for the first time in the Dakar 2015. Laia Sanz scored a notable tenth, and barring eventualities, should hold on to tenth on tomorrow’s final leaderboard.

Argentine local-boy Javier Pizzolito again was the top Honda South America Rally Team finisher in 12th. Brazilian Jean Azevedo registered his best stage to date with a 14th position at the end of the special, and hops two places up the overall rankings.

Joan Barreda 2nd + 1'55

Today was a very fast stage – the surface was all track, and it was very slippery for practically the whole distance. I open the road throughout the special and it was a bit dangerous because I kept coming across animals that had strayed across the track, and even police coming in the opposite direction. Anyway, I’m pleased because I was able to maintain a rapid pace. There is only one stage still to go, and we are going to do everything in our power to get Paulo to his goal.

Paulo Goncalves 3rd + 3'02

Well, only one stage left to go. I had to take it calmly because it was a long and very slippery special. I’m really pleased with the way that it went, as it allows me to hold second place and fight for a good place on the podium. But we’ve got to stay focused to not make any serious mistakes. Anything can happen on the final day.

Helder Rodrigues 7th + 8'40

The penultimate stage has been a very technical one because the track was very slippery. I caught up with Ruben Faria and Quintanilla and I had to ride with them for over 100 km, without being able to overtake, and having to swallow a lot of dust. Now there is just one special left, and tomorrow I start from a good position, which I hope will allow me to finish the Dakar with a good result.

Laia Sanz 10th + 12'42

It was a great stage until I caught up with Fabien Planet and had to ride behind him and I was unable to get past because of all the dust that he was kicking up. I lost quite a bit of time behind him, but it just wasn’t worth taking any chances. The big setback has been that Jake has made up a bit of time on me and could overtake me in the overall standings. I’ll try and keep him in check until the end.

TOMORROW’S STAGE
STAGE 13 – Saturday, 17th January
Rosario (ARG) – Buenos Aires (ARG)

Liaison: 319 km
Special stage: 174 km

Right to the end!

None of the drivers in the Dakar consider it over until they reach the end of this final day; and for good reason, because every year at least one competitor retires during this final stage. Caution is the name of the game on the fast tracks of the special stage, at the very least for those who haven’t got a position to defend. Because reaching the podium of the 2015 edition at the Technopolis in Buenos Aires is the ultimate goal which they have come to achieve.

2015 Dakar Rally Stage 11

Joan Barreda, flat out to victory in Termas de Río Hondo

A fourth win for Joan Barreda brings the Honda CRF450 RALLY a seventh triumph in the Dakar 2015. The Spanish athlete, first away this morning after yesterday’s marathon stage win, was also first to cross the finish-line in the Circuit of Termas de Río Hondo.

Barreda, who has clearly put his troubles from the Uyuni stage behind him, once again showed a white-knuckle display of speed and agility, picking up his fourth stage win so far in the event.

Paulo Gonçalves battled hard to keep all options of a final victory wide open in spite of a fifteen-minute penalization for an engine change at the end of the first leg of the marathon stage. The Portuguese ace finished in second place, and will be looking to try and reduce the deficit with his rival Marc Coma over the two final days.

Hélder Rodrigues made it through in eighth to Termas de Río Hondo, in a problem-free fashion, as the second leg of the marathon stage closed in spite of exhaustion after a sleepless night helping team-mates Paulo, Joan and Jeremías, swap first Paulo’s engine and then Joan’s. Consequently, Jeremías Israel’s generosity in sacrificing his engine saw him unable to start the day’s stage. Spaniard Laia Sanz, one of the revelations of the competition, showed yet another speedy but prudent performance in the Salta region.

Javier Pizzolito was the best of the supporting Honda South America Rally Team, with a 16th place final finish, which moves the rider one notch up the overall scorecard to 20th. Jean Azevedo, who has shown great consistency throughout the entire event, wound up the stage in 25th place, and continues to hold 22nd overall.

Joan Barreda 1st 3:26'33

Yesterday we had to change Paulo’s engine with mine, which was fresher, and I had to put Jeremías’ one in. We were working until two in the morning and we only rested for a couple of hours. Today the first part of the stage was complicated by the rains of last night, mainly with the swollen rivers. I got to the refuelling fine, and after that I pushed really hard on the mountain paths. Everything went well and I was able to win. We have proved that we can win not only stages, but also the whole race. Right now, the main priority is a win for the team.

Paulo Goncalves 2nd + 00'17

We’ve finished off a hard marathon stage, in first and second place. But Mark’s overall position has improved because of the fifteen minute penalty for an engine change. It’s not possible to claw back twenty minutes racing, but anything could still happen. We’ve just got to keep working and take each day as it comes.

Helder Rodrigues 8th + 5'25

It’s been a great day for the team. We’ve all worked so hard to keep Team HRC’s options open on the final table, which is very important for us. I’m happy to be able to help the team in any way possible to reach that aim.

Laia Sanz 17th + 11'00

This year we have done two marathon stages in the same week and it’s been tough. Yesterday was really hard, because going through the Andes was exhausting, and we ended up having to sleep on the floor. Today I was more tired than normal, so I took it easy to make it through to the end, which is the main objective.

Wolfgang Fischer Team HRC Team Manager

So, we have just arrived here at the end of this second marathon stage of this Dakar. This year the marathon stages have been a real rollercoaster for Team HRC. Yesterday, we had a very nice stage result with a victory from Joan Barreda after a very long day travelling over the mountains in Chile, but also without any problems at the end of the stage. On arriving back at the bivouac yesterday, they found out that Paulo’s engine had a problem and obviously, in the bivouac, the riders were on their own without any tools, but the four managed to work very well together, with a great team spirit, to help Paulo find out if they could fix the engine. Finally, after everything, they decided that they had to change the engine, so that Paulo could continue. The best way to do that was to remove the engine from Joan’s bike, because it was freshest and had only been removed two days before. They mounted it into Paulo’s bike and got everything working. Also, the decision was made to get Jeremias’ engine and put it into Joan’s bike, so we had to sacrifice one rider and now he’s out of the race so that the other riders could continue with the engines correctly mounted and working. Even after all the first marathon stage and only getting three hours sleep, they still managed to win and be second in the stage today; so it’s really fantastic team effort, and I’m really proud of the guys and what they did last night. So many thanks to Jeremias who was doing so well, always supportive and always making a super-human effort; first towing Joan back after the disaster in the salt flats, otherwise he would not be here; and yesterday he sacrificed his own race too, to help Joan finish today. We lost fifteen minutes for the engine change, but still anything is possible – nothing is won, nothing is lost. Two days to go. Thank you.

TOMORROW’S STAGE
STAGE 12 – Friday, 16th January
Termas de Río Hondo (ARG) – Rosario (ARG)

Liaison: 726 km
Special stage: 298 km

Time for an attack
The Dakar will spend the night near the Termas de Rio Hondo circuit, which regularly hosts the Argentine rounds of the GP motorbike and WTCC championships. But the Dakar’s competitors are set for a long cross-country journey, battling it out in this tension-packed penultimate day. A combative driver could still shake up the leaders’ positions even at this stage. And drivers who become too distracted could be caught by surprise by the surrounding vegetation!

2015 Dakar Rally Stage 10

The Honda CRF450 RALLY and Joan Barreda continue to accumulate stage wins in the Dakar 2015

Joan Barreda accelerates his way to a third win in the Dakar 2015 as the tenth stage concludes in Cachi, Argentina. Paulo Gonçalves holds second place outright, and Laia enjoys eighth overall.

With six out of a possible ten stage victories, the Honda CRF450 RALLY has been the runaway winner of the manufacturers, until now, in this 2015 Rally Dakar, already equalling the total number of victories of last year’s edition, with three stages still left to run.

It was a win in the tenth stage once again at the hands of Joan Barreda, in a fine exhibition of conviction and leadership qualities, which saw the Spaniard lead the charge from metre one of the special, until its culmination 371 kilometres later, clocking a 1’39” margin over the nearest rival and taking the score tab of stage triumphs to three.

Riders awoke today to the first part of the marathon stage, which headed out from Calama before finishing up at the camp in Cachi, where all bikes were immediately impounded in the parc fermè, barred from receiving overnight assistance, except by the participants themselves.

Hélder Rodrigues and Paulo Gonçalves covered a great length of the course in each other’s company, Barreda and Coma joining the pack later. The gap at the top sees Paulo Gonçalves, seven and a half minutes adrift of the rally leader and ready to pounce. Gonçalves took fifth spot on the day, and Rodrigues seventh.

A nice stage for the formidable Laia Sanz, in twelfth. The Catalan rider lies in a ground-breaking eighth overall, some twenty minutes ahead of the nearest pursuer in the general rankings. Jeremías Israel came in with a similar finish-time in 13th.

Honda South America Rally Team’s top finisher in the first marathon leg was Brazilian Jean Azevedo, who achieved his highest-placed finish so far in the 2015 edition, with an 18th place. Javier Pizzolito, fifth yesterday, was among the first thirty back to base today.

Joan Barreda 1st 4:07'11

I think that today went really well, I got away to swift start on an easy day that didn’t require much navigation and never left the main path. It’s a real shame about what happened in the salt flats of Uyuni, because that’s where I said goodbye to any possibilities. We were in the lead and with all the difficult work that we had done… But now I can only resign myself to it. We will be here for the last few days, supporting the team so that it gets the best result possible.

Paulo Goncalves 5th + 3'46

Today was a really quick stage, with some navigation that wasn’t too hard. The track was a bit slippery and we had to take it carefully. The first four finished together at a quick pace. I think that we had a good stage without pushing it too much, because we are back in the marathon stage again. The bike is in perfect shape for the battle tomorrow, and I am too.

Helder Rodrigues 7th + 6'26

I had to take it with great care. I open the road, and although the navigation wasn’t difficult, there was a lot of concentration needed to not fall. My aim was to make it through with the bike in the best possible condition, because we are in the first leg of the marathon. The three of us are well placed and it’s good for the team.

Laia Sanz 12th + 12'02

The day has been long, with 12 hours on the bike up in the Andes at over 5,000 metres altitude and temperatures of minus 10° C. The special stage was the best that we’ve had so far in this Dakar, very fast, comfortable and fun to ride. I took it easy, not taking any chances. I only had one tricky moment on the route. There was a waypoint on the road book that didn’t exist, and I wasted two or three minutes before I realized that it wasn’t there, and got going again.

TOMORROW’S STAGE
STAGE 11 – Thursday, 15th January
Cachi (CHI) – Termas de Río Hondo (ARG)

Liaison: 166 km
Special stage: 357 km

Did you say tiredness?

The rally will continue on two separate routes, following the famous Ruta 40 and winding through its magnificent landscapes. Riders won’t have time to relax on these fast routes though: the fatigue which will have accumulated by the 11th day of the race (the 4th marathon day for the motorcycles and quads!) will demand maximum concentration on both the route and the road-book.

2015 Dakar Rally Stage 9

Helder Rodrigues wins ninth stage. Four Honda CRF450 RALLYs among top five spots

Immediate Team HRC response to yesterday’s ill-fated eighth Dakar stage, with four Honda CRF450 RALLY bikes occupying the first five positions. Portuguese Helder Rodrigues triumphant in the tough special stage in Calama.

Great day all round for Team HRC, registering a fifth victory so far in this edition of the Dakar 2015, and picking up a further one-two with Helder clinching the honours and an in-form Paulo Goncalves seizing runner-up spot. The Laia Sanz crusade up the overall rankings continues, the Spanish ace claiming eighth in a complicated special.

Helder Rodrigues sped his way to top line of today’s scorecard, over a 450 kilometre timed special, his second triumph thus far in the campaign. He had his work cut out, on a route that tackled broken-up paths, rocky terrain, and dirt track, requiring riders to be at their technical and navigational best just to make headway. Tucked in behind was fellow-countryman and team-mate from HRC, Paulo Goncalves, who whittled almost four minutes off Marc Coma’s final time. The Portuguese rider stands just 5’28” off the overall race leader.

Joan Barreda, after conceding three hours in yesterday’s exhausting marathon, was once again back in the hunt, with the special stage heading from Iquique to Calama, just the type of terrain suited to the Spaniard. Had it not been for a mild hitch in finding a waypoint, the man from Castellon could have improved on his final fourth place finish, on a day where Team HRC gave an excellent display of teamwork and bravado.

Jeremias Israel, likewise, spent much of the day amongst the front-runners, but a failure to find a waypoint and the consequent fear of running out of fuel, obliged the Chilean to incur a penalty that drops him down the overall order.

Javier Pizzolito of Honda South America Rally Team, once again excelled himself, after holding the leading position for a great part of yesterday’s race, the Argentinian Cross-Country Rallies champion finished in fifth on the day.

Helder Rodrigues 1st 5:06'14

I’m fine. I’ve worked very hard for this Dakar and to be up front. Yesterday, I lost it all and now I don’t want to take any chances, but I will give everything to win. Today I started out from behind, I caught up with Paulo and Joan, but I got lost in the dunes. Later, at the refuelling I saw that I was going well and I kept pushing. It was a hard day with a lot of navigation and loads of stones on the track, but I’m very happy with the way things went.

Paulo Goncalves 2nd + 3'51

Today was a good stage. I started out from behind looking to make up time. At kilometre 326, there was a waypoint that was quite difficult to find and I dropped a bit of time. There were 220 km still left to push and I clawed back some time, finished well, and cut down the distance in the overall standings. I’m very pleased with Helder’s win, and I believe that it has been a great day for Team HRC.

Joan Barreda 4th +19'47

It was tough. Especially after yesterday’s stage when we arrived back at the bivouac exhausted after having to push the bikes so far yesterday. We did a good job today and we intend to finish the rally with the same working method that we have used up until now. We will do everything to help our team-mate Paulo achieve victory.

Laia Sanz 14th + 43'20

Today was a very hard, physical day, with some difficult navigation, but it went really well for me. I didn’t make any mistakes, and that’s what it’s all about, carrying on like that until the end. Let’s see how tomorrow’s marathon stage goes tomorrow. We’ve already seen that it doesn’t need anything spectacular, just hard work and no errors.

Jeremias Israel 15th + 51'30

It was a complicated day for me. The route and the navigation were difficult for me. I was pushing hard with Helder and after the refuelling I had to stop and think about what I had to do. I missed a waypoint as I decided not to stay out there in the middle of the desert. The Dakar isn’t over yet and we are going to continue pushing.

Javier Pizzolito 5th + 20'07

I’m happy because I’ve found a rhythm: out in front with no dust. My physical state is really good and now I hope to have some good stages down in Argentina and put the problems of the first few days behind me.

TOMORROW’S STAGE
STAGE 10 – Wednesday, 14th January
Calama (CHI) – Cachi (ARG)

Liaison: 520 km
Special stage: 371 km

Breathtaking
The bikers will set off for their second marathon stage! After the Chile-Argentina border, this time the day’s special stage will start on the Salinas Grandes, more than 3,600m above sea level. The altitude should curb the competitors’ enthusiasm and cool down their engines. The more technical final phase will separate the toughest of them from the rest. For the Liaison, the route will then follow the Paso de l’Acay, at an altitude of 4,970m.

2015 Dakar Rally Stage 8

Historic Dakar Rally fifth place finish for Laia Sanz

Laia Sanz continues to break Dakar records claiming highest female finish in any stage of the rally’s history, posting fifth place. Paulo Gonçalves finishes the special after overcoming various setbacks on the Uyuni salt lake, which sees the Portuguese rider move up to second place overall.

After enduring the rain, mud, sub-zero temperatures, corrosive waters, altitudes of over 3,600 metres and the dunes of Iquique, it was a spectacular downhill run for the Honda CRF450 RALLY and a fifth place finish at the checkered flag in Iquique for Laia Sanz. Top finisher in Team HRC in the Dakar’s eighth outing; she rewrites the rally’s history books in the process. The Spanish ace fought her way up into the leading group, and with highly-consistent handling, speed and effective navigation, hung in there until the race end. It was an enormous result for Laia who leaps up the overall leaderboard from 14th to 9th.

The eighth stage and first marathon stage, initially marked out on the routebook at 784 kilometres, was shortened by around 100 kilometres as the race authorities deemed one section to be of excessive danger to participants. It had been a unique departure earlier in the day as riders lined up elbow to elbow across the start-line looking out onto the imposing Uyuni salt lake awaiting them.

Paulo Goncalves, after having endured several set backs in the timed special, finished in 15th place, which sees the Portuguese rider jump to second in the overall rankings 9’11” off leader Marc Coma.
The harsh conditions which the riders have been subjected to over the two legs of Sunday’s and today’s marathon stage shook up the scorecard and wreaked havoc among virtually all the teams, of which Team HRC was no exception.

Helder Rodrigues saw valuable time slip away near the end of the special as he struggled to repair an electrical complication on the bike.

Joan Barreda, who finished yesterday’s stage with his handlebar broken in two, made an overnight swap with those of Demian Guiral from the Honda South America Rally Team. In a monumentally heroic effort the rider from Castillon had ridden over 120 km on the Honda CRF450 RALLY with just one hand, dropping barely six minutes to rivals. But likewise, an electrical fault put paid to any chances of a significant result today. Team-mate Jeremias Israel was on hand to help him through to the finish-line.

Laia Sanz 5th + 2'36

For me, it’s been a really great day, but this morning I would have preferred not to set off. The conditions were not for racing and my hands practically froze. The altitude, the cold and the lack of visibility…. The bikes took such a beating from the water and the salt. It was really dangerous, but we decided that we had to go for it, and we ended up starting the special.

I got up among the front-runners from the start. I managed to warm up a bit in the refuelling and I was able to set a good pace. It was a pity that Price and Quintanilla were so fast and were able to get past me, but it wasn’t worth risking everything just to improve on the position.
It’s a great result, and I’m really happy to have achieved it especially on such a hard day as this one. This morning it was hellish.

Paulo Goncalves 15th + 12'17

This first marathon has been really gruelling. Yesterday was a really technical stage, and with all the rain became very dangerous. Today was a different story; we were crossing a real sea. The riders didn’t want to race for safety reasons, but the rally got underway and ended up causing a massive amount of problems for many riders. Some of them had to be rescued with hypothermia. It was too dangerous. We shouldn’t have run today. Tomorrow we will do whatever it takes to get back in the rally.

Joan Barreda 74th + 3:05'43

In the end it’s been collateral damage, and a disgrace what they’ve made us do today; to race in a sea. It was out of place. All the work on all the projects that we’ve done has gone down the pan. To make a decision like that just wasn’t right. Today you couldn’t see a thing; visibility was zero. We were floating around on top of the water. They ordered us to start and this is what happened; my Dakar is over.

Jeremias Israel 75th + 3:05'48

We left from the Uyuni salt lake with a 100 kms through a lot of water and the bike was performing well which allowed me to lead the race until kilometre 135 where I fell and twisted the back brake and hit my elbow. I tried to finish the rally without taking any risks and slowed the pace down a touch. We have finished not where we had planned to be, but are in a position with some good perspectives for what remains of the Dakar.

This race should never have been disputed. It was a compromise, but with those conditions, the start was too dangerous. Yesterday, we just made it, and the riders had to try and get through any way they could. It’s a pity that a stage like this one has destroyed a race that had been so interesting.

Helder Rodrigues 76th + 3:05'50

It’s been a really difficult day for the team. We had problems and we’ve lost it all: my place in the overall standings, Joan’s leadership…. It’s been really hard. The salt has been disastrous for the bikes and has broken up everything. I want to carry on, win some stages and help the team to finish with the best result possible.

Javier Pizzolito 13th + 8'25

We left from the Uyuni salt lake with a 100 kms through a lot of water and the bike was performing well which allowed me to lead the race until kilometre 135 where I fell and twisted the back brake and hit my elbow. I tried to finish the rally without taking any risks and slowed the pace down a touch. We have finished not where we had planned to be, but are in a position with some good perspectives for what remains of the Dakar.

TOMORROW’S STAGE
STAGE 9 – Monday, 13th January
Iquique (CHI) – Calama (CHI)

Liaison:88 km - Special stage:450 km

Watch out for your bodywork
For this farewell session to the Atacama Desert, all the competitors will come together once again for the special stage, with fifty-odd kilometres over sand and dunes. They should revel in these sensations because the next stage will put both drivers and their teams into much less comfortable positions. The routes have suffered the rages of time and will be equally harsh on them: frequent potholes and bumps combined with the narrowness of the tracks will expose their vehicles’ bodywork to scratches.

2015 Dakar Rally Stage 7

Paulo Gonçalves snatches victory in Uyuni. Epic stage finish for Barreda

Team HRC keeps options wide-open in Bolivia as a lightning Paulo Gonçalves claims 7th stage honours. Epic stage finish for Joan Barreda, who breaks handlebars in a fall and yet fights on to retain leadership.

Portuguese Paulo Gonçalves was victorious as the Dakar 2015 riders rolled into Uyuni, Bolivia with its parc fermé where the bikes will be isolated overnight. The rules governing the end of the first marathon stage specify that, where necessary, machines can only be repaired by the actual competitors themselves.

The mountainous zones that led from Chile to Bolivia amounted to a tough test for bikes and riders alike. The altitude of over 3600 metres for the 321 kilometres were taxing enough, but add in dire meteorological conditions which included rain and snow in Uyuni, and the result was dusty tracks turned into a veritable quagmire.

Gonçalves hit hard from the outset, keeping up an even pace through most of the race, and forcing a more ferocious final stretch, that saw the Team HRC ace finish the special stage with the best time. As yesterday’s winner, Hélder Rodrigues, was first away and open the road until shortly after CP1 where he was overtaken by Walkner. He was reached by team-mate Gonçalves too, and the two rode the rest of the stage side by side.

Joan Barreda got off to a fine start in the timed special, but as the stage played out, he took a tumble, and managed to break the handlebars into two. Nevertheless, with 120 kilometres still to go, the never-say-die Spaniard dug deep and limited the time conceded to arch-rival Coma to a mere six minutes. The Honda ace’s cushion allows him, however, to stay ahead in the general rankings.

It was a relatively laid-back and trouble-free stage for Jeremías Israel and Laia Sanz. Both posted top twenty finishes, preferring to not take any unnecessary risks in such adverse conditions.

Honda South America Rally Team got their second week of competition underway with a nice, steady pace. Daniel Gouet and Javier Pizzolito were once again the best of the bunch; scoring 23rd and 25th place finishes respectively. Jean Azevedo claimed 31st.

TOMORROW’S STAGE
STAGE 8 – Monday, 12th January
Uyuni (BOL) – Iquique (CHI)

Liaison: 24 km
Special stage: 784 km

The Salar: unconditionally
The Dakar bows to the laws of nature. Hence, the weather will decide which route will be taken to leave Bolivia. If it’s dry, the start could take place in the Salar de Uyuni, for a 100km route across a smooth road of white salt: full throttle and foot to the floor! The route then slows down abruptly, with the longest part of the special stage taking place on more technical mountain terrain. The day will end with more than 40km of dunes, concluding with the vertiginous descent to Iquique.

Paulo Goncalves 1st 3:56'00

This stage was great, I started in the front, and that’s always difficult as it’s very easy to lose time as you open the road. I pushed very hard, to stay at the front of the race. I’m very happy, of course, with my result today. I never stopped pushing until the finish. This stage was very hard, mud, stones, and many bumps, unbelievably hard, but I won it and that’s great.

Helder Rodrigues 8th + 4'05

Today was a really gruelling stage, I started in third position and caught the guys in front of me, then I stayed with them as our speed was good. In the middle of the stage it started raining and became dangerous, the bike was sliding and it was really dangerous at high speed. Fifty kilometres before the end of the stage I got a headache but I managed to finish. Now I need to recover before the second stage tomorrow, we have a lot of work to do on the bikes as we picked up a lot of mud.

Joan Barreda 12th + 6'13

It was a tough stage where you had to be careful, but when I came to a muddy section around kilometre 200, while I was breaking before a danger marked on the road book, the bike slid and I crashed. The handlebars were damaged, so I had to do the last 120 kilometres just with the right hand. I was pushing hard to lose a minimum of time, but that was not easy. We are now at the marathon stage, we are a great team and we will solve the problem with my teammates.

Jeremias Israel 17th + 10'02

It was a really special stage today with the rain, everything changed a little bit, I took it really easy as there were a lot of dangers. The landscape was nice today, the dirt was good except in some muddy sections, but my personal result at this point is not important. For me it’s very important to support and help Paolo and Joan and to back them up, and hopefully make it to the finish in the number one spot.

Laia Sanz 21th + 13'24

It was a good day, a fast stage but you had to be careful in the mud, as we ran into the rain on the way. I think I had a good rhythm, and the good point is that the bike and myself are in good shape so that’s perfect for the second part of the marathon stage tomorrow. I feel better now after the rest-day, it was important today to finish the stage without problems. The spectators was amazing, there were people everywhere to support us and that’s great.

2015 Dakar Rally Stage Rest day

Joan Barreda and Honda CRF450 RALLY round off the first week as leaders

The Rally Dakar finishes the first week of competition with the Hondas of Team HRC firmly entrenched in leading positions. Barreda and the CRF450 RALLY occupy top-spot.

Team HRC arrives at Iquique for the rest-day in cracking form with no less than three Honda CRF450 RALLY riders in the top six positions. Joan Barreda, victor in the second and fourth stages of this Rally Dakar 2015, has commanded from the front since day two. Likewise, Paulo Goncalves, third in the overall rankings, looks poised to strike, as the preparations for the final stretch of the great challenge get underway.

The two stage triumphs of Joan Barreda, bring his total Dakar tally to twelve, and team-mate Helder Rodrigues, who took the honours in stage six and leapt up the overall leaderboard, will be hungry to trim down the gap with his Honda buddies.

It’s also been a highly-successful week for Laia Sanz too, who picked up her best finish in stage four, with an 8th place, and now holds 14th in the general standings. Jeremias Israel, was a little unfortunate yesterday, collecting a hefty forty minute penalty for missing a waypoint, which sees the Chilean drop down to 16th.

Honda South America Rally Team, also remains on course to complete mission objectives, with four of their five riders still in the fray. Daniel Gouet and Javier Pizzolito are both showing their maturity and consistency as the race embarks on its decisive phase.

The following days will be key to how the race plays out. Tomorrow begins the first two-day marathon stage: Iquique-Uyuni-Iquique (January 11th and 12th), the second being held on the 14th and 15th on the Calama-Cachi-Termas de Rio Hondo route.

TOMORROW’S STAGE STAGE 7 – Sunday, 11th January Iquique (CHI) – Uyuni (BOL) Liaison:396 km Special stage:321 km

A high altitude affair

Numerous difficulties will mark the first part of the Bolivian marathon stage. The cars will tackle it first, followed by the motorcycles the next day. Right from the outset, the long Liaison will mean an early start, followed by a gradual climb to a height of more than 3,500m. Once on the high plateaux, the special stage will begin, with instructions to follow the roadbook with great care, in light of the large number of junctions on the route. One of the challenges of the day could be wear and tear on tyres. Once they have arrived in Uyuni, the competitors will only have completed half of the marathon stage.

Martino Bianchi - Team HRC General Manager

We’ve made it through to the rest-day, and I’m really pleased for the way that it’s been going up until now. All the five riders are in the race, and are lying in the top sixteen positions, with Barreda in command, showing off his riding ability, great navigation skills, as well as keeping Marc Coma reined in. The hardest part is still to come with the two marathon stages. We’ve got to make sure that the whole team keeps concentrating, and need a great collaboration between Team HRC and Honda South America Rally Team, and also between the riders. Right now, the bikes are at their best and the team has worked really well together. We just have to stay focused right until the end.

Taichi Honda - Team HRC Technical Director

Right now the half-way point of the Dakar 2015 has been completed and our team is doing well. We’ve shown great team-work, a fine job by the mechanics, and excellent performances from the riders. But we will keep at it, as our main aim is an overall win. So right now, it’s just like starting over again. Last year we had a few problems, but it has been trouble-free up until now, which is a really good point for us. So, we’ll continue with this routine, and this rider-strategy. The bike is very solid and running really smoothly.

Wolfgang Fischer - Team HRC Team Manager

Team HRC arrived very well at the rest-day here in Iquique with a big step won, and almost half of the race completed. We’ve had good results, and more importantly, all the riders are still in the race. We’re in a great position to build from and get top results. No technical problems. The riders are fit physically; no injuries and no incidents. We are really happy to be here and can recover one day. We start an even harder part of the race now with two marathon stages. There’ll be two evenings without service or team assistance, and that should be a deciding point for the rest of the race. But now we are here with a good set-up and everything working well. We are really confident to command over the next few days, and have to stay focused, and have the riders in good spirits. We’ll keep concentrating on finishing the job that we have done up until now. Thanks to all the team and everyone supporting us.

2015 Dakar Rally Stage 6

Hélder Rodrigues wins in Iquique. Team HRC top of the table

Helder Rodrigues pulls out all the stops and takes a well-deserved win in a decisive sixth stage of the Rally Dakar 2015. Team HRC make it to Dakar’s first rest-day with a highly impressive first week scorecard.

Helder Rodrigues stepped back into the limelight today proving himself to be the man of the moment. Displaying all the skills necessary to negotiate mountains, hard track, potholed paths, taxing navigation and a full range of hazards, the Portuguese ace, nevertheless, claimed the rally’s sixth stage on a zippy 318 kilometre timed special that wound up in Iquique.

In doing so, Helder leapfrogs into fourth overall position, in a race currently led by Joan Barreda. The plucky Spaniard, starting out in second place, cut down the gap with Marc Coma in the first kilometres, and made it to the finish-line with the sixth best time. Barreda furthers his overall advantage to 12’27’’.

In between Helder and Joan, in third place on today’s card and overall, lies Paulo Gonçalves, just five minutes off second spot. Jeremias Israel’s fall a couple of days ago, has started to show with the Chilean unable to attack, and clearly not at his physical best. Laia Sanz, can be content with the way the stage played out, and is now a hair’s breadth away from the top fifteen.

Honda South America Rally Team round off a productive first week at the Dakar. Daniel Gouet and Javier Pizzolito finished in 18th and 19th positions. The Chilean leads the team in the general standings in 18th.

The sixth stage ground to a halt in Iquique, which will play host to the caravan’s well-earned day of rest. Team HRC will take advantage of the break to give the bikes a once-over and prepare for the first of the Dakar’s two marathon stages this Sunday. The participants will be isolated from their mechanics, and any repairs to the Honda CRF450 RALLY machines, will have to be undertaken by HRC riders themselves.

Helder Rodrigues 1st 3:40'10

I started out from behind, but I caught up with the riders who were opening the road. They were very quick, but I also had the speed to catch them. I’m pleased with the way it turned out and was very calm until the end. It’s rest-day tomorrow, which we really need, to get the energy back and plan next the second week as well as possible. I want to keep attacking and claw back a bit of time in the overall standings.

Paulo Goncalves 3rd + 1'42

Another fairly tough stage, especially up in the mountains. The track was very broken up, very soft, full of danger and difficult to get up. The navigation was very hard too. But in the end I’m happy with my third place today and the third overall, that’s very important for me. Today Hélder won and HRC are having a really great week, ahead overall, and winning a lot of stages. Jere and Laia are helping a lot. Next week will be harder than this one, and we will have to be very careful not to make any mistakes.

Joan Barreda 6th + 7'20

I’m pleased to be here in Iquique and happy with the way that we have arrived here. I caught up with Marc quickly and we were together all the way from then on. There were some parts of fast track, some stretches were harder, some were like trial, and when we got to the dunes some of the other riders caught up with us and stayed there until the end. It was what we had expected but you still had to be careful. The second week will see the first days in Bolivia. It’ll be tough, and also the Iquique desert will be a tricky one for the navigation. In the end, the entrance into Argentina is not likely to be easy with some stages at over 4300 metres. There is a lot of race left, but the way to do it is the one we’ve been doing up until now.

Jeremias Israel 7th + 8'58

It was a complicated one today. I woke up this morning feeling dizzy and not on form as I had been before. Physically I wasn’t at my best and I wasn’t able to push as hard as usual. I did what I could and I’m happy to be here in Iquique. I hope to be able to recover my energy before the second week begins. 

Laia Sanz 17th + 17'57

I knew this was going to be a good stage for me, and that’s the way it was. I eased up a bit in the second half, after having got the first part’s difficult navigation out of the way. It’s not worth taking the risk when you haven’t got it in you. Now it’s time to get some rest and make the preparations for the second week of the rally. The two marathon stages will be really difficult and we’ll have to really look after the bikes. The main thing is to stay as consistent as we’ve been until now.

Daniel Gouet 18th + 18'42

Another tough stage, in Chile, like the one in Antofagasta yesterday, and now here we are in Iquique. I knew that there were a couple of hard stages coming up. I took it easy so that I’d be able to resist ahead of the stages in Bolivia. The second week will be a hard one. We’ll have to take care of the bike and our bodies if we want to make it through to Buenos Aires.

TOMORROW’S STAGE
REST DAY
Copiapó (CHI)

For this exceptional part of the race, marked by the bivouac stop in Iquique and the Bolivian podium in Uyuni, separate rest days will be observed: 10th January for the motorcycles and quads and 12th January for cars and trucks. However, on Sunday 11th January, all the categories will be back on the race, competing in a different stage. Everyone will have taken part in a marathon stage by then.

2015 Dakar Rally Stage 5

Noteworthy effort from Team HRC in the fifth stage

Joan Barreda accomplishes the mission of fending off challengers in the fifth stage of the Rally Dakar 2015. The Spaniard aboard the Honda CRF450 RALLY keeps his distance from his closest rival, as fellow Team HRC members also remain among the front-runners.

The caravan continued to snake its way across the South American continent, leaving Copiapó behind, with destination Antofagasta on the Pacific coast, as a hazardous, rapid-paced stage full of broken up track and fesh-fesh, sped its way across the Atacama desert.

It was Joan Barreda, as yesterday’s stage winner, who set off from the front this morning with a clear objective of consolidating his overall lead and minimizing risks. He was eventually reached by Marc Coma, as the two continued their now habitual duel, finishing the stage together.
Team HRC riders Paulo Gonçalves, Hélder Rodrigues and Jeremías Israel all experienced various types of setbacks over the 458 km distance today, but were nevertheless all able to improve on their overall standings.

The day’s fourth position for Paulo helps solidify his third overall spot, with both Hélder and Jeremías finishing tucked in behind this year’s world championship runner-up.

A prudent Laia Sanz continues to keep up recent form, finishing 21st on the day, and retaking 17th on the overall leaderboard.
The three Honda South America Rally Team riders, Javier Pizzolito, Daniel Gouet and Jean Azevedo, likewise, put in consistent performances among the front-runners. The Argentine rider was once again the best of the bunch, reliably up in the first fifteen of the stage, and 13th overall. In the general standings Gouet lies highest in 21st.

Joan Barreda 2nd +2'16

I led off today until Marc caught up with me. He kept up a cracking pace and I tried to stay as close to him as possible. After the refuelling he really pushed hard. There was a lot of navigation in this very fast stage, as well as a lot of fesh-fesh and stones. The final part was pretty dangerous. I’m happy to be still out in front. We are taking it step by step.

Paulo Goncalves 5th +4'37

Today was quite a hard and complicated stage full of stones, fesh-fesh, and holes everywhere. I started out from 12th position, and there was a lot of dust, and I had to be careful, which made me lose a bit of time up until kilometre 100. In the final part, I had a little difficulty finding one of the waypoints and dropped some time. Tomorrow’s starting position is good and I hope to keep up the concentration without making too many mistakes.

Helder Rodrigues 6th +6'35

It was a tough one. I began in 20th place. There was loads of dust, and overtaking the other riders was practically impossible. After the refuelling, I managed to get by some of the other riders and keep up a good pace, always attacking. There is just over a week left and we have to keep the pressure up until the end.

Jeremias Israel 7th +7'10

I’m pleased to have finished the stage and be among the top group. At times I pushed really hard, and managed to overtake some of the other riders. When I caught up with Walkner, I let him go ahead of me, and keep with him until the finish-line. I think we can put that down as a good stage, and look forward to the ones coming up.

Laia Sanz 19th +26'46

I’m tired. It was a tough one this stage. There were a lot of dangers too. I had to keep such a tight grip on the handlebars that by the time I’d got through, I hardly had any strength left in my hands. I’m pleased that I didn’t lose any time. The important thing is to not come off, and I’ve been able to do that. Now, we are off to prepare tomorrow’s stage. Let’s hope that it goes well.

Javier Pizzolito 13th + 16'49

I knew that the stage would be hard with a lot of rocks, which is the type of terrain that I find the hardest. In 2012 I had a serious accident on the same track, which is why I was taking it so carefully today. I think that the result has been very good and I’ve been able to get up among the main group at the front for tomorrow where there will be less dust.
Javier Pizzolito

TOMORROW’S STAGE
STAGE 6 – Friday, 9th January
Antofagasta (CHI) – Iquique (CHI)

Liaison: 369 km
Special stage: 319 km

A celebration in Iquique
The route will then climb up the Pacific coast towards Iquique. The motorcycles will cover a few extra kilometres as part of the special stage: a detour will take them into endurance-type terrain and onto mountain ridges with views over the sea. All the competitors will then explore the dunes which run alongside and dominate the coastline. But they won’t arrive at the bivouac via the famous descent. For the first time, the half-way point in the race will be marked on a podium in the centre of Iquique. The encounter between riders and their fans will be emotional, following the earthquake which affected the region at the start of the year.

2015 Dakar Rally Stage 4

Team HRC’s Joan Barreda cements grip at the top with another masterful win

Joan Barreda widens the gap at the head of the overall standings on clinching the fourth stage at Dakar 2015. A notable 6th place for Javier Pizzolito of HSA Rally Team, and 8th for Laia Sanz as the rally crosses into Chile.

The Dakar took to the mountains today, the lofty San Francisco pass, at an altitude of 4,800 metres, bearing witness as the riders rode into Chile for the first time. It was also the most extreme stretch of the course encountered so far, with the longest liaison, at 594 kilometres, and temperatures which oscillated from below zero to over 35º. The weary warriors finally earned some rest back at camp in the outskirts of the mining city of Copiapó.

Joan Barreda dictated the pace from metre one. By CP1 he was already ahead, having made short work of yesterday’s winner Mathias Walkner, and closing the gap with arch-rival Marc Coma. The duel was fought nail and tooth throughout the length of the 315 kilometre timed special.

Barreda thus puts yet more distance between himself and the nearest challengers, with a 12’49’’ advantage overall. Laia Sanz shone as second of the Team HRC finishers. Relishing the Honda CRF450 RALLY, the Spanish rider stormed to a magnificent 8th place which lifts her to 12th overall.

After a complicated opening, and a slight navigational boo-boo, Paulo Gonçalves managed to claw back a bit of lost time to finish in 12th, but still remains among the leading group. Hélder Rodrigues, was third in the first part of the stage, but finished 17th after a few setbacks.

Jeremías Israel, didn’t get the type of welcome home that he had hoped for. The Chilean suffered a heavy fall at the start of the special, and lost valuable time. Nevertheless, he bravely picked himself up, and even managed to make the finish-line in the top thirty.

Honda South America Rally Team had a splendid day out today with Javier Pizzolito amid the front-runners, taking 6th place. Chilean Daniel Gouet came home in 13th, and now situates himself as the leader of the HSA Rally Team, in 21st on the overall leaderboard.

Joan Barreda 1st 3:27'28

I’m really pleased with today. It was a really fast special and we had to really concentrate hard. I looked up ahead and when I saw it was Marc and not Walker, I really floored it to not let him get away. Everything has worked out really well up until now. To keep up with Marc’s pace and even to take time off him is not easy. But we will continue to try and stay comfortably ahead and not take any chances.

Laia Sanz 8th + 13'48

What a great day! It was a really fast stage. But it went very well, especially the part in the sand, which I like. There were a couple of waypoints that were difficult to find, but I managed to. Also, I’m feeling good physically after the really tough second stage. Today I was on form in spite of the difficulties of altitude at the San Francisco pass.

Paulo Goncalves 12th +14'56

Today was a really hard day for me. I got lost at kilometre 11, and then, after I had found my way back, I made another mistake at kilometre 124. I dropped a lot of time. When I arrived at refuelling, I realized that I was twenty minutes behind. After that I pushed hard and made up a bit of lost time. I managed to keep in the top group in the rally. Tomorrow I’ll try and get a better result.

Helder Rodrigues 17th + 20'31

Today was a tricky one, with some track where you could really open it up. I attacked hard from the beginning, and I was going great until I got to refuelling, where the bike wouldn’t start for a wire that the mechanics had forgotten to connect. I managed to fix it and make it through to the end of the stage, in spite of the lost time. It was a shame to have been stopped for so long.

Javier Pizzolito 6th +11'29

Today was a nice day for me. At the start there was a lot of dust hanging in the air, but it cleared up after refuelling. After, I caught up with Hélder and we rode together through the dunes until the finish. I’m very satisfied.

Daniel Gouet 13th + 15'05

A very long stage, and I felt at home, not just because it was in Chile. There was a lot of rocks and a lot of fast track…. I took advantage of that, and also felt very comfortable with the navigation and the dunes. You have to try and make steady progress in the overall standings. Now it’s time to enjoy the four days here in Chile.

TOMORROW’S STAGE
STAGE 5 – Thursday, 8th January
Copiapó (CHI) – Antofagasta (CHI)

Liaison: 239 km Special stage: 458 km

Creating the surprise
This is the first of the rare special stages in which all categories will compete. At the start of the race, the most confident drivers will be able to take advantage of the fast tracks to try to move up in the overall standings. But the temptation to do so may be risky, particularly in the hard-to-handle fesh-fesh areas where absolute self-control is the only guarantee of success. Overtaking here requires precision handling to the extreme.

2015 Dakar Rally Stage 3

Team HRC keeps rivals in check and continues to lead the Dakar 2015 after three stages

No change in the overall standings today, after Team HRC riders Joan Barreda and Paulo Gonçalves had established themselves as race leaders at the end of yesterday’s infernal stage. All five team members finished in the top sixteen.

It turned out to be a positive outing for Joan Barreda and the other components of the Team HRC camp, on the third stage from San Juan to Chilecito. Although it was anything but easy, after the gruelling and epic stage of yesterday, today’s event still required a fair amount of technical finesse, and a high degree of concentration, especially in the latter part, as riders were forced to tackle a very narrow, challenging section along the home-straight.

Joan Barreda opened the track throughout the stage and finished the section against the clock, on the Honda CRF450 RALLY, with the day’s third-best time. The Spaniard holds off his adversaries with an overall 5’30’’ lead ahead of second place team-mate Paulo Gonçalves, who finished fifth on the day, which sets him up nicely for following stage.

Jeremías Israel, is another happy camper, after putting in another noteworthy and trouble-free display, finishing eighth in the stage and in the overall standings. Hélder Rodrigues will be in a good position to attack from after a fifteenth place finish, which leaves him lying in ninth overall, just one second behind team-buddy Jeremías Israel.

Laia Sanz, was once more among the top riders, repeating her 17th place of the opening day.

Best of the Honda South America Rally Team was once again Chilean Daniel Gouet, in 24th in both the stage and overall.

Joan Barreda 3rd + 1'53

It was a stage where you really had to have your wits about you. Marc could have made up a lot of time, if I had made any navigational errors. The final part was full of stones, broken track, and many traps, so you had to be really careful with both the riding and the navigation. I kept up a good pace, and I felt pretty good, but I thought it was better not to take any risks in the final section

Paulo Goncalves 5th + 2'49

Today I finished the stage in third with a good position overall. The first kilometres were really fast and we got very high up in the mountains with a lot of very narrow and dangerous tracks. In the final 50 kilometres, there were loads of river-beds and off-road, so you had to stay very focused. Tomorrow, we will have the first day in Chile, a tricky day, and I just want to concentrate on taking it day by day to achieve the objectives.

Jeremias Israel 8th + 4'02

It was a short day compared to yesterday’s stage, but an intense one, very quick in the beginning, which gave us a chance to really put the CRF450 RALLY through its paces. After we went through a zone with a broken up track and a river that was very picturesque. In the end I’m happy with the job. I think it was a good stage for me. Getting over a stage like that helps build confidence.
Jeremias Israel

Helder Rodrigues 15th + 7'01

Third day and we are still up there in good positions. It was a very short, but technical day. The bike performed really well all the way through. I want to keep on battling until the end to be able to have a good race. Starting a bit further back tomorrow will help us have a good stage tomorrow.

Laia Sanz 17th + 9'28

It started off as a very fast stage, and I thought that it was going to be more difficult than they had actually said. In the end, I was thankful that it wasn’t so hard – there was only one stretch of river-bed that was difficult, and a very technical section at the end that was very stony. It went very well. I got caught on a shrub and came off the bike, but it was nothing. Now, we will take time out to relax a bit and get ready for tomorrow’s stage.

Daniel Gouet 24th + 15'53

Everything is going fine up until now. The day was made difficult by so much dust. I tried to push as hard as I could, and tried to salvage something from the stage. But we are still only at the beginning of what I’m sure will be a very tough Dakar.
Daniel Gouet

TOMORROW’S STAGE
STAGE 4 – Wednesday, 7th January
Chilecito (ARG) – Copiapo (CHI)

Liaison: 594 km
Special stage: 315 km

At night the route is twice as hard!
The competitors will have to prove they are worthy of entering Chile! A very early start and a climb to a height of 4,800 metres will precede the border crossing at Paso San Francisco. The really challenging section will begin with a gradual warm-up on the mining tracks, before drivers are faced with the reality of the Atacama Desert. The route here is open and sandy. Over the course of the last 40 kilometres, the giant dunes and basins of Copiapo will have to be tackled and for many this will be at night. Overcoming them will require finesse and instinct.

2015 Dakar Rally Stage 2

Barreda and Gonçalves seal first Team HRC double in the Dakar 2015

Monumental second stage result at the Rally Dakar 2015 for Joan Barreda and Paulo Gonçalves, fastest against the clock as they wage an arduous battle against the high temperatures in an interminable special.

Joan Barreda, Paulo Gonçalves, and the Honda CRF450 RALLYs turned out to be the day’s protagonists, in the lengthiest and toughest stage of this year’s Dakar 2015, making it a one-two finish.

Barreda managed to prise open a lead of 6 minutes over his Honda team-mate and storms his way to the top of the overall leader-board. It was exhibition stuff from Team HRC, in spite of a track booby-trapped with every kind of hazard in a race that snaked its way across 518 kilometres, against the clock. The varied terrain subjected the rider’s navigational skills to the limits, as the course took in rocky mountainous track, then hit sand, fesh-fesh, dried river-beds, and finally as the race wound towards San Juan, an area of dunes. Scorching 45º conditions made it all the more difficult.

Hélder Rodrigues catapulted himself up five places on the overall leader-board from just one stage ago. Not bad considering he had barely shaken off a heavy dose of flu. Jeremías Israel finished a few positions behind his previous day’s effort, due mainly to a fall in the early part of the special. Rounding off Team HRC was Laia Sanz who finished one place ahead of yesterday’s final position.

Top finisher for Honda South America Rally Team was Chilean Daniel Gouet, in 24th place. Jean Azevedo finished in the first thirty.

Joan Barreda 1st 5:46'06

In the end we set off with a game-plan to not make any mistakes and arrive safely at the finish-line. The result has been amazing. In the first part, Sunderland and Coma pushed really hard and I overtook Paulo to try and stop them running away with the stage. In the end, it was more about survival than anything else. We had to measure the pace and keep focused on the navigation as there were some extremely tricky spots, plus another stretch towards the end, that really put a strain on the body.

Paulo Goncalves 2nd + 6'13"

I think that this was the most difficult Dakar stage that I have ever done. The first 200 km were on mountain track full of rocks, and then suddenly, it all changed to sand, fesh-fesh, and heavily-rutted track, and all of that at really high temperatures. We all really suffered in that very pot-holed area. We are in a great position now in the rally. But there’s a long way to go and we’ve got to stay focused.

Helder Rodrigues 7th + 11'35

I think that in the end it worked out very well for the whole team. We are ahead in the race and that’s the most important thing. I did better than yesterday too. I’m just about over my flu now, and so the time has come to start pushing harder physically. I’m very pleased to have made it to the finish in perfect shape, and without having made any mistakes in what was a very complicated stage.

Jeremias Israel 9th + 15'49

It was a really hard day. There was a lot of everything; mountains, fast track, sand… and high temperatures. I think that it was one of the hardest stages that we will have in this Dakar. I’m fine in spite of having made a couple of mistakes. I fell at the beginning, but I’m happy to have had a calm, problem-free stage. The bike went like a dream throughout the stage; it was important to get through it. I think we did the business today, and I’m glad that the team is heading the race.

Laia Sanz 16th + 23'34

I suffered a lot in the first part of the race. It looked like it was going to be easy and fast, because the start of the special was like that, but the final 150 km were really exhausting. I had to slow the pace down because physically I was tired, but by the look of things, I wasn’t the only one. I’m happy to have made it to the end of such a long and difficult day, and I’m pleased that the bike and the tyres are in good condition too.

Daniel Gouet 24th + 35'56

It was a really hard day. In the beginning there was a lot of dust. In the sand I tried to take things with a bit of calm, not make any mistakes or ruin the day. The race has only just began but I’m confident in our chances.

TOMORROW’S STAGE
STAGE 3 – Tuesday, 6th January
San Juan (ARG) – Chilecito (ARG)

Liaison: 437 km
Special stage: 220 km

A vision of red
The pressure which competitors faced the day before (and late into the night for some of them), will partly ease off on the road to Chilecito. The shorter and less intense stage will allow them to enjoy their majestic surroundings. The red earth tracks, overlooking steep peaks and plunging down into canyons, will take the Dakar through one of the most beautiful regions of Argentina. But no-one should be tempted to sit back and enjoy the view, particularly on the motorcycle and quad bike routes which include some gruelling sections. With thousands of stones to be avoided, it will only take one to ruin this magnificent day!

2015 Dakar Rally Stage 1

Team HRC get down to business with a fine start to the Dakar 2015

Countdown. Revs up. Clutch out. And with a roar the Dakar Rally exploded into life today. With three riders finishing the special in the top six, the race for Team HRC is most definitely underway.

Yesterday, was a chance for the riders to lap up a warm welcome from the thousands of fans gathered along the streets of Buenos Aires. Today, an altogether harsher greeting awaited as the first stage took to the track. Team HRC’s five riders all finished in the first seventeen positions.

The first of the Dakar’s specials, at only 175 kilometres, was barely enough to unfold any significant differences, but already the pecking order is beginning to establish itself. Paulo Gonçalves rode a cracking pace aboard the Honda CRF450 RALLY, to finish in second, just five seconds behind the special’s winner.

Joan Barreda, after setting off in the special at Baradero from second place, put in a fairly effortless and prudent performance. The Spaniard claimed fourth spot, 1’41 off Sunderland.

Jeremías Israel stormed his way to a final sixth place, tucked in behind the leaders, and Laia Sanz got acquainted with the track, riding a trouble-free special to finish in seventeenth.

Argentine Javier Pizzolito finished top out of the Honda South America Rally Team riders posting sixteenth place.

The squad arrived at the bivouac in Villa Carlos Paz after a lengthy liaison section of around 500 kilometres, where preparations for the second stage are already underway. The stage will be disputed tomorrow between Villa Carlos Paz and San Juan. The first dunes of the Rally Dakar 2015 will be there to welcome the participants.

Paulo Goncalves

2nd + 00'05

The first special served as a good warm-up. 175 kilometres and 700 liaison. It went well, with a second place, which was great. But it’s a very long and hard rally. You must have great team-work, be very focused, not make any mistakes and keep the mechanical and physical aspect in as good shape as possible, as this is not only a very long race, but a very tough one too.

Joan Barreda

4th + 1'41

A very quick stage, we got up to some high speeds, and it was difficult, as there was some damaged track due to the rain of the last couple of days. I caught up with Marc, but I stayed behind, taking it calmly. Let’s see how the next few stages go.

Jeremias Israel

4th + 2'16

It was a good, relaxed stage. We had to do 1000 kilometres, but the track was very fast and we had to accelerate to not lose time. I picked up quite a bit of dust from the other riders, and that brought down the pace, so I was able to take it easier and not take any chances. I think that it’s a good position to tackle tomorrow’s stage from.

Helder Rodrigues

12º + 3'32

The first day has been very fast for everyone. There are a lot of riders in a short space of time, and we shouldn’t forget that the race has just started. Everyone has pushed hard. Me too. In the second half of the special I tried out the top speed and… it was incredible! Maybe I didn’t start out as well as I could have, but I’m not that far behind first place, and it’s wide open.

Laia Sanz

17th + 4'46

It was a quick stage, but with a lot of hazards, some of which were dangerous. I’m pleased that it went very well. I had to eat a lot of dust that came from Chavo Salvatierra, but I was able to get past him and I picked up the pace later. It was important, not only not taking risks, but not remaining too far behind, so as to be in a good start-position for tomorrow.

Javier Pizzolito

16th + 4'32

The arrival today has been a good one as some of the candidates are already out of the race. It was a fast stage with hard track that put the mechanics under strain. We will be in a nice position, a very good one, to not pick up too much dust from the riders who are up ahead

TOMORROW’S STAGE
STAGE 2 – Monday, 5th January
Villa Carlos Paz (ARG) – San Juan (ARG)

Liaison:107 km
Special stage:518 km

The longest stage

Any rest will be short-lived, because before reaching San Juan, the competitors will have a particularly busy schedule: quite simply the longest special stage in the rally, which is varied enough to unsettle even the most experienced of drivers. Hard terrain at the start of the race will be followed by dusty sections in the middle of the day and a sandy stretch to finish. This is the first real test, which can only be successfully overcome through constant vigilance.

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