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All content © Bob MuIIins |
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Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge 2015 Cross Countries Rally Round 1 , Stage 4 Tough day for Team HRC in Abu Dhabi The penultimate day of racing at the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge failed to produce the kind of results that Team HRC had been hoping for; Barreda, opening the track, took sixth place; Brabec finished seventh. Paulo Gonçalves was unable to make it through the special stage. Team HRC, who had endeavoured to keep all options of a final win open in the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, rested their hopes in Paulo Gonçalves setting out from a favourable starting-position. Nevertheless, it wasn’t to be. The Portuguese rider’s podium bid has thwarted by an electrical hitch that saw him unable to complete the timed special. Some 43 km into the 258 km race, Paulo was forced out due to an electrical problem which he was unable to sort out. The Portuguese rider will be disappointed to not defend his previous Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge 2014 title. With the navigation in the dunes, the strategies and some of the most extreme weather encountered, this is one of the rally raid calendar’s most taxing events with riders having to endure temperatures of up to 50 degrees. Joan Barreda got the show underway, leading the charge, which meant having to navigate his way ahead of the ensuing pack whom he led for a greater part of the 258.1 kilometre special. With the pursuers hot on the heels of the Honda CRF450 RALLY, the Spaniard was finally forced to concede in spite of having upped the pace considerably over the final stretches. Barreda settled for a sixth place as the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge 2015 heads into tomorrow’s final stage. Tucked in behind Barreda was a very consistent Ricky Brabec with a seventh place finish who leapfrogs two places on the overall leaderboard. The plucky debutante now lies in fifth in the general standings in addition to leading the Rally juniors.
After the great stage that I won yesterday, I put myself second and got off to a good start from a nice start-position and everything was going really well. I was ahead at kilometre 43 when the bike stopped. It was an electrical problem and I wasn’t able to get it started again. Let’s see what happened and how it can be fixed so that it doesn’t happen again in a more important race.
Everything turned out today as we had predicted that it would: I opened the track and this set me back. Right from the start, with complicated dunes it was a difficult ride with tough navigation. But I made it through to the end problem-free, raising the pace in the final part. It’s a pity for Paulo – really bad luck. But we have to look on the bright side – it’s a really hard, demanding test, and it will help us to face the future. Ricky Brabec - Stage: 7th Overall: 5th
Technology was against us and Paulo had to stop at the beginning of the stage and couldn’t get the bike started again in the soft dunes. Ricky stopped to help him but even together it was not possible so Paulo had to abandon the stage and lost the chance of getting a good result like Joan had done a few days ago. The only one left now fighting for a position is Ricky doing well and moving up to fifth position overall and he will try and finish tomorrow in a decent way. Now, back to work. Results Stage 4 Standings Stage 4
Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge 2015 Cross Countries Rally Round 1 , Stage 3 Great stage for Paulo Goncalves. Second win for the Honda CRF450 RALLY Portuguese rider Paulo Goncalves grabbed the third stage victory in the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, climbing up one place into second spot in the general rankings. Noteworthy specials too from Barreda – home in fourth – and Brabec in seventh. The Honda CRF450 RALLY was back in a starring role in the dunes of the Liwa Desert where the third of a five-stage Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge played out. After Joan Barreda’s win yesterday, today it was team-mate Paulo Goncalves’ turn to stamp his authority on a 400 kilometre stage, which included a 272.8 km timed special. Joan Barreda took advantage of a new rule that allows the first three finishers to choose their starting positions among the first six starters. The Spanish rider set out from sixth place, put pedal to metal and was soon forging ahead of the pack, opening the way for a long stretch of the special stage. The adversaries did finally catch up and Barreda had to content himself with a fourth final place. Paulo Gonçalves, on the other hand, took full advantage of the day, pushing hard from the start, before going on to take his first triumph so far in the 2015 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge. The win permits him to move up one spot on the overall leaderboard. The Portuguese supremo now lies in second in the general some five minutes off the leader. Ricky Brabec, for his part, finishes the day with a positive balance sheet. After enduring a dune-filled stage in extreme temperatures hovering around 50 degrees, the American rookie crossed the line in seventh, holding on to his position in the general rankings.
Today was a really good special. I had a great starting position, I won the stage and I’m in second place in the general standings. Tomorrow will be more difficult but there are still two days ahead. I’m pleased because I’m still in the running for the victory. The bike is working perfectly in the hardest conditions of the year so far. We will keep pushing.
Today was a great day. It was a pity about the final few kilometres because the rivals managed to catch me up. I was opening the way and pushed hard with a cracking pace. It’s a great test out here in Abu Dhabi and I’m happy with the work that we’ve done today. Ricky Brabec - Stage: 7th Overall: 6th
Today was a very good day for the team. Paulo was not only able to win the stage today, but took back a place in the overall standings moving up into second place, five minutes behind Marc Coma and passing Sam Sunderland, which gives him all the instruments to have a good starting-position tomorrow. Joan also started well picking up time on Sam Sunderland today and finishing in a very good position. Also, Ricky had a solid race finishing in seventh which gives him a nice position for tomorrow to make up some more ground. So all in all, technically and tactically it was a good all-round day. Results Stage 3 Standings Stage 3
Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge 2015 Cross Countries Rally Round 1 Barreda re-emerges with a win in the second stage Shaking off yesterday’s troubles which ruled out any chance of winning the overall rally, Joan Barreda today re-established himself with a second-stage triumph in the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge. Paulo Gonçalves remains in third and Brabec finishes among the top riders. The longest stage in the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge got underway with a motocross-style start and concluded with a rampant Joan Barreda clocking the best score in the timed special. It was certainly no easy day out in the Al Garbia desert for the Spaniard aboard the Honda CRF450 RALLY. With no reference points ahead to guide him, Barreda showed some classy navigational skills that saw him romp home 11 minutes ahead of the stage’s runner-up. Likewise, Paulo Gonçalves did a fine job of keeping Marc Coma in check, trailing him in the overall by 5’33. Ricky Brabec, Team HRC’s rookie, crossed the line in sixth and also occupies sixth on the overall leaderboard.
It was a very special day, very nice, starting out in MX. We were together almost the whole day. It was important to finish ahead in the final part so as to choose the starting-order amongst the top riders. In the end everyone slowed down, so let’s see what strategy is used tomorrow. The bike is running like a dream when you consider just how difficult the Abu Dhabi course is, with such a lot of sand and high-temperatures. I’m really pleased with the way that Team HRC has been working.
I’m satisfied. Today was a great day after the bad one yesterday. I rode a good pace, opening the way all day alone. I had a problem yesterday but we have figured out what it was and are working to get it sorted out; it’s the same specification that we had in the Dakar. Some things are being worked on that will be at our disposal from the summer onwards. I really have great faith in the work that Honda is doing on the bike.
Yeah, today was great. The mass start was a little bit different. Paulo and I just sat back and watched what everyone was doing. I think he finished where he wanted to. The bike felt better and rode the sand-dunes much better. Also, there were no mistakes today so that is always a plus. Wolfgang Fischer - Team HRC Team Manager
Results Stage 2 Standings Stage 2
Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge - 2015 Cross Countries Rally Round 1 , Stage 1 Team HRC takes up positions in Abu Dhabi Team HRC overcomes various setbacks to make it through the first day of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge with Paulo Gonçalves and Ricky Brabec finishing the special among the front-runners in third and fifth respectively. The asphalt of the Yas Marina circuit in the pre-rally build-up has given way to the sands of the Al Garbia region in the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge. Riders were today confronted with a 260 kilometre timed special in high-temperature first stage that spanned a total of 404 kilometres. Rally raid’s top guns let it be known from the start that the flavour of the day was all-out attack. Team HRC, with Joan Barreda at the helm, immediately took command, arriving at refuelling in top positions. Spaniard Barreda had the misfortune to suffer an electrical fault some 40 km from the finish and dropped valuable time before getting the Honda CRF450 RALLY back on track and finishing the special. Paulo Gonçalves, stopped briefly to lend a hand and sort out the glitch, conceding some time to his adversaries in the process, which he will hope to make up in tomorrow’s lengthy stage. American rookie Ricky Brabec, in his maiden outing in the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship, found himself amid top-class competition and put in a worthy debut astride the Honda CRF450 RALLY. Tomorrow the Liwa Desert will offer the longest stage in the competition with competitors looking to tackle more than 500 kilometres of desert, 279 km of which is against the clock. Start will be as motocross style.
I had a fairly difficult day today with high temperatures and a lot of sand and dunes. I was having a tough time at the start, but I started to feel better as the speed picked up after the refuelling. I found Juan with a problem with some 40 km still to go and I stopped to help out. I lost a bit of time, but the important thing is to finish. There are four days left and I hope to be in the running for the victory.
My first day here at the rally went good but I made a rookie mistake just trying to ride through the dust and I hit something on the road which popped me up and threw me on my side. Other than that it was a good day and I’m learning the way that the navigation works. I’m riding through the sand dunes and I’m seeing all these faster guys’ lines, how they approach it and how they ride down the back side of them. So today was a good day and hopefully the rest of the rally will be better.
Well, in the end it has been a complicated day. I got away very well with a really quick pace right from the start. I had some great riders up ahead and Ipushed really hard and everything was fine until we got up to CP3. Then I had an electric problem and the engine stopped– one of those things that happens. We are at the start and we have still got a whole year ahead, with the same bike and the same characteristics and the engineers are working hard and will be able to sort out any hitches and give us some more security.
1 COMA Marc SPA KTM Red Bull Rally Factory 3:12:54
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Results Stage 1
5 BRABEC Ricky USA Team HRC +11'54
21 BARREDA Joan SPA Team HRC +1:06'13