The 2019 Dakar Rally was staged over 10 days and produced some extremely close racing and results, with KTM Factory Racing putting on a dominant performance, led by Australian Toby Price.
Toby Price
The majority of the timed special stages were held on the soft sand dunes of the Peruvian desert, while good navigation and overall strategy were unquestionably of equal importance. A start position further down the field would allow a rider to ‘push the tracks’ and make up time on the riders ahead. In contrast, a stage win would mean opening the next day’s route and invariably losing time to the competitors behind.
With his participation initially in doubt following a training accident just weeks before the event, Toby Price arrived in Peru with the modest goal of simply completing the rally and backing up his teammates as best as he could. As the race progressed, the physical strain was obvious with his injured wrist becoming more painful with each passing stage.
Toby Price
Gritting his teeth, the 2018 FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Champion nevertheless made the start of each stage and put in solid performances to lie in an impressive fourth overall at the rest day, halfway through the rally. Going into the second week, the tough and testing conditions started to take their toll on the competition and their machines as Price moved up the order.
Going into the final day, Toby had a one-minute lead over the then second-placed Pablo Quintanilla. The two friends and rivals would both have to ride their absolute best on the short 112-kilomtere special to be in with a chance of the win. Unfortunately for Quintanilla a crash just 10 kilometres into the stage ruled him out of contention while Price, after stopping to check his fellow competitor was OK, went on to win the stage and ultimately the rally.
The pain of Toby Price’s injury was clearly visible throughout Dakar 2019
Clinching his second Dakar title, Toby attributed his win to the support of both his fans and the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team.
Toby Price – 2019 Dakar Champion
“It’s crazy knowing I have won the rally – I didn’t even think I would make the rest day. My bike has been amazing, the team has been amazing, honestly without the help and support of everyone around me I wouldn’t be standing here as winner of the Dakar. It all came down to the final day and I knew I had to push to be in with a chance of taking the win. The wrist has been getting worse and worse each day but I had to grit my teeth for one final time and go for it. Thankfully, all the hard work was worth it and the pain doesn’t matter anymore – I’m stood here as the 2019 Dakar Champion.”
Toby Price – Image by Marcin Kin
With Toby’s victory handing KTM their 18th consecutive Dakar Rally win, success earned in Peru was, as in previous Dakars, the result of a true team effort.
Pit Beirer – KTM Motorsport Director
“For us it’s another special moment, especially going into the new season, as all the racing world is looking at the Dakar. It was a very, very tough race – listening to the riders so far it was the toughest they ever went through. It’s just such a long fight, and we always prepare and hope with our riders. We struggled with their pain, but at the end of the day we could turn the race around another time and to win it with such a dominating result is just incredible. Toby has defied the odds – while it was looking like it may not be possible for him to start this year’s Dakar, winning together was something we could only have dreamed of. His fighting spirit to the final kilometre with the injury he has is remarkable.
Toby Price – Image by Marcin Kin
“The one-two-three may look easy on paper, but if you follow the Dakar and how difficult it was to reach this result it’s amazing what our people are doing – the bike preparation, logistics, trucks, physiotherapy and everything behind the scenes are all important. I really want to thank our fantastic team, it really is the number one team in the world – how the guys prepare for the Dakar, how the engineers build the bike, how the riders do such a fantastic race.
Dakar 2019
“Matthias fought so hard for second, which is a great achievement especially as many riders struggle the year after winning the Dakar, and Sam’s race was not easy for his hard-fought third place. We are looking forward to hearing all of their stories. Luciano, who has so far been classed as our team junior, also had a fantastic race. As did Laia Sanz, who yet again put on an outstanding performance. We are so proud of our rally achievements in KTM – we are happy that we are at the finish line and we now look forward to our team returning home so we can celebrate this moment together.”
The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team – Image by Sebas Romero
2018 Dakar winner, Matthias Walkner rode to an excellent second place overall, despite injuring himself during the early stages of the event. A hard landing from a dune resulted in a painful, swollen ankle but it didn’t slow the Austrian’s pace as he went on to claim two stage wins at the gruelling event.
Following nine days of racing, covering 5,000 kilometres, Walkner was just six minutes down going into the final stage. A third-place finish on stage 10 secured Matthias the runner-up position in the final rally standings.
Matthias Walkner
“The race was so close this year, I truly believe I rode my best Dakar ever. The whole 10 days went well and I made the minimum of mistakes. There were a couple of times where the start position was tough or we had trouble with the road book, but overall, I feel really happy with my performance. After hurting my ankle so early on, my goal was just to complete the rally safely. To take second place on the podium feels incredible. It’s such an emotional race for me – to put so much into something, so much hard work, and to get something back at the end is an amazing feeling.”
Toby Price with team-mate and runner-up, Matthias Walkner
In what was an up-and-down rally for Sam Sunderland, the Brit kept his composure and kept on battling right to the end. Stopping to assist a fallen rider on day five, Sunderland went on to win the stage after having the time lost reallocated to him at the end of the day.
With the following day’s stage being long and especially tricky to navigate, Sam put in an amazing ride opening the stage but ultimately placed 12th, losing 22 minutes to his rivals. Fighting back, the 2017 Dakar winner never gave up and, with his persistence paying off, secured an overall third place result at the chequered flag.
Sam Sunderland
“I’m happy to have finished the Dakar, it has been really difficult both mentally and physically this year. I want to thank my mechanic Grilly and the whole team for their support. Third position is a little bittersweet though after seeing my friend Pablo crash on the final stage. I need to mention the penalty I received for missing my start time on stage six, thankfully it was rectified at the end of the event but it put both myself and the team in a difficult position as we didn’t know exactly where we stood right up until the final moment. Overall, I’m happy with how I rode and I’m already looking forward to the next race.”
Sam Sunderland
Arguably putting in the ride of his career, Luciano Benavides justified his position within the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing squad with a superb eighth place in what is his first ever Dakar finish. Showing increasing speed and maturity throughout the rally, the young Argentinian became a regular top-10 finisher and in doing so, a great asset to the team.
Luciano Benavides
“It has been a very tough year to get to this point. After my crash at last year’s event I put in so much work over the following 12 months, not just on getting fit again but also on my road book skills and navigation. I am happy to say it all paid off – I felt more and more confident as the rally went on and made fewer mistakes. It feels great to get eighth place, my goal was to hopefully finish inside the top 10 and now I have done it, I can’t describe how it feels.”
Luciano Benavides – Image by Marcin Kin
Laia Sanz, ‘Queen of the Desert’, once again put in an awe-inspiring display as she rode to 11th place overall in what is her ninth consecutive Dakar finish. Halfway through 2018, Sanz was diagnosed with the Epstein Barr virus, making it extremely difficult to do any training at all, on or off the bike.
Coming into the event, the Spaniard’s goal was simply to successfully complete the rally with no thought about her overall position. Day by day, the KTM Factory Racing rider’s consistency, mental strength and navigational skills rewarded her with one strong result after another. Narrowly missing out on a top-10 overall position, Laia was over the moon with her performance.
Laia Sanz
“This year has been a very special Dakar for me, partly because I didn’t have time to prepare for the rally and because the format this year didn’t suit me or my style so well. There were times when I didn’t enjoy the event as much as I would have liked but I kept on going and now to stand here after placing 11th feels amazing. I am very proud to be able to ride the best machine for the best team.”
Laia Sanz – Image by Marcin Kin
Mario Patrao did a fantastic job for the KTM Factory Racing team, especially aiding the other riders at the halfway stage of the event’s marathon stage where no outside assistance is allowed to competitors. Unfortunately, a fall on stage six brought an end to the Portuguese rider’s race. We wish Mario all the best with his recovery.
The next event for the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rally riders will be round one of the 2019 FIM Cross Country Rallies World Championship – the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge – held March 30-April 4 in the United Arab Emirates.
2019 Dakar Rally Final Standings
Toby Price (AUS), KTM, 33:57:16
Matthias Walkner (AUT), KTM, 34:06:29 +9:13
Sam Sunderland (GBR), KTM, 34:10:50 +13:34
Pablo Quintanilla (CHL), Husqvarna, 34:18:02 +20:46
2019 proved a tough Dakar Rally season for the Monster Energy Honda Team. Joan Barreda and Paulo Gonçalves were forced out early, and Ricky Brabec lost his leading position to a mechanical issue. Best finishing Monster Energy Honda rider José Ignacio Cornejo came home in seventh, while Kevin Benavides received a hefty sanction that pushed him back to 12th from what would have likely been a podium finishing position.
Kevin Benavides – Dakar 2019
Thus the ultimate Dakar result still eludes the Monster Energy Honda Team and while the 2019 Dakar Rally may have ended, it is still the toughest, trickiest and most ruthless rally for both man and machine still remains the main outstanding team objective.
At the 2019 Dakar, Monster Energy Honda Team romped to stage victories, led for a great part of the race and showed themselves to be one of the hottest teams to beat, with several squad riders in contention, poised for success. But lifting the winning bronze touareg at the end of the race remains elusive. The lack of trophy will do little, however, to discourage the team as it endeavors to prepare further and grow stronger ahead of the next edition of the Dakar Rally.
Ricky Brabec – Dakar 2019 – Brabec suffered a mechanical issue, ending his run after winning Stage 4 and holding his lead into Stage 8
The 2019 edition of the great challenge, which took place entirely on Peruvian soil, got underway with a full Monster Energy Honda Team, made up of five riders, bringing a blend of experience and youth, including such figures as Portuguese Paulo Gonçalves, Spaniard Joan Barreda, Chilean Nacho Cornejo, American Ricky Brabec and Argentine rider Kevin Benavides. Throughout the 2018 season the squad repeatedly triumphed in events such as the Merzouga Rally, the Atacama Rally, the Ruta 40 and the Inca Challenge.
Joan Barreda – Dakar 2019 – Barreda’s bike was caught in a ravine in Stage 3
During the first week of racing, the team occupied top positions, initially with Joan Barreda, winner of the first stage, who kept hold of the coveted first place on day two, only to prematurely retire the following day. A surprising Ricky Brabec took up the torch, winning stage four and remaining overall leader until day eight.
Paulo Gonçalves suffered a fall on leg two of the marathon stage – Dakar 2019
Subsequently, the team suffered the full force of race regulations with Kevin Benavides picking up a heavy sanction which put an end to the Argentine’s chances of a podium finish. The twelfth place final position certainly did no justice to the continued efforts and development of Benavides.
Kevin Benavides – 12th overall
“It didn’t turn out the way we thought it would finish, obviously I have prepared a lot for this edition, I had a very big dream to fight for. It’s a bit ugly to end up like this and that things are resolved at a table. Finally I finished the race in a decent way, with my head held high as a good athlete. Both Honda and I have done things well. We have appealed against the penalty and now we will have to wait until the race is over to see what happens. For my part today I went out to enjoy the last stage, I rode calmly. Our next goal is the world championship and then to prepare for the next Dakar. I want to thank all the team, sponsors, family, girlfriend, friends and all the people who support me through social networks. Thank you very much to all.”
Kevin Benavides – Dakar 2019
Chilean José Ignacio ‘Nacho’ Cornejo finished the odyssey with an excellent seventh overall place after finishing in runner-up spot on two stages. A notable Dakar for the team’s youngest rider.
José Ignacio Cornejo – Seventh overall
“The truth is that I am very happy about the comeback that I have made. At the beginning I lost time in one stage and the chances of being in the top ten were a little bit off, but we did not give up and pushed until the end. I ended up being seventh in the general, so I’m very happy. I am also satisfied with today’s stage, a second place is very good, I think I made a good performance. I would have liked it too if my companions could have finished the race, as some of them would have achieved the victory. At one point we had two riders fighting for the victory and we go home know that we have five riders in the squad capable of fighting for the top, which is very positive for the team. I have no doubt that next year we will return stronger. Personally, I will continue to work hard to keep up with the team’s objectives for the next edition of the Dakar. I want to thank all the staff of the team that have worked very hard, thank them for the great commitment they have with the project. We will continue working hard to achieve victory in the coming years.”
José Ignacio Cornejo was the Honda Team’s highest performer
The other team members didn’t make the final finish line: Joan Barreda was forced out when his bike got trapped at the bottom of a ravine on the third stage: Paulo Gonçalves suffered a fall on leg two of the marathon stage, and likewise Ricky Brabec, when a mechanical issue robbed the American of his leading overall position.
Monster Energy Honda Team at Dakar 2019
The final balance that Monster Energy Honda Team can take away from the event is a positive one, both for the individual performances and the joint team effort. The team comes away more experienced and with a huge desire to achieve the highest possible honours in the next edition of the Dakar in 2020
Monster Energy Honda Team at Dakar 2019
Yoshishige Nomura – HRC President
“HRC was not successful on our seventh challenge at the Dakar. I would like to apologize that we were not able to win the title, and that we could not meet the expectations of HRC fans worldwide. At the same time, I am proud of our Monster Energy Honda team, as it has proven itself to be very competitive. I appreciate the huge effort put in by our riders, team members and development team.
Monster Energy Honda Team at Dakar 2019
“In the 2019 Dakar, we experienced many situations that were unpredictable, but as with every Dakar, we have improved our ability to respond, and gained valuable experience. I am afraid we were not able to respond to the circumstances that we faced. I hope all Monster Energy Honda team members will have a good rest, in preparation for the next challenge. HRC will also start preparation for next Dakar soon! Finally, I would like to thank all of our sponsors and supporters, as they give us the strength to challenge the Dakar, and promise they can look forward to better performances from Honda and HRC in the future.”
Monster Energy Honda Team at Dakar 2019
The team thanked Honda Peru for the use of their facilities provided both during the preparation and the race itself. Likewise, the excellent collaboration maintained with MEC Team with their three other Honda riders, will not be forgotten. Their Bolivian rider Daniel Nosiglia, aboard a Honda CRF450 RALLY, achieved a commendable result, finishing in an excellent tenth overall place.
Monster Energy Honda Team at Dakar 2019
2019 Dakar Rally Final Standings
Toby Price – Red Bull KTM Factory Team 33h 57′ 16”
Matthias Walkner – Red Bull KTM Factory Team +00h 09′ 13”
Sam Sunderland – Red Bull KTM Factory Team +00h 13′ 34”
Pablo Quintanilla – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing +00h 20′ 46”
Andrew Short – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing +00h 44′ 10”
Xavier De Soultrait – Yamalube Yamaha Official Rally Team +00h 54′ 00”
Jose Ignacio Cornejo Florimo – Monster Energy Honda Team 2019 +01h 08′ 06”
Luciano Benavides – Red Bull Ktm Factory Team +01h 09′ 10”
Oriol Mena – Hero Motosports Team Rally +02h 08′ 41”
Moto News Wrap for January 22, 2019 by Darren Smart
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Congrats to Toby – KTM 1-2-3 at Dakar
The Toby Price legendary status continues to grow after winning the 2019 Dakar Rally in the most trying of circumstances you would be hard pushed to find any off-road enthusiast who doesn’t admire the skill and tenacity of this genuinely humble Aussie.
Toby Price with team-mate and runner-up, Matthias Walkner
Price went into Dakar 2019 under a cloud after breaking the scaphoid in his right wrist on the 12th of December and after getting it operated on by Dr. Mir in Barcelona the long-time KTM rider flew back to Australia to recuperate before the start of Dakar on January the 6th.
Once recuperated enough to start riding (well before doctor’s orders) Price got together with Stephen Gall and they went out to Queensland Moto Park, West of Brisbane to try out some wrist support via the CTi Custom Wrist Brace.
Toby Price during the rest day midway through Dakar 2019
Toby initially rode without any support before he tried some taping which apparently helped but the breakthrough came when Gall fitted the Carbon ‘All Sport Dynamic’ OH2 Wrist Brace which really helped his confidence and this is the brace that helped Toby though to the end of the world’s most gruelling off-road motorcycle race.
Gall, himself a tough competitor who shares the distinction of multiple Finke Desert Race wins with Price, said, “I’m so happy to able to help him win this huge race.”
Toby Price – Dakar 2019 – Job Done
The 2019 Dakar win adds to Price’s resume which includes his 2016 Dakar win, five AORC wins, two A4DE wins, six Finke Desert Race wins, five Hattah Desert Race wins, ISDE class wins, A Day in the Dirt Motocross Grand Prix win, Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge win, Rallye OiLibya du Maroc wins and the 2018 FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship.
Toby Price
Coming into the final Stage 10, race leader Price was faced with a 359-kilometre trek, including a 112-kilometre special and 247-kilometre liaison around the city of Pisco and it couldn’t have gone better for Price who finished the stage in first place, two minutes and 21 seconds ahead of second place holder Jose Ignacio Cornejo Florimo (Monster Energy Honda Team 2019).
Overall, Price has finished a staggering nine minute and 13 seconds ahead of reigning title holder Matthias Walkner (Red Bull KTM Factory Team) while Sam Sunderland (Red Bull KTM Factory Team), clocking in 13 minutes and 34 seconds behind Price, rounded out the podium.
Toby Price
With a podium filled to the brim with KTM bikes, the Austrian brand can now comfortably brag that the last time a KTM bike did not win the Dakar Rally was back in 2000!
Toby Price
“It feels amazing to stand here knowing I have won the Dakar, I don’t think it has really sunk in yet. I thought at the beginning of the event I would be lucky to even make the rest day. My Red Bull KTM bike has been amazing, I want to say a big thank you to my mechanic for that. The whole crew here do an amazing job – without them I would be no one.”
The pain was clearly visible throughout Dakar 2019
Fellow Australians Ben Young and James Ferguson finished Stage 10 in 55th and 67th place respectively while ending the 2019 Dakar Rally in 51st and 67th overall – great effort boys!
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KTM Sweeps Anaheim 2
Round three of the 2019 AMA Supercross Championship at Anaheim featured the first of the ‘Triple Crown’ formats and it was KTM riders Cooper Webb and Shane McElrath who came out on top in the 450SX and 250SX classes respectively.
450 Report
If you were telling anyone before the series kicked off that the first three 450SX round winners were going to be Justin Barcia, Blake Baggett and Cooper Webb you would have been scoffed at but the fact is that you would have been dead right and as arsy as they come.
2019 AMA Supercross – 450 Start
Cooper Webb got 10th place the week before at Glendale but his performance at Anaheim 2, in particular race one against Roczen backed with his second race win and a solid third in the final race for the overall has put the former 250SX champion on the map as a title contender.
Cody Webb
“Last weekend I was tenth and that wasn’t what I wanted, so I had some redemption this week. But to win is insane – to win two races and be on the podium in the last one is incredible! I really have got to give it up to the group at KTM, they took me under and they changed everything for me. It’s been a struggle the last two years, so those guys just constantly pushing me to get back to where I was and reminding me that I still got it. I can’t believe it and I’ll never forget this day. I hope to keep it going, this is an incredible feeling. Man, I’m speechless.”
Cody Webb
Right now Marvin Musquin is managing a knee injury and he admits that the triple crown format is not his strong point but the Frenchman managed three sold races for second overall.
Marvin Musquin
“It’s not always been my strongest point on the start but I’ve been very consistent today. This week I only rode a little bit on Monday. I stayed in California and we got a lot of rain, but obviously it helped on the knee. I tried to work on it the whole week and I felt good getting on the bike compared to last weekend, so it was important and that’s what I need – to feel good and not have any pain. It was great racing tonight, I didn’t win any motos but I got second overall, I was consistent and I was able to battle for the lead and for the podium.”
Eli Tomac had never finished outside of the top five in any of the nine Triple Crown main events he has been part of and at A2 he kept that streak alive by going 4-4-1 for third place overall.
Eli Tomac
“In the first two main events I didn’t do myself any favours off the start but I was happy that we were able to charge forward both times into fourth place. The third race was awesome because I was able to get out in clean air and just ride. The track tonight was technical and even sketchy in some parts, but I am happy to be leaving here healthy and only two points back in the championship.”
Eli Tomac
Ken Roczen
“Overall, it was a good night of racing. We showed a lot of speed and are happy with this Triple Crown race. We got off to a great start in the first race, getting the holeshot and leading the whole race until I made a mistake in the one of the last rhythm sections, which unfortunately cost me the win. We still came in second, which was great. I didn’t get the best start in the second race but weaseled my way through and felt like I was going really fast. I found myself in third and was catching the guys up front but I made a mistake and went down in the whoops and had about five guys go by me. I didn’t let that distract me, rode strong and worked my way back up to fifth. We were just trying to get through the third race, where I finished fourth and unfortunately, just missed the podium. It was a bummer not to be on the overall podium, but we still have the points lead and red plate so that’s awesome.”
Ken Roczen
Cole Seely
“Once again, there are a lot of positives to take away from tonight. My starts were much better in two out of the three races, and I was able to run more toward the front of the pack. Being up there and feeling the pace of the front group was huge. The Triple Crown format is definitely a challenge because the turnaround time is really short and you’re basically doing three sprint races, so you have to be on it. I’m getting back into the flow and am excited to go racing each weekend, so seventh is another step in the right direction.”
Cole Seely
Class rookie Aaron Plessinger suffered poor starts all night but he improved his position each event with 12-9-6 moto finishes for seventh outright to hold down ninth overall in the championship points.
Aaron Plessinger
“Anaheim 2 was a pretty good race for me. I kind of was struggling with bike setup all day and then after the last practice we made a shock change, and it was great. I got a few bad starts in the first two main events, which hurt my results, but I felt good all night. I rode what I thought was the best that I have ridden. I went 12, 9, 6, for seventh overall. So, I think I did pretty good for it only being my third 450 race. I’m really amped for Oakland next weekend. I’m going to go back and work on my starts, practice them all week and get it down pat so hopefully we can get up front and get a podium.”
Aaron Plessinger
As for Plessinger’s Yamaha team mate, Justin Barcia went 7-3 for the first two races but the A1 winner spewed over the bars in one of the rutted rhythm section and was taken to hospital with a bruised tail bone – Barcia is expected to be at the gate this weekend.
Joey Savatgy, who is known as a good starter, looked to use the Triple Crown format to his benefit to achieve the results he has been looking for and in the three main event format, Savatgy was able to surge out front in nearly all three races, which helped him score 8-13-8 results to capture eighth overall.
Joey Savatgy
“It has been a shaky past two weeks for me, so to bounce back from last weekend and land inside the top 10 tonight is something we’ll take. We set out to be consistent today and we did that for the most part, so overall I am happy with where we are. We will clean up a few things this week and come out swinging in Oakland.”
Like many, Jason Anderson suffered from poor starts but managed a pair of sixth place finishes in the opening two races but in the third race he tangled with Chad Reed early and was forced off the track leaving the defending champ to finish back in 17th for ninth on the night to now be 17 points back from championship leader Roczen.
Jason Anderson
“I was able to get a top-10 overall, it wasn’t a horrible weekend, but I’m going to keep pushing and I’ll try to be better next weekend.”
Jason Anderson
Chad Reed came home in 10th in the opening race but his bike had an issue on the start lije of race two leaving the Aussie as a spectator but Chad bounced back for a solid fifth in the final race of the night for 13th outright.
450SX Results
Cooper Webb 1 – 1 – 3
Marvin Musquin 3 – 2 – 2
Eli Tomac 4 – 4 – 1
Ken Roczen 2 – 5 – 4
Dean Wilson 9 – 8 – 7
Cole Seely 5 – 7 – 13
Aaron Plessinger 12 – 9 – 6
Joey Savatgy 8 – 13 – 8
Jason Anderson 6 – 6 – 17
Justin Barcia 7 – 3 – 22
Justin Hill 13 – 11 – 9
Vince Friese 11 – 12 – 10
Chad Reed 10 – 22 – 5
2019 Anaheim 2 – AMA SX Round 3 – Round Points Cooper Webb 26 Marvin Musquin 23 Eli Tomac 21
450SX Points Standings
Ken Roczen – 63
Eli Tomac – 61
Cooper Webb – 57
Marvin Musquin – 56
Justin Barcia – 56
Dean Wilson – 52
Jason Anderson – 46
Aaron Plessinger – 45
Blake Baggett – 45
Cole Seely – 44
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250SX Report
Despite Adam Cianciarulo being the fastest man on the track and championship leader Colt Nicolls getting blazing starts, McElrath maintained a solid pace throughout the evening, placing on the podium in the first two mains before winning the final race of the night for the overall.
250 blasts off the line at Anaheim II
Shane McElrath
“We’ve been learning a lot throughout the season so far. I mean, we had a really good off-season but you can’t really do bike setup without going to the races and that’s my comfort – that’s really what we’ve been searching for. The last two weekends have been upsetting because of the way I’ve been riding but we’ve just kept pushing – perseverance produces hope, so this is good for us.”
Shane McElrath
The Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing pairing of Dylan Ferrandis and Colt Nichols weren’t too far apart all weekend and at the end of the three main events they were separated by just two points with Ferrandis coming home in second overall while Nicoll rounded out the podium and more importantly maintain his championship points lead, albeit only two points over McElrath.
Dylan Ferrandis
“The short amount of time between each main event made it physically demanding, but I felt good and strong all night. All the rain from the week, made for a really technical rhythm section, but the bike was awesome. My teammate and I were able to put the bike up front at every start. I’m a bit disappointed to finished second again, but me and my team are going to analyze our race and work on what we need for the win.”
Dylan Ferrandis
Colt Nichols
“The track was very difficult. It got really rutty and soft during the third main event, so made it very hard to continue to jump the rhythm sections and keep everything consistent. The bike was incredible, got off to three really great starts. I’m a little bummed with the way I rode in the last main event after getting the holeshot, but overall it was a good night. Still came out with a podium, can’t be mad at that. It was also pretty tough to bounce back in between each race, with there being a short time in between each one of the main events. Made it physically demanding, but happy with the way I rode. Just have to get a little bit better.”
Colt Nichols
Cianciarulo once again showed flashes of speed and brilliance as he was able to be a front runner in all three main event races but the Kawasaki rider crashed in the opening two races before being run down by McElrath in the final race to finish with 4-14-2 for fifth overall and he now sits fourth in the point’s standings.
Adam Cianciarulo
“Nights like tonight are frustrating as a racer because we did everything right, but ultimately some small mistakes cost us. We qualified fastest again and in the first race we got out to an early lead but unfortunately, I tucked the front end. In Main Event 2, I had a big get off which really hurt my overall score, but I was happy I was able to bounce back in the third race and come away with a second place. Overall, we are healthy and only eight points back in the championship. We’ve got work to do, but this Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team is coming for you Oakland.”
Adam Cianciarulo
Poor old Thomas Ravenhorst was leading the LCQ before dropping back to the final qualifying spot and was just two corners away from making it to the main event before sliding out in the right hand berm.
250SX West Results
Shane McElrath 3 – 2 – 1
Dylan Ferrandis 2 – 1 – 3
Colt Nichols 1 – 3 – 4
J. Hampshire 5 – 4 – 5
Adam Cianciarulo 4 – 14 – 2
Cameron McAdoo 9 – 5 – 6
Jacob Hayes 6 – 7 – 9
Michael Mosiman 10 – 6 – 7
Chris Blose 8 – 8 – 8
Mitchell Harrison 12 – 9 – 11
AMA SX Round 3 – 250 Western Round Points Shane McElrath 26 Dylan Ferrandis 23 Colt Nichols 21
250SX West Points Standings
Colt Nichols – 70
Shane McElrath – 68
Dylan Ferrandis – 63
Adam Cianciarulo – 62
J. Hampshire – 57
Jimmy Decotis – 44
Chris Blose – 44
Cameron McAdoo – 41
Michael Mosiman – 39
Jacob Hayes – 37
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French Riders Win Belfast Arenacross
The opening round of the UK Arenacross Series was held in Belfast last weekend and it was the French rides Greg Aranda and Cedric Soubeyres who drew first blood in the 450 and 250 Main events respectively.
The Pro 450s was all about Aranda with the Team Green Kawasaki rider remained unbeaten all day, from free practice right through to the Main Event Super Final but he had to work for the win as Soubeyras tore off the start line, grabbing the holeshot and leading the race right up until two-thirds race distance.
Belfast Arenacross 2019 Podium
Back in fourth Aranda first picked off Adrien Escoffier and then Valentin Teillet before he closed on Soubeyras and then charged through to the front.
Behind him Soubeyras kept his cool to take second and with Teillet in third, placed two 250s on the podium while Brit Jack Brunell had a storming ride to finish fourth.
Northern Ireland’s Martin Barr crashed earlier in the evening and sadly, a broken hand ruled him out of continuing through to the final, he promised to be back at Birmingham and added; “Despite the injury, I really enjoyed the whole evening. The crowd were unbelievable and I’m now concentrating on getting fit in time for Birmingham.”
Pro Main Event Super Final
#20 Greg Aranda, Team Green Kawasaki
#1 Cedric Soubeyras, FRO Systems, Husqvarna
#373 Valentin Teillet, SR75 Suzuki
#10 Jack Brunell, Team Green Kawasaki
#6 Adrien Escoffier, Buildbase Honda
#4 Fabien Izoird, Shocktech Kawasaki
#64 Nique Thury, FRO Systems
#3 Charles Le Francois, SR75 Suzuki
#744 Diogo Graca, Castrol Power1 Suzuki
#17 Matt Bayliss, Wooldridge Demolition
Pro 450 Championship
#20 Greg Aranda, 90 points
#3 Charles Lefrancois, 58 points
#4 Fabien Izoird, 56 points
#64 Nique Thury, 49 points
#10 Jack Brunell, 45 points
#8 Hugo Basaula, 42 points
Pro Lites Overall
#1 Cedric Soubeyras
#737 Valentin Teillet
#6 Adrien Escoffier
#744 Diogo Graca
#259 Julien Lebeau
#1x Joe Clayton
Pro Lites Championship
#1 Cedric Soubeyras, 82 points
#6 Adrien Escoffier, 56 points
#259 Julien Lebeau, 54 points
#737 Valentin Teillet, 48 points
#1x Joe Clayton, 35 points
#744 Diogo Graca, 31 points
Arenacross now heads back to the mainland for the third and fourth round of the Tour at The Resorts World Arena, Birmingham on Friday the 1st and Saturday the 2nd of February 2019. Doors open at 6pm and the evening’s entertainment gets underway at 7.00pm. Tickets are available directly from the Arena Box Office on 028 9073 9074 or on the door.
Remaining Arenacross Tour dates
1st February – Resorts World Arena, Birmingham
2nd February – Resorts World Arena, Birmingham
15th February – The Fly DSA Arena, Sheffield
16th February – The Fly DSA Arena, Sheffield
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Toni Bou Wins Budapest X-Trial Round
The FIM X-Trial World Championship kicked off in Budapest last weekend and as one would expect Repsol Honda Team’s Toni Bou took the win from arch rival Adam Raga and Jeroni Fajardo.
Toni Bou – Budapest X-Trial 2019 – Round 1
Bou opened the season in the style with a marked difference by the end of the first round, collecting a single penalty compared to the six of Raga then in the semi-final, where only the top finisher from each group would make it through to the grand finale, Bou again proved unmatchable notching up two solitary marks.
Toni Bou – Budapest X-Trial 2019 – Round 1
The final showdown saw the champ face Raga, with the riders forced to take the same sections but in the reverse direction. Bou started the final losing ground to his opponent before some deft handling eventually moved the Spaniard up into first place and despite picking up a five in the penultimate hazard the defending champ secured the first victory of the 2019 FIM X-Trial championship.
Toni Bou – Budapest X-Trial 2019 – Round 1
Toni Bou
“I’m super happy to start off winning. It was amazing to get this victory after the rib injury, which I’m still not recovered from totally. We must continue working to improve because I believe that I am not yet where I could be. I trained a little this year and I think I’m not at my usual level. There is still quite a way to go and I want to get there as soon as possible. Yes, in 2018 we won, but I suffered a lot because of the injuries. That is why I want to thank Joaquim Terricabras and all his medical team for the help they have given me, especially for the recent treatment for the rib injury.”
Toni Bou – Budapest X-Trial 2019 – Round 1
Results X-Trial Budapest 2019
BOU Toni – 20
RAGA Adam – 15
FAJARDO Jeroni – 12
BUSTO Jaime – 9
BINCAZ Benoit – 6
CASALES Jorge – 4
DABILL James – 3
FUJINAMI Takahisa – 2
PEACE Dan – 1
Toni Bou on the podium – Budapest X-Trial 2019 – Round 1
KTM’s Taylor Robert wins Primm WORCS
The opening round of the 2019 Rocky Mountain ATV-MC WORCS Series got underway in Primm, Nevada last weekend and it was Taylor Robert (FMF/KTM) who came away with the victory over the Kawasaki pairing of Zach Bell and Blayne Thompson.
Robert, who was still sore from a big crash the day before while practicing, was dogged most of the way by Bell while Thompson made it two Precision Concepts/Kawasaki Team Green bikes on the podium.
Dante Oliveira (RPM/KTM) and defending champ Giacomo Redondi (KTM) rounded out the top five overall.
Taylor Robert wins Primm WORCS – Image by Harlen Foley
Former WORCS champ Gary Sutherlin and a tough day, and that included running out of gas. The KTM rider still managed to place sixth overall, one spot better than Husqvarna rider Andrew Short, who made it to the track just in time after having just completed the Dakar Rally in Peru.
Clayton Hengeveld (Precision Concepts/Kawasaki Team Green) won the Pro2 class, and Mateo Oliveira (GasGas) won the Pro2 Lites division.
Pro
Taylor Robert (KTM)
Zach Bell (Kaw)
Blayne Thompson (Kaw)
Dante Oliveira (KTM)
Giacomo Redondi (KTM)
Pro 2
Clayton Hengeveld (Kaw)
Tallon Lafountaine (Hon)
Austin Serpa (KTM)
Austin Walton (Hus)
Chance Fullerton (Bet)
Pro 2 Lites
Mateo Oliveira (GG)
Brandy Richards (KTM)
Tyler Nicholson (KTM)
Dallas Serpa (KTM)
Parker Wood (KTM)
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Norton Third at AMA Hare Scrambles
Aussie Callum Norton is over in America preparing for the 2019 Australian season and last weekend he contested the opening round of the AMA West Hare Scrambles Championship and despite the wet conditions and tough competition the KTM rider came home in third place.
Norton was actually leading the race in the early stages but Joe Wasson managed to get by and take the win over Max Gerston and Norton.
Old Bar Twilight Dirt Track
It was an action packed night of racing as the Australian Dirt Track season kicked off at Old Bar, Taree last weekend and in the end it was Jarryd Oram who came home with the win in the main event over Jamie Chapman and Thomas Donnely while pre-race favourite Michael Kirkness was forced to settle with the 450 class win after getting a flat tyre while winning the Open final.
Old Bar Twilight Dirt Track – Michael Kirkness
Chapman bounced back from being pipped by Oram in the Open Final to win the 250cc class while Thomas Donnelly (Dash for Cash), Darren Saxon (Clubman), Michael Booth (Over 35s), Dale Austin (Women), Viv Muddle (65cc 7 – U/9s), Thoren Openshaw (65cc 9 – U/13s), Cody Wilby (85cc 4str Mod.7 – U/12s) and Mitchell Bisley (250cc 4str 13-U/16s) all tasted success over the weekend.
Open Final
Jarryd ORAM
James CHAPMAN
Thomas DONNELLY
Boyd Hollis
Sam DAVIES
Michael BOOTH
Alec HURST
Kye ANDREWS
Jared MYER Michael KIRKNESS
450cc
Michael Kirkness (Macleay)
Thomas Donnelly (Gunnedah)
James Chapman (Macleay)
250cc
James Chapman (Macleay
Thomas Donnelly (Gunnedah
Blake Wilby (Taree)
Clubman
Darren Saxon (Hunter)
Ryan Wilson (Hunter)
Nicholas Ptolemy (Macleay)
Peter Fahey Memorial Over 35s
Michael Booth (Macleay)
Michael Rix (Macleay)
Jason Griffin (Hunter)
Women’s
Dale Austin (Taree)
Abbey Baker (Taree)
One Lap Dash for Cash
Thomas Donnelly (Gunnedah)
65cc 7 – U/9s
Viv Muddle (Gold Coast)
Nate Jaeger (Gunnedah)
Chayse Trappel (Macleay)
65cc 9 – U/13s
Thoren Openshaw (Taree)
Beau Bailey (Cowra)
Will Bisley (Taree)
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85cc 4str Mod.7 – U/12s
Cody Wilby (Taree)
Will Bisley (Taree)
Alexander Adamson (Kurri Kurri)
85cc 2str/ 150cc 4str 9 – U/12s
Hayden Nelson (Taree)
Carter Thompson (Kurri Kurri)
Will Bisley (Taree)
85cc 2str/ 150cc 4str 11s
Hayden Nelson (Taree)
Carter Thompson (Kurri Kurri)
Thoren Openshaw (Taree)
85cc 2str/ 150cc 4str 12- U/16s
Mitchell Bisley (Taree)
Cody Lewis (Kurri Kurri)
Thomas Bullen (Kurri Kurri)
250cc 4str 13-U/16s
Mitchell Bisley (Taree)
Jack Joel (Central Coast)
Jarred Loveday (Macleay)
Willowbank Successfully Hosts Junior Solo Titles
Willowbank Raceway’s Ipswich Switches Junior Speedway Club hosted the Australian Junior Speedway Championships last weekend and from all accounts it was an exciting three nights of racing as the resurgence of speedway in Australia continues to flourish.
In the premier Under 21 500cc class it was defending champion Jaimon Lidsey who scored a convincing win from Jordan Stewart, Matt Gilmore and Zach Cook while the under 16 250cc class was a red hot affair but in the end it was Keynan Rew who got the win over Patrick Hamilton, Harrison Ryan and Flynn Nichol.
The 2019 Australian 125cc Under 16’s Pairs Championship was won by the NSW team of Cameron Dunker and Lachlan Hayes while in the 125cc Individual Championship it was Maurice Brown who got the win over Patrick Bowes, Luke Kileen and James Person.
Woffinden wins Rob Woffinden Solo Classic
The Rob Woffinden Classic is a premium event celebrating the legacy that Rob left when he helped build Pinjar Park Speedway in WA from the ground up and last weekend it was his son Tai who won the event for the second time to cap off an off-season that saw the 2018 World Champion enjoy a relaxing time back in Australia while keeping his speedway skills sharp.
Woffinden wins Rob Woffinden Solo Classic – Image by Warwick Hemy
The three-time World Champion defeated Cameron Heeps, Daniel Winchester and Blake Russell in the final before inviting all of the children on to the track to celebrate his win with a group photo on the presentation tailer.
Woffinden heads back to the UK in the coming weeks to start preparation for the defence of his World Speedway title.
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Yamaha Backs AORC for 14th Year
Running into its 14th consecutive year, Motorcycling Australia (MA) have announced the continued relationship between Yamaha Motor Australia and the Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) with Yamaha Motor Australia once again the naming rights sponsor for the 2019 season!
With a relationship that has spanned over a decade, MA and Yamaha Motor Australia will continue developing and expanding upon their professional relationship to build a successful 2019 season.
Yamaha becomes AORC naming rights sponsor in 2019 for 14th consecutive year
Ray Howard – Yamaha’s Motorsport Manager
“Yamaha Motor Australia are pleased to continue our substantial and positive relationships with the Australian Off-Road Championship. 2018 was a season full of impressive developments and clear progress, and we are seeing more initiatives in place for the 2019 season. We look forward to continue working closely with MA and the promoting clubs to further develop an already prestigious Championship that has proven to be a fertile ground for producing international standard riders that are successful on a world stage.”
With the likes of six-time consecutive Women’s World Trophy Champion at the FIM International Six Days Enduro (ISDE) Jessica Gardiner included in the line-up of the Women’s class, the 2019 season couldn’t get any bigger! Alongside Gardiner are Team Australia’s World Trophy ISDE Champions Daniel Milner, Daniel Sanders and Lyndon Snodgrass, who each will contend for AORC Championship titles in their respective classes!
AORC has a long and prestigious history of paving the way for international legends, with the likes of 2019 Dakar Rally title holder Toby Price a former two time winner of the AORC.
The 2019 season kicks off in Gympie, Queensland for Rounds 1 and 2, from 9-10 March and entries are now open.
2019 Australian Off-Road Championship Calendar
Kirkness and Whale Headline Newcastle Supertrack
Motorcycle racing action returns to the Newcastle Showground this Friday night (January 25) where the ‘Newcastle Supertrack’ meeting will be staged at the iconic venue and it will bring Michael Kirkness and Max Whale together as they battle for glory.
There will be several classes in a race programmed where fans will see two or three rows of riders at the starting grid which is on par with the Flat Track Racing in America but not normally seen in dirt track racing in Australia.
Michael Kirkness to head to Newcastle Supertrack
The appearance of Kirkness is significant as over the past decade he has done more flat track racing in the US than any other Australian rider which may give the former Troy Bayliss Classic winner an edge as the 450cc class features 19inch wheels with no front brakes – just like the American AMA flat track racing uses.
The toughest opponent for Kirkness will be Queensland teenager Max Whale who was a runaway winner of the 2018 Rookie of the Year award in the AMA Flat Track Single class despite missing several rounds due to a shoulder injury. Whale heads back to the US next month where he has signed with a well-established team for the 2019 season.
Max Whale at Taree
Harry Maxwell has also lodged an entry and his enthusiasm for the meeting can be judged by the fact that he will be travelling down from Proserpine in north Queensland to take part while multiple Central Coast Cup winner David Smith is also among the entries.
There will also be racing for Twin Cylinder and Supermoto classes, a Pro 250 class and Speedway and Long Track sliders.
Action will get under way with practice and one round of racing on Friday afternoon from 4pm before a tea break, then introductions at 6.30pm and then the big night session.
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Toby Price had been nursing his recently pinned broken wrist throughout Dakar 2019, but the 31-year-old had saved his best for last in order to decimate the competition on the final run home to the chequered flag in the Peruvian capital of Lima overnight to claim his second Dakar crown.
“It feels amazing to stand here knowing I have won the Dakar, I don’t think it has really sunk in yet. I thought at the beginning of the event I would be lucky to even make the rest day. Pretty much all I can say that it feels like there are about five people driving a knife in my wrist now. It’s not very comfortable, it’s not very enjoyable, but at the end of the day the victory has been paid off. I’ll forget about the pain now, that’s for sure. The win takes away all the pain. For sure, if it was not for this, it would not have been as sweet, but at the end of the day I was just happy to make the finishing line.
The pain was clearly visible throughout Dakar 2019
“My Red Bull KTM bike has been amazing, I want to say a big thank you to my mechanic for that. The whole crew here do an amazing job – without them I would be no one.
KTM Techs work on the 450 Rally machines ahead of the penultimate stage of Dakar 2019
“The team put in so much work on the lead up to the event and when we get here it’s down to me out there on the track so it feels amazing to be able to reward them all with this result and keep KTM’s winning streak going.
Toby Price during the rest day midway through Dakar 2019
“It was so tight going into the stage this morning, both Pablo and I knew we would have to push right from the start. Unfortunately for him, he went too hard off a dune but he really deserves a win too – everyone that starts this race deserves a win.
Toby Price tries to soothe his aching wrist after stage five
“There are so many guys that can win this race and we had strong competitors like Pablo and RickyBrabec , Sam Sunderland, Matthias Walkner … everyone is strong. You can never count anybody out. Kevin Benavides did a great job and at the end of the day we all fight to finish the line and it’s been a hard rally. I just do not like giving up, I do not like quitting, that’s for sure. That’s about it. I love being on my bike and I love riding and to be here with all the Dakar family and the KTM team it’s amazing. So, yeah, we’re pumped .
Toby Price with team-mate and runner-up, Matthias Walkner
The plan now is to go home and relax for a little while, I know I need to have my wrist seen to, so I’ll get that sorted and then it won’t be long before we start it all over again.”
Toby Price – Image by Sebas Romero
Who is Toby Price
To win one Dakar is a life changing experience, winning two confirms legend status.
The injuries Toby has battled back from over the years have been themselves almost life altering. His fairly quietly spoken while carrying a big stick demeanour, which is almost borderline self-deprecating at times, has served him well as he has overcome some very large obstacles put in his way.
Right back from his junior motocross days he displayed the tenacity that has helped him to get where he is today.The first time I interviewed a then 14-year-old Toby Price it was 2002. Back then he told me his dislikes were ‘flat tyres and dirty bikes’, and his ambition was ‘To be world number one’.
Toby Price – 2003 Australian Junior Motocross Championship
2002 wasn’t his crowning year in Junior Motocross but 2003 would be. Like 2019, he was also coming back from injury, which in that case was two broken wrists. Nonetheless he went on to win both major categories at the 2003 Australian Junior Motocross Championships, the 15 years 125cc category, and the 13-16 years 250cc four-stroke class.
More injuries plaged his successive years and perhaps it was that which first put him on the path of competing in the bush rather than on the motocross track. At 22 he went on to win the AORC in 2009 ahead of Stefan Merriam, and also starred at the ISDE in Portugal that year.
The next year he won the AORC once again while also winning both the Finke and Hattah Desert Races at his first attempt.
More AORC, Finke and Hattah success came in the years that followed, along with more than a few injuries. The big one was when he broke his neck which required extensive surgery to repair and kept him off the bike for the most of 2013.
The next year he would test his mettle on the International Rally circuit, racing to an eighth place in Morocco. That year he also won the E3 category at the ISDE and the Red Bull Day In The Dirt.
Toby Price finished eighth and snagged a stage podium on debut at his first FIM World Rally Championship event. Pic Ross Briggs
2015 was Toby’s first crack at the Dakar. A stage win on the way to a podium on his first attempt set the scene for what was to come.
Toby Price confirmed his name in the annals of Australian Motorcycling Off-Road Royalty with a Dakar podium on debut
KTM signed Toby to replace the retiring Dakar legend Marc Coma for 2016, and was on the way to building his own legend.
Dakar 2016 – Toby Price
The following year, 2016, as a fully fledged member of the KTM Factory Rally squad, Price dominated Dakar.
Dakar 2016 – Toby Price
2017 involved more pain, a broken femur put him out of the Dakar while he was leading. Complications and setbacks delayed his return to motorcycle competition and he was not racing on two wheels again until Dakar 2018. A few navigation errors were very costly to Price’s 2018 Dakar campaign but once again he was on the podium.
Toby Price – Dakar 2018
In the lead up to Dakar 2019 everything was going to plan. Toby had won the 2018 Cross Country Rally World Championship, was fighting fit and ready to rock Dakar. But then, only a few weeks before Dakar was about to start he broke his scaphoid in a training accident.
Toby Price had surgery on his broken scaphoid in mid December, only a couple of weeks before Dakar 2019 was set to get underway
Nonetheless Toby rode a smooth and steady Dakar and saved his best for last, his only stage win of Dakar 2019 coming in the tenth and final stage of the Rally.
KTM proves unstoppable
Despite more and more determined challenges from both Yamaha and Honda in recent years, Price has continued the theme of KTM domination of Dakar. Since the orange machines from Austria captured their first victory in 2001, courtesy of Fabrizio Meoni on a KTM 600, they have remained unbeaten.
Marc Coma won from Despres and Rodrigues at Dakar 2011
Cyril Despres and Marco Coma won ten of those Dakars between them, five apiece between the years 2005 and 2015.
Dakar 2016 – Podium – Toby Price (1st), Stefan Svitko (2nd), Pablo Quintanilla (3rd)
Over the past four years, it is the current main KTM strike force trio that have brought home the silverware for the Mattighofen manufacturer. Price in 2016, Sam Sunderland in 2017, Matthias Walkner in 2018, and now Price again in 2019. That current KTM trio also finished Dakar 2019 in a 1-2-3 podium for KTM.
2019 Dakar Rally Results
Toby Price (AUS), KTM, 33:57:16
Matthias Walkner (AUT), KTM, 34:06:29 +9:13
Sam Sunderland (GBR), KTM, 34:10:50 +13:34
Pablo Quintanilla (CHL), Husqvarna, 34:18:02 +20:46
Andrew Short (USA), Husqvarna, 34:41:26 +44:10
The unsung Aussie heros
While Toby Price is the indisputed hero of Dakar 2019, there were also a couple of Aussies competing in the shadow of the KTM Factory Rally star. 47-year-old Ben Young completed the Dakar in 55th position. While Young had some assistance with the back-up from the Polish Duust Rally Team, the Newcastle based rider was going it alone and still managed to complete the Dakar in 67th position.
One more day to go…. That is what is on the minds of Dakar Rally riders as they overnight in Pisco after completing the penultimate stage of Dakar 2019. Thursday will see competitors negotiate the final 359 kilometre Stage Ten to the finish line at the Peruvian capital of Lima. The final stage will include a timed special stage of 112 kilometres. Riders will then have to complete a liaison section that will bring them to the finish line on Magdalena Beach.
One stage left between Price and victory
For some though Stage Nine brought the ultimate heartbreak. After putting in a consistently fast performance throughout Dakar 2019 Yamaha’s Adrien Van Beveren went out of the rally with a technical failure on the WR450F. With Honda’s Ricky Brabec suffering a similar fate on the previous stage, albeit while leading the Rally outright, this puts the Austrian made KTM and Husqvarna brands into a 1-2-3-4 at the top of the outright leaderboard. Van Beveren spent four hours struggling with the issue but eventually had to admit defeat, his Rally has been run.
2019 Dakar Stage Nine Video
Alexandre Kowalski – Yamalube Yamaha Rally Team Director
“It is always disappointing to lose a good chance to battle for the victory, but the Dakar has left us with mixed emotions today. On one hand, we were glad to see Xavier move up in the overall standings. Xavier has worked really hard these last few months and he really deserves to be up there. As for Adrien, he was having an amazing race so far. He was one of the most consistent racers and never finished outside the top seven in any of the stages contested. Also, Adrien was opening the tracks for most stages showing his good navigation skills. This DNF might be a harsh blow for all, but Adrien proved again this year he’s one of the most complete rally racers in the world. Despite his young age he’s really mature as a racer and I personally believe there’s still more to come from him in the future.”
Adrien Van Beveren went out of the rally on stage nine
The stage saw another motocross style mass-start with riders setting off in waves of 10, determined by their finishing positions from the previous day’s stage. Heading into the dunes for the 313-kilometre timed special, the first group of riders stuck together for the majority of the stage.
It was somewhat of a cat and mouse game unfold among the top trio of Price, Quintanilla and Walkner with only a single second covering that trio at the end of the penultimate stage of Dakar 2019.
Toby Price has maintained his one-minute lead over Quintanilla heading into the final day. The wrist that the 31-year-old broke and had pinned in the lead up to Dakar 2019 is giving him major grief, but he is determined to hold on for the run to the finish line.
Toby Price
Toby Price – Stage P5 – Overall P1
“I got through stage nine today where we had the mass-start. There was no chance to make up any time or lose time really, I just had to stick with the group. Tomorrow is only a 100-kilometre stage, but I think it’s going to feel more like 300. The boys are really going to up their pace and all I can do is try my best once more and try to stay with them. If I can get through tomorrow and finish on the podium, I’ll be more than happy.”
One stage left between Price and victory
Pablo Quintanilla is currently placed second overall, one-minute and two-seconds behind Price, and is set to make history by securing Husqvarna’s best result at the prestigious annual rally.
Pablo Quintanilla – Stage P3 – Overall P2
“I’m in a great spot right now to battle for the win and I’m really happy about that. Securing a podium result would be great for me and the team, but honestly my eyes are set on getting the win here in Peru. Today’s stage worked quite well for me. The mass start made it all more interesting. There were some tricky waypoints to make, but overall I felt good and managed to get a good time. Tomorrow I’m determined to give it all for the win. There’s just one minute separating me and Toby [Price] and the day will be long. No matter what happens tomorrow I am very satisfied with my performance at this Dakar. I gave 100% on each day and that’s what matters the most for me.”
Pablo Quintanilla
Placing fourth on Stage Nine, Matthias Walkner lies third overall in the general standings, six minutes and 35 seconds behind Price. Despite the deficit, Walkner’s advantage over the fourth-placed rider is considerable, and the defending Dakar champion has no choice but to push on tomorrow’s stage to make up as much time as possible.
Matthias Walkner – Stage P4 – Overall P3
“The stage felt really long today, partly because the pace was up and down all of the time. Riding in a group sometimes someone will push and everyone gets faster and then things will slow down again. Riding in the dust was tough and it made navigation tricky – we got lost a few times trying to find waypoints. I didn’t lose any time to the others though and I have a good gap to the next rider in the standings. Tomorrow there is no time for strategy, so I will give it my best and see where I finish.”
Matthias Walkner
Remaining calm and focused, Andrew Short has climbed up to an impressive fourth place in the Dakar’s provisional overall standings after Stage Nine. Claiming a seventh place result for the day, the American racer is looking forward to tomorrow’s final stage.
Andrew Short – Stage P7 – Overall P4
“There’s been a lot of chaos over the last few days. My plan from the beginning of this race was to just focus on my performance and try to be as smooth and consistent as possible. I’m happy to see my strategy is paying off. This fourth place in the overall is simply amazing. The moto start today was great fun for me. After the start, the terrain became a bit tricky and dangerous at some parts. There was a lot of dust and you really had to pay attention on the road book. That was stressful and there was this one waypoint at the end that was super tricky. The fatigue is setting in right now, but nevertheless I am really looking forward to reaching the finish line in Lima tomorrow.”
Andrew Short
The first Yamaha on the overall leaderboard is now Frenchman Xavier De Soultrait, one position ahead of leading Honda ridden by young Chilean José Ignacio Cornejo, better known as Nacho.
Xavier de Soultrait – Stage P10 – Overall P5
“I felt good in the stage today and managed to control my rhythm from start to finish. That was possibly the first stage in this second week of the Dakar where I felt so confident with my navigation. It was a tough stage, but not that hard to create any problems for me. I really enjoyed racing in the dunes today and for a big part of the stage we were riding in groups with other competitors. My bike is running great and I feel it gives me the confidence to push in these tricky conditions. Tomorrow we will race a smaller special of just over 100km. This Dakar has been a tough one and this fifth place in the overall gives me the motivation to keep working hard for the future.”
Xavier de Soultrait
Nacho debuted last year as a last minute fill-in for the injured Paulo Goncalves and went on to finish in the top ten, and thus earned his position as an official HRC rider for 2019.
José Ignacio Cornejo – Stage P6 – Overall P6
“In this penultimate stage there was a mass start, so we were all pretty close together all day. As a consequence there was a lot of dust and we had to keep a distance so that it wasn’t so dangerous. In the dunes we all got together again and lost a few minutes looking for several complicated waypoints, but I was happy to see how quickly we solved the navigation problems. I’ve continued climbing positions in the general standings, and now I’m sixth which I’m happy about. Tomorrow is the last day and I will try to set the same pace as I have over recent day.”
José Ignacio Cornejo
Setting off in the first wave of 10 riders this morning, Luciano Benavides had his first taste of mixing it with the rally leaders on a mass-start stage. Despite losing time to the group when fog once again affected visibility on the route, Benavides was able to push on and navigate himself back to the other riders. Currently lying seventh overall, the Argentinian will be aiming for another strong ride on tomorrow’s final stage to secure his place inside the top-10.
Luciano Benavides – Stage P9 – Overall P7
“Today was good fun but really chaotic. We all started together and it was my first time in the lead group. I did manage to get lost at one point when I followed some old tracks but I was able to find my way again and catch back up to the pack ahead. At the finish I don’t think I lost too much time. My goal coming into the race was to get a top-10 result and hopefully if everything goes well tomorrow, I should be able to better that so I’m really happy.”
Luciano Benavides
Kevin Benavides had come out guns blazing and opened the track for much of the special. A hard-to-locate waypoint caused the first wave of riders to reach the leading group and narrow the times down even further. Benavides eventually posted the eighth fastest stage time but had been sanctioned with a three-minute penalty from Stage Eight after race authorities deemed that the rider had violated one of the new rules established for the race. The team is currently gathering all the necessary information to present an official claim against the sanction.
Kevin Benavides
Kevin Benavides – Stage P8 – Overall P12
“The truth is that today was difficult to start, as I was affected by the sanction given to me yesterday. I tried to get it out of my head and start from scratch. I opened the track most of the day and several of the riders grouped together. In the end there were some complicated waypoints and the riders of the second group starting catching us up. It was a good stage to finish on a high note. Honda has done things well, so let’s finish the race and see what happens.”
Kevin Benavides
Another rider penalised, but much more severely, was KTM’s Sam Sunderland. Officials deemed that the Briton had deliberately caused the reported fault in his navigation system at the start of Stage Eight. A stage that he was supposed to open the road on as the first rider away, but due to the delay with his machine he was able to start behind other riders. Sunderland finished Stage Nine in 12th place, just ahead of Laia Sanz. Sunderland, the 2017 Dakar winner, had still been in contention for an outright podium position but that one-hour time penalty pushes him back to eighth overall, one-hour and ten-minutes behind Rally leader Toby Price. There was no mention of the penalty in KTM’s official releases or in Sunderland’s quotes… Or whether they would appeal the penalty….
KTM Techs work on the 450 Rally machines ahead of the penultimate stage of Dakar 2019
Sam Sunderland – Stage P12 – Overall P8
“Today’s stage went ok, I found it a little tricky to focus and couldn’t quite get into my rhythm. I lost a little time on the group but all-in-all had a good day. There’s one last stage to race and of course I plan to give it my best.”
Sam Sunderland
Laia Sanz enjoyed another consistent ride on today’s stage. Setting off in the second wave, Laia successfully stayed with the group until a small issue caused her to lose touch. Quickly rectifying the problem, the Spaniard set off again to ultimately complete the stage in 13th place. She now sits 11th in the provisional overall standings.
Laia Sanz – Stage P13 – Overall P11
“I am really surprised with my result so far, I haven’t been pushing too hard on any of the stages, just keeping to a good rhythm. I had a small issue today that cost me about five minutes, which was a shame because I lost touch with the group I had been riding with. Physically I felt better today too, so I am pleased about that. We only have one more day to go and I know it will feel very, very long. You start to listen to every noise on the bike and hope that nothing goes wrong. The plan is to make it to the finish and I will be really happy.”
Laia Sanz
2019 Dakar Rally Provisional Results Stage Nine
METGE Michael FRA Sherco 03:46’38
NOSIGLIA Daniel BOL Honda +02’00
QUINTANILLA Pablo CHI Husqvarna +03’28
WALKNER Matthias AUT KTM +03’29
PRICE Toby AUS KTM +03’29
CORNEJO José Ignacio CHI Honda +03’30
SHORT Andrew USA Husqvarna +04’03
BENAVIDES Kevin ARG Honda +03’03
BENAVIDES Luciano ARG KTM +04’55
DE SOULTRAIT Xavier FRA Yamaha +04’56
2019 Dakar Rally Stage Nine
2019 Dakar Rally Outright Standings after Stage Nine
PRICE Toby AUS Red Bull KTM Rally Factory 32:42’15
QUINTANILLA Pablo CHI Rockstar Husqvarna Factory +01’02
WALKNER Matthias AUT Red Bull KTM Rally Factory +06’35
SHORT Andrew USA Rockstar Husqvarna Factory +40’01
DE SOULTRAIT Xavier FRA Yamaha Official Rally Team +47’44
CORNEJO José Ignacio CHI Monster Energy Honda +01:05’45
BENAVIDES Luciano ARG Red Bull KTM Rally Factory +01:05’50
SUNDERLAND Sam GBR Red Bull KTM Rally Factory +01:10’15
MENA Oriol SPA Hero Motorsports Team +01:52’20
NOSIGLIA Daniel BOL Honda Argentina +02:21’51 12 BENAVIDES Kevin ARG Monster Energy Honda +03:22’15
2019 Dakar Rally Stage Nine
KTM Techs work on the 450 Rally machines ahead of the penultimate stage of Dakar 2019KTM Techs work on the 450 Rally machines ahead of the penultimate stage of Dakar 2019KTM Techs work on the 450 Rally machines ahead of the penultimate stage of Dakar 2019
Dakar Rally leader Ricky Brabec set off from San Juan de Marcona pushing to become the first American to win the race. However, the Honda rider suffered heartbreak after only 56km as his engine gave way, bringing an end to his hopes.
Dubbed the ‘Super Ica’, stage eight pitted the fastest 10 bikes, 10 cars and the top five trucks from the previous day together, setting off at three-minute intervals according to their stage seven results. At 360 kilometres, the timed special was the longest of the event and took competitors over fast, open pistes for the first half, before once again challenging them with the mountainous sand dunes of the Ica desert.
Toby Price
Toby Price put in another stunning performance on stage eight, leading on time right up until the final two checkpoints. Crossing the line in an eventual third position has elevated Price to overall leader in the provisional standings. But with just one minute separating the top two riders after close to 30 hours of racing, the Australian rider knows he still has to keep fighting right to the finish as he bids to reclaim the title he first won in 2016. The wrist he broke in the lead up to Dakar 2019 is giving him plenty of curry now, but the 31-year-old is determined to push through.
Dakar 2019 – Stage Eight Video
Toby Price – Stage P3 – Overall P1
“I knew today had to count so I gave it everything – the wrist is really starting to sting now! It was a long special at 360 kilometres but I got through it and I’m pleased with how the whole stage went. Just two days left so I’ll get some rest tonight and attack again tomorrow. When the helmet goes on, you know I’m just going to do the best I can.”
Toby Price
Pablo Quintanilla posted the second best time for the day. Gaining an impressive three positions in the overall, Pablo is now second and less than two-minutes behind new Dakar provisional outright leader Toby Price.
Pablo Quintanilla – Stage P2- Overall P2
“Everything went according to plan for me today. After the mass start in the morning I found myself racing alone for some time, before starting to catch up with the riders from the first wave. Today’s stage was not easy. It was physically and mentally tough but I did my best pushing all the way to the finish. We’re nine days into this race and we’re all starting to feel the effects of these tough stages on our bodies. I’m really happy with where I’m at in the overall. The gap with Toby is small and we still have two more days of racing. I will try to stick to my plan and continue giving 100% until the end of the race.”
Pablo Quintanilla
Following his top-10 result from stage seven, Matthias Walkner set off with not only nine bikes ahead of him, but also two cars driven by Dakar legends Stephane Peterhansel and Nani Roma. Navigating well through the dust kicked up by the vehicles in front, as well as the fog that had descended on the stage, the reigning Dakar Champion steadily upped his pace as the day went on to ultimately post the fastest time, just pipping team-mate Price and Husqvarn’a Pablo Quintanilla for the stage win. With positions closing up at the top of the overall standings, Walkner now lies third, six minutes and 30 seconds behind teammate Price.
Matthias Walkner
Matthias Walkner – Stage P1 – Overall P3
“Good day for me today, I really tried to push all day long. Starting with the cars was not so bad this morning, a couple caught me on the fast pistes, but I passed them back again when we hit the dunes. I got to the refuelling and saw that Toby had made some time so I knew I had to really go for it in the sand. I had a couple of small crashes in the fesh-fesh, it was really foggy and a lot of the time you couldn’t really see too well ahead of you. I was happy with my riding today and everything is going well so we’ll see what the next two days bring.”
Matthias Walkner
Set to open the special today due to his win on the previous day’s stage seven, Sam Sunderland was forced to delay his start when his on-bike tracker failed. Slotting in further down the order meant the British rider also had vehicles in front of him to deal with as he progressed through the stage. Nevertheless, pushing hard Sunderland posted the fourth fastest time and now sits fourth overall in the provisional rally standings.
Sam Sunderland
Sam Sunderland – Stage P4 – Overall P4
“I’m happy with my riding today but it’s been a tough one and I’m not sure if an issue at the start will cost me some time. My Iritrack wasn’t working and I had to get that fixed before I set off. It meant I was behind a car at the beginning of the stage and the dust from that combined with the fog made things very tricky. After that I just pushed on as best I could to the end. Day eight is ticked off now, but I’m sure there’s plenty more excitement to come.”
Sam Sunderland
Starting Tuesday’s special stage among the first wave of competitors, Adrien Van Beveren launched an attack with the goal of moving even higher in the provisional overall rankings. Pushing hard from start to finish, he struggled with the stage’s demanding navigation and ended up losing some time to his main rivals.
Posting the sixth best time for the day, Van Beveren is currently placed fifth in the event’s provisional overall standings. Determined to keep the battle going, Adrien is now less than 10-minutes behind the provisional overall leader with two stages still to be contested.
Adrien Van Beveren – Stage P6 – Overall P5
“Today I decided to attack more than any of the previous stages and it didn’t work to my advantage. The race is very intense and I knew that if I didn’t attack my chances for the win would be possibly less. Navigation was tricky and I lost time trying to find some waypoints. At the end of the day, I lost a little bit more than 10 minutes to the leaders. It’s not exactly the result I was looking for, but we’re not done yet. My day might not have been so good, but we still have two stages to go. I will continue giving my best until we cross the finish line in Lima.”
Adrien Van Beveren
Kevin Benavides is now Honda’s final real hope for Dakar victory after rally leader Ricky Brabec was left to rue what could have been when his engine let go early in stage eight. Other top Honda hopes Joan Barreda went out on stage three after a crash left him unable to continue, while Paulo Goncalves crashed heavily on stage five to go out of the Rally. Benavides is currently sixth outright.
Kevin Benavides
Kevin Benavides- Stage P9 – Overall P6
“Today the stage was complicated because I wasn’t able to validate a waypoint. It was a point which wasn’t visible but should have been very easy to find as it was just down a mountain as you entered the beach. I was at the right point and but the waypoint wouldn’t open. I went through there a thousand times and nothing showed up. I stopped Joaquim Rodrigues, he had it validated and I was at the same point and it wouldn’t go on to the next waypoint. Several other riders passed and after I stopped Michael Metge before the point and told him if I could follow him to see if it registered. Finally it did but I had already passed through many times. The organization has seen that I went through there many times. Now we have to wait and see what they will tell us about it. It’s a pity about Ricky, he was having a great race and we could have both battled until the end. I send him all my best.”
Kevin Benavides
Raul Castells – Monster Energy Honda Team Manager
“Unfortunately, days like today, we have experienced before. These are things that can happen in motor sports and that, far from bringing us down will serve to strengthen us as a team because we will continue to fight for our goals, even if they are distant. Ricky was having an incredible race and I’m sure he will come back, even stronger if it is possible, to continue fighting for the number one spot. Likewise, I’d like to point out the great stage that Nacho Cornejo rode today having opened the track all day, but also that of Kevin, who had some problems with the navigation tools that we hope can be solved. We will keep fighting until the end.”
Kevin Benavides
Ricky Brabec – DNF
“It was a really hard day. There was nothing really positive about my day, especially for the race. The coolest part was getting a helicopter ride along the beach and back. It’s heart-wrenching. Not easy. We have to go home, take a break and come back. I’m at a loss for words. It was amazing to be on the top for the previous days. It’s really nice to have the team support me and the whole team. It felt like the vibes and the confidence in me were good. That helped me to achieve so many great days.”
Going from strength-to-strength in this year’s Dakar, Andrew Short put in another strong performance on Tuesday to secure a solid fifth place result in stage eight. The second Husqvarna mounted rider inside the top 10, Andrew is currently seventh in the event’s provisional overall standings.
Andrew Short – Stage P5 – Overall P7
“It was interesting to start the stage alongside the cars. A few kilometres into the stage I got passed by Nani Roma’s car and he was going really fast on the roads. But then once it got bumpy I was able to pass him and do my own race. After the fuel stop we entered the dunes and they were massive. I got to ride alongside a few other riders and our pace was good. Today there were lots of riders struggling with bike issues or making mistakes in navigation. For me personally I felt really good. I was going as hard as I could for most of the stage and for the last 30 kilometres I felt fatigued so decided to keep it steady. I’m trying to get better on every stage and every day and that’s what matters the most for me.”
Andrew Short
Feeling strong in his Yamaha WR450F Rally machine since the start of the event, Xavier de Soultrait entered stage eight looking for another good result. Battling through the stage’s technical terrain and demanding navigation Xavier claimed a 10th place result for the day.
Moving up to eighth in the provisional overall standings, the Frenchman remains optimistic that he can climb even higher in the overall results to bring his gruelling adventure in Peru to a successful close.
Xavier de Soultrait – Stage P10 – Overall P8
“It was another long and difficult day in the fesh-fesh and the sand. My bike has been running great since the start of this rally and this gives me extra confidence to push. My results from these last couple of stages have made it harder for me to battle for the podium in Lima. Nevertheless, I will continue my battle until the end. We still have two long stages to race and my goal is to get as high as possible in the overall. I remain calm and I’m ready for the penultimate stage tomorrow. This Dakar has been a great experience for all and we will keep working hard until we reach Lima.”
Xavier de Soultrait
Claiming seventh on Tuesday’s stage, Luciano Benavides had another great day. With his skill and confidence increasing with each day of racing, the popular Argentinian continues to move up the order in the provisional standings. Benavides now sits ninth overall with two days left to race.
Luciano Benavides – Stage P7 – Overall P9
“Today was tough again – another long 360 kilometres. Overall it was good for me, although I did lose a little time near the beginning of the stage in the fog. I had to remove my goggles to see properly and that slowed me up a little. Andrew (Short) caught me and we rode together for the next 200 kilometres. We had a good time in the dunes, with each one of us taking the lead from time to time. The stage seemed to flow really well and I had a lot of fun.”
Luciano Benavides
Successfully completing another day inside the top 20, Laia Sanz was as impressive as ever on the long stage eight. Intelligently deciding to ease off her pace early on in the far from perfect conditions, Laia was then able to push harder onboard her KTM 450 Rally to ultimately post the 19th fastest time of the day. The Spaniard now sits an excellent 13th place overall in the provisional standings.
Laia Sanz – Stage P19 – Overall P13
“Today was a very long and tough day. For the first part of the stage I kept to a steadier rhythm. With the fesh-fesh and fog it made things very tricky and I didn’t want to make any mistakes. As we got to the dunes, I started to enjoy things a lot more and was able to push. The goal is as always, take things day by day and get safely to the finish.”
Laia Sanz
Wednesday’s stage nine of the 2019 Dakar marks the second of the two mass-starts at the rally. In another looped stage, riders will leave Pisco and cover a total of 409 kilometres, 313 kilometres of which is timed special, before returning to the coastal town.
2019 Dakar Rally Provisional Results Stage Eight
WALKNER Matthias AUT KTM 03:55’25
QUINTANILLA Pablo CHI Husqvarna +00’45
PRICE Toby AUS KTM +01’13
SUNDERLAND Sam GBR KTM +06’21
SHORT Andrew USA Husqvarna +09’51
VAN BEVEREN Adrien FRA Yamaha +11’48
BENAVIDES Luciano ARG KTM +12’51
CORNEJO José Ignacio CHI Honda +13’48
BENAVIDES Kevin ARG Honda +15’07
DE SOULTRAIT Xavier FRA Yamaha +15’50
2019 Dakar Rally Outright Standings after Stage Eight
PRICE Toby AUS Red Bull KTM Rally Factory 28:53’08
QUINTANILLA Pablo CHI Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory +01’03
WALKNER Matthias AUT Red Bull KTM Rally Factory +06’35
SUNDERLAND Sam GBR Red Bull KTM Rally Factory +06’38
VAN BEVEREN Adrien FRA Yamaha Official Rally Team +09’54
BENAVIDES Kevin ARG Monster Energy Honda +21’41
SHORT Andrew USA Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory +39’27
DE SOULTRAIT Xavier FRA Yamaha Official Rally Team +46’17
BENAVIDES Luciano ARG Red Bull KTM Rally Factory +01:04’24
CORNEJO José Ignacio CHI Monster Energy Honda +01:05’44
San Juan de Marcona > San Juan de Marcona – Jan 14th
American Ricky Brabec battled back to overall leadership as the Dakar Rally arrived at its seventh stage, one day ahead of the Super-Ica which should prove to be the longest and most gruelling stage of the current edition.
Sam Sunderland though was the most impressive on Monday’s seventh stage of Dakar 2019 as the 29-year-old Briton dominated the day to catapult up the outright leaderboard from seventh all the way up to fourth.
Dakar 2019 Stage Seven Video
With a short liaison of only 64 kilometres, stage seven of the 2019 Dakar Rally was all about the 323-kilometre timed special. The day’s racing was delayed and also halted momentarily midway through, due to fog causing safety issues for the competitors. The first looped stage of the event, riders covered terrain already used in the rally close to the town of San Juan de Marcona. Traces from previous stages only made navigation tougher and with fatigue starting to play its part, it was an exhausting day for all.
Capitalising on his start position of 12th, Sam Sunderland immediately set about making time on the front runners. By waypoint three, Sunderland was ahead and despite a small error in the latter part of the stage, went on to win by close to two-minutes at the line over Honda’s José Cornejo.
Sam Sunderland
Sam Sunderland – Stage P1 – Overall P4
“I’m pleased with today, it’s gone really well and it feels good to get some time back on the leaders. Obviously, yesterday I was really disappointed. I opened the stage well but lost time after damaging my rear brake. That upset my strategy a little but then today, I decided to use that frustration to my advantage and push as hard as I could right from the start. I did lose a little time right at the end when it took me a couple of minutes to find a WPC, but overall I’m happy with how I rode the stage. The guys made a few small changes to the suspension on my bike last night and I am really grateful for that. It seems to have helped because the bike felt great today. Tomorrow we start with the fastest cars and trucks, which will make things even more unpredictable again, so we’ll see how we go.”
Sam Sunderland
The best rider of the Monster Energy Honda Team bunch turned out to be Nacho Cornejo, who came within a whisker of clinching his first Dakar stage win. The Chilean set a cracking pace in the first part and had no difficulty in finding one of the more critical waypoints in the special whilst others doubted and which eventual led to the day’s second quickest time. Nacho lies twelfth in the overall standings, just over an hour behind the leader.
José Ignacio Cornejo
José Ignacio Cornejo – Stage P2 – Overall P12
“Today was a good day, but the stage was tough. At first we passed over tracks made on previous days, so we had to be careful in some parts, but in general it was a very fast stage. In the second part, there was more sand and dunes and I knew that there I would be able to push harder because the first riders have lost time looking for a waypoint in the middle of the dunes. I minimized errors and I was able to maintain a good pace, so I am very happy with today’s stage. I almost got the victory, but I think it’s better not to have to open the track tomorrow.”
José Ignacio Cornejo
Third on Monday was Ricky Brabec, although the American was more than happy to retake the overall lead. Brabec was comfortable over the terrain that included dunes and was fast enough to mark the third best time of the day some 6’30” off the stage winner. Ricky now holds a 7’47” advantage over the nearest second place rival Frenchman Van Beveren.
Ricky Brabec – Stage P3 – Overall P1
“I feel good. I need the day to go well. I knew I had messed up a bit yesterday. Tomorrow is going to be hard to maintain the gap. The day was more my style like where I live. It was fun and comfortable. We were all riding together and enjoying it. Tomorrow I didn’t want to have to open. So it’s good that people finished in front of me. We’ll see how tomorrow goes.”
Ricky Brabec
With Monday’s stage seven being one of the most demanding of this year’s Dakar, Adrien Van Beveren made full use of his acute navigational skills in the dunes of Peru. The first rider to find the right tracks in one of the most crucial sections of the special stage, Adrien gained time to his rivals. Earning a strong fourth place result for the day, he added yet another top five stage performance to his 2019 Dakar Rally campaign. Van Beveren also managed to move up three spots in the provisional overall standings. Currently holding the runner-up spot in the overall standings, the WR450F Rally mounted racer is less than eight minutes behind the provisional race leader with just three more stages to go.
Adrien Van Beveren
Adrien Van Beveren – Stage P4 – Overall P2
“I’ve put it all on the line today for a good result and I’m happy I climbed a few places in the overall. I had a good day and really gave my best. I knew it would be a tricky stage in the dunes, so I decided from the start to be extra careful on my navigation. At one point I saw a big group of riders lost and searching for the waypoint. I remained calm and was the first one to find the waypoint. I thought I would be able to make up some good time there, but the other riders followed me in the right tracks. I am still in the game and the next few stages will be very important. I feel I’m on top of my game at the moment and I will continue giving it all here in Peru.”
Gaining confidence as the rally progresses, KTM’s team junior Luciano Benavides rode an excellent stage to place fifth. Having the opportunity to ride with stage-winner Sunderland helped to increase the Argentinian’s experience even further. Aiming for a top-10 result overall, Benavides is keen to maintain his impressive form to the finish.
Luciano Benavides
Luciano Benavides – Stage P5 – Overall P11
“Today was good for me, I finished fifth, which is another best result for me. My rhythm right from the start was good but I didn’t take any risks because I wanted to stay safe and make it to the finish. Sam caught and passed me in the dunes so I was able to follow him for about 100 kilometres. That was really useful as I was able to watch how he rides and I believe I learned a lot from that. I start from the front row on tomorrows stage so hopefully I can stay with the others and get a good result.”
Luciano Benavides
Continuing to demonstrate improved speed and consistency, Andrew Short rode most of the special stage alone. Posting the sixth fastest time for the day, the American racer is now ninth in the provisional overall standings and less than three minutes behind the rider in eighth place.
Andrew Short – Stage P6 – Overall P9
“My pace was good today. It seems that in this area of Peru the weather is a little extreme. There’s always something crazy over here and today we had some fog, a lot of wind and some parts with fesh-fesh. I rode most of the stage by myself and then towards the end I got caught by a couple of other riders. Racing alongside others, it’s much easier to know and control my pace. Overall, it was a decent day and the guys in front of me in the overall are now within seconds or minutes. It’s realistic for me to battle with the rider in front of me in the overall. I’ve made some big improvements this year with my navigation and my speed and I’m happy with that.”
Andrew Short
Catching up with the leading group inside the special stage, Xavier de Soultrait earned a seventh-place result on today’s stage seven. Picking up a small one-minute penalty for exceeding the limit in a 30 km/h speed zone, Xavier is now 10th in the provisional overall standings. The Frenchman now his eyes set on moving higher up in the overall rankings during the remaining three days of the Dakar.
Xavier de Soultrait
Xavier de Soultrait – Stage P7 – Overall P10
“It was a much better day for me and my speed was on point today. I was fast while also riding safely and not taking any big risks. I caught up with the leading group of riders in the special and decided to attack. Unfortunately, then I started feeling the effects of my sea sickness and was unable to give 100%. I took some more pills and I feel better now. Tomorrow we will have a different stage, with bikes, cars and trucks starting together in large groups. The stage will again be in the dunes so navigation will be the crucial factor.”
Xavier de Soultrait
Still suffering with his injury, Toby Price battles on. Eighth place on the day’s stage, and making up time on a number of his closest rivals, the Australian successfully defended his third place in the provisional overall standings. Determined to make the finish, Price will keep on fighting for a top result.
Toby Price
Toby Price – Stage P8 – Overall P3
“The day has gone well, it ended up with a lot of us riding in a group today. We did get lost at one point and lose a few minutes but all-in-all things are going ok. Obviously, my wrist is still giving me some pain, but we’re past the point of no return now – there’s no stopping. I’m still sitting in third overall with just a few stages left so I’ll continue taking each day as it comes and keep on fighting.”
Toby Price
Slovenian KTM rider Stefan Svitko continues to impress. The 36-year-old was ninth on Monday’s stage and is currently eighth outright.
Stefan Svitko
Matthias Walkner rode a solid stage seven. The third rider away from the start this morning, he navigated perfectly through the well-used route, ultimately catching a group of riders ahead of him. Successfully completing the day in 10th place, Matthias will enjoy an advantageous start position for tomorrows ‘Super Ica’ stage eight.
Matthias Walkner – Stage P10 – Overall P7
“Things started off well today, up to around kilometre-200 my pace was strong. I caught up with the guys in front after that and we got a little lost trying to find one of the waypoints. Towards the end of the stage I had quite a big crash but was luckily able to get straight back on. It’s been a tough day, but I’ve done my best and I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”
Matthias Walkner
Kevin Benavides started the day behind Quintanilla and, after catching him up on the track, continued until he experienced some trouble finding an awkwar dwaypoint. The Argentine rider arrived amid the main group posting twelfth best time and is now sixth in the provisional rankings.
Kevin Benavides
Kevin Benavides – Stage P12 – Overall P6
Today was the most difficult stage of this Dakar in terms of navigation. I came out in second position and caught Quintanilla, and between the two of us we opened most of the stage. But at the end of the special, in the dunes, many pilots arrived from behind and between us and it was hard for us to find a waypoint, where we lost several minutes. In the final few kilometres there was fesh-fesh, dust and a lot of wind and it was quite dangerous. I have finished twelfth but it is fine for tomorrow to leave behind. We will see how the stage goes, with the cars and trucks ahead; If there is a lot of fesh-fesh, it will be difficult to overtake.”
Kevin Benavides
The first rider to start the special stage, Pablo Quintanilla lost time trying to locate a number of waypoints. Posting the 14th best time for the day, the Chilean rally star is now less than 10 minutes behind the provisional overall leader.
Pablo Quintanilla – Stage P14 – Overall P5
“It was a very complicated stage and there were a few moments where we struggled to spot some waypoints. For me it seemed like a never-ending stage. I knew from the start that it would be hard for me to get a good stage result today, considering I was the first rider to start in the morning. It is what it is and I’m looking ahead to the coming stages. Tomorrow I will have a much better starting position from the second wave of riders. Everything is still open in the overall standings and my goal remains to battle for the win. It’s all to play for until the last day and the last few kilometres. I will continue giving my all until we reach the finish in Lima.”
Pablo Quintanilla
Maintaining her excellent run of form, despite not feeling 100 percent comfortable on the rough stage, Laia Sanz placed 22nd fastest. The multiple world champion continues to sit just outside the top 15 in the overall standings in 16th place and is keen to improve on that position as the rally comes to a close.
Laia Sanz – Stage P22 – Overall P16
“It was a tough day for me today, I didn’t feel strong so didn’t want to push too hard. We were crossing traces from previous days a lot and I don’t enjoy that so much, I prefer to navigate my way through the stage. I arrived safely at the finish with no crashes, which is important. I am hoping that tomorrow I will feel comfortable to push again and improve my result.”
Laia Sanz
Tuesday’s stage eight of the rally, the ‘Super Ica’ will see the top 10 bikes, cars and the top five trucks set off in their finishing order from the previous day. As the fastest competitor from all classes, Sam Sunderland will have the task of opening the track. The total distance travelled for the day will be 575 kilometres, 360 of which timed special.
2019 Dakar Rally Provisional Results Stage Seven
SUNDERLAND Sam GBR KTM 03:51’41
CORNEJO José Ignacio CHI Honda +01’51
BRABEC Ricky USA Honda +06’30
VAN BEVEREN Adrien FRA Yamaha +09’40
BENAVIDES Luciano ARG KTM +11’19
SHORT Andrew USA Husqvarna +11’29
DE SOULTRAIT Xavier FRA Yamaha +13’12
PRICE Toby AUS KTM +14’19
SVITKO Stefan SLO KTM +16’21
WALKNER Matthias AUT KTM +16’38
Sam Sunderland
2019 Dakar Rally Outright Standings after Stage Seven
BRABEC Ricky USA Monster Energy Honda 24:48’02
VAN BEVEREN Adrien FRA Yamaha Official Team +07’47
PRICE Toby AUS Red Bull KTM Rally Factory +08’28
SUNDERLAND Sam GBR Red Bull KTM Rally Factory +09’58
QUINTANILLA Pablo CHI Rockstar Husqvarna Factory +09’59
BENAVIDES Kevin ARG Monster Energy Honda +16’15
WALKNER Matthias AUT Red Bull KTM Rally Factory +16’16
SVITKO Stefan SLO Slovnaft Team KTM +37’09
SHORT Andrew USA Rockstar Husqvarna Factory +39’17
DE SOULTRAIT Xavier FRA Yamaha Official Team +40’08
Dakar 2019
Dakar 2019 Stage Seven
San Juan de Marcona > San Juan de Marcona – Jan 14th
Claiming his first individual stage victory at this year’s Dakar Rally, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider Pablo Quintanilla has retaken the lead of the event’s provisional overall standings.
Entering the second week of Dakar in high spirits, Pablo Quintanilla put in a great performance on Sunday in Peru. Involved in a battle for the stage victory with fellow South American Kevin Benavides (Honda), Quintanilla took the virtual lead before the penultimate waypoint and never looked back.
Following a well-considered plan of attack, the FR 450 Rally mounted Quintanilla has put himself back into the rally’s overall lead with four crucial stages still to be contested in the Peruvian countryside. Overall, Pablo is now four minutes and 38 seconds ahead of preview leader Ricky Brabec, after the Honda man struggled to find a waypoint.
Pablo Quintanilla – Stage P1 – Overall P1
“Everything went according to plan today and I’m happy with the stage win. The day wasn’t easy, the pace was quite fast, and navigation was difficult. We also had to race through strong headwinds. We had a good battle with Kevin Benavides and at one point I managed to pass him and retain the lead. It’s good to be back on top in the overall. The race is still long and I want to stick to my plan. Tomorrow I will be the first rider to start the stage and this is surely a disadvantage. But my plan is to fight back for a good result on day eighth and then take advantage of the mass start on day nine. Lots of things can happen these next few days but I will do my best to keep my eyes focused on my goals.”
Pablo Quintanilla
Ricky Brabec – Stage P6 – Overall P2
“It was another tough stage. The temperature was nice but the wind was a big factor. It’s kind of hard to ride all day with the wind pushing you around. At one point for about 50 km I was concerned about fuel. I know that we had filled up at the top at kilometre 80 at the neutralization. I was freaking out because I ran out of one of my tanks earlier than expected. On the whole it was a good day. There’s four days left. I’m glad to be at this bivouac full of fesh fesh that makes everything such a mess. I’m looking forward to the next four days. Hopefully I can stay in the fight and keep pushing. I feel great and my body is at 100%.”
Ricky Brabec
Kevin Benavides fought nail and tooth for the stage win and nearly pulled it off, coming home less than two minutes shy of stage winner Quintanilla. However, the Argentine Monster Energy Honda Team climbed the overall leader board from seventh to fourth place, eating one minute into the overall leader’s time.
Kevin Benavides
Kevin Benavides – Stage P2 – Overall P4
“Today was a good day. I changed the strategy to start pushing this second week and today I started further out. The idea was to finish as well as possible later on, so this second position on the stage is fine despite having lost a bit of time towards the end. We have to keep going and not waste too much time in the remaining stages.”
Kevin Benavides
Putting in a superb ride in the tough conditions, Matthias Walkner was able to navigate his way successfully through the stage despite riding alone for the majority of the day. His third position, just over four minutes from the leading time, moves the Austrian up to sixth in the provisional overall standings.
Matthias Walkner – Image Marcin Kin
Matthias Walkner – Stage P3 – Overall P6
“I had a good ride today, navigation was really tricky, but I had some lines in front of me, so I just had to stay focused and use my head a little. I rode the majority of the day alone and that can be tough sometimes, but I’m pleased with my riding and the result, especially as the overall pace was so high. Overall, it has been a good day.”
Matthias Walkner
Just 27 seconds adrift from teammate Walkner, Toby Price continues to battle on despite the increasing pain in the wrist he broke and had pinned in the lead up to Dakar 2019. The Australian’s fourth place result puts him in an ideal start position for Monday’s stage seven. Price lies third in the provisional standings.
Toby Price
Toby Price – Stage P4 – Overall P3
“It’s been a really tough day today. My wrist is hurting more and more as the race goes on and it’s making things uncomfortable out there. I’ll keep cruising on though and I’m still in the race, it’s just a bit more like survival mode at the moment. Nevertheless, third overall with four stages left to race is encouraging. The goal is the same – make it safely to the finish – so I’ll keep on pushing on tomorrow.”
Toby Price
With six stages contested so far in Peru, WR450F Rally mounted Van Beveren has finished inside the top five in five of them. Holding on to a strong fifth place in the overall standings, Adrien is less than ten minutes behind the event’s provisional leader.
Adrien Van Beveren – Stage P5 – Overall P5
“It was a hard day but everything worked fine for me. We woke up super early to start the stage and that was tough on our bodies. After we took the start of the special I saw Santolino on the ground and stopped to help him. I lost a few minutes there but got the time back when I reached the finish. As soon as the medics arrived I got back on my bike and returned to the stage. I pushed hard while also making sure I avoided mistakes. This race is all about managing your risks and keeping it on two wheels. Overall, I’m happy with my performance today and I my starting position for tomorrow is not that bad. There is still four days of racing here in Peru and it’s going to be pretty intense.”
Adrien Van Beveren
Following his strong third place result on stage five, Xavier de Soultrait was unable to show his true potential on Sunday’s stage six. Suffering sea sickness in the massive dunes, Xavier had to settle for an 11th place result on stage six. He will be the 11th rider to start tomorrow’s stage seven.
Xavier de Soultrait – Stage P6 – Overall P9
“It was a difficult day in the dunes. I was among the first riders to start the stage and soon after I felt sea sickness from riding up and down in the dunes. I got some special pills for that and did the best I could until the end of the stage. I might have lost some time in the overall, but I am physically and mentally strong at the moment. I also have a great starting position for tomorrow and I am planning to take full advantage of it. Tomorrow I want to push as hard as possible to make up time. My goal is to battle for the stage win and I will do everything possible to make it happen.”
Xavier de Soultrait
Earning yet another top 10 stage result, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Andrew Short wrapped up stage six with an eighth-place result. Battling through tough conditions and tricky navigation the American racer is now tenth overall, 38 minutes behind his team partner Quintanilla.
Andrew Short – Stage P8 – Overall P10
“It was a tricky day for me. The dunes are really soft and it’s hard to get a good rhythm. I saw a rider crash in front of me in the first part of the stage and that was a bit disappointing. It took me some time to find my pace. After the halfway point I caught up with a few other riders and we continued the rest of the stage racing alongside each other. It was a hard day for all of us with the wind and the terrain, everything was really tough. Despite all that, I’m still in a good position in the race and I have a few more stages to improve my position in the overall standings.”
Andrew Short
Impressing again with another top-10 finish, Luciano Benavides has really come into form on the 2019 Dakar Rally. Riding intelligently, the Argentinian claimed ninth on stage six and sits just one place outside of the top 10 overall with four stages left to race.
Luciano Benavides – Stage P9 – Overall P11
“Today was a really long day and very windy. I eased off a little at the end because of the conditions and didn’t want to make a mistake and lose time. I feel good physically and mentally and the main goal is still to get a good finish. I am lying in 11th place at the moment and I would love to break into the top 10. I am really enjoying the rally because I’m learning all the time and I can feel my pace and confidence improving as my experience increases.”
Luciano Benavides – Image by Marcin Kin
Following his win on the previous day of racing, Sam Sunderland was given the unenviable task of opening today’s technical and gruelling stage. The British rider lead out from start to finish but unfortunately lost time overall to the following pack. Sunderland lies seventh overall, but vows to push his hardest right to the finish.
Sam Sunderland – Image by Marcin Kin
Sam Sunderland – Stage P12 – Overall P7
“I was up against it a little today. After stopping to help Goncalves on the fifth stage I had no markers to set my pace and by winning the stage I upset my overall strategy for the race a little. As we know, opening the stage is always a disadvantage and today, with harsh conditions and tricky navigation, it cost me a lot of time. Personally for me, I was pleased with my riding and how I managed the navigation out front, that was really encouraging. I lost a little time after clipping a rock and damaging my rear brake, but the team were great and replaced that at the neutralisation. The race isn’t over yet though and I’m going to keep fighting. It’s Dakar, it’s always a challenge.”
Sam Sunderland
Claiming her best result of this year’s rally to date, Laia Sanz is feeling good and enjoyed her performance on stage six. Using her skills and experience, Laia was able to make up good time at the beginning of the timed special where accurate navigation was required. Completing the stage in 15th elevates the Spaniard to 16th in the provisional overall standings.
Laia Sanz – Stage P15 – Overall P16
“I felt really good first thing in the dunes today. I was able to gain on the guys in front and that is always nice for your confidence. The second part of the stage opened out a lot and was a lot faster. I was riding on my own and it gets difficult to judge your pace, the faster sections are not my favourite either. My navigation was accurate all day and I think I improved in the overall too, so I’m happy.”
Laia Sanz – Image by Marcin Kin
2019 Dakar Rally Provisional Results Stage Six
QUINTANILLA Pablo CHI Rockstar Husqvarna Factory 03:50’47
BENAVIDES Kevin ARG Monster Energy Honda +01’52
WALKNER Matthias AUT Red Bull KTM Rally Factory +04’21
PRICE Toby AUS Red Bull KTM Rally Factory +04’48
VAN BEVEREN Adrien FRA Yamaha Official Rally Team 05’48
BRABEC Ricky USA Monster Energy Honda Team +07’30
SVITKO Stefan SLO Slovnaft Team KTM +08’20
SHORT Andrew USA Rockstar Husqvarna Factory +13’54
BENAVIDES Luciano ARG Red Bull KTM Rally Factory +15’13
CORNEJO José Ignacio CHI Monster Energy Honda +21’47
2019 Dakar Rally Outright Standings after Stage Six
Dakar riders have taken stock of their progress so far during the first half of Dakar 2019, tried to regenerate their bodies and rejuvenate their machines, during their well-earned Saturday rest day at the Arequipa bivouac.
Dakar 2019
In reality though it was far from a rest day, as riders did not have much time to relax, instead they had to study their road-books and plan for the remainder of Dakar 2019. Then at 1700 in the evening they had to then set out for the new bivouac in Camaná, some 175 kilometres from Arequipa, from where they will begin the final assault with the Dakar heading into the home straight for the conclusive week. Competitors were barely able to savour more than a few hours relaxation on Saturday.
Dakar 2019
So far it has been a series of ups and downs for the Honda camp at Dakar 2019.
Monster Energy Honda
Paulo Gonçalves was forced to retire from the race with a head injury and a suspected broken right hand. Stage one winner Joan Barreda had also made a premature exit. Thus before the midway point of Dakar two of Honda’s main strike force are out of the running. At the opposite end of the ledger though, Honda currently leak Dakar 2019 thanks to the efforts of 27-year-old American Ricky Brabec.
Raul Castells – Monster Energy Honda Team Manager
“We have five days left where everything can happen, it is a cliché but it is true. Even if we are ahead, everything can happen. We will take it day by day. We will look to finish each day as far forward as possible to have a chance of victory. We are focused on not making mistakes and in which all the riders can return to the bivouac each stage. Nacho is riding a very good race, he lost a little time but he is still doing a very good bit of team work. Kevin took the first part a little more calmly to figure out which way the race was going, which I think is a very successful strategy. On the other hand, Ricky has pushed from the first day and now is leading the overall standings. The two are doing very well and have options.”
Monster Energy Honda
Ricky Brabec – P1
“Rest day is always good. It’s good to recharge the batteries. I’m leading the Dakar. I’m one of the only American riders to ever have led the Dakar except for maybe Robby Gordon. It feels pretty good. It’s going to be a big fight between me and Kevin as the week goes on. The two Monster Energy Honda Team riders want to win. I think it will be a battle between us until the end.”
Ricky Brabec’s CRF450 Rally gets a washdown
Sam Sunderland’s stage win on Friday elevated him to second overall, just less than one minute from the lead. Feeling fit and confident, the 2017 Dakar winner is ready to push during the second half of the rally.
Sam Sunderland – P2
“So far, the race has been really, really hard. The navigation, the nature of the stages with the Fesh-Fesh, the rocks, mass-start days and all the little changes they have thrown into the mix – it’s all come together to make it a very different Dakar and seriously tough. The final five days are going to be the same or even trickier, strategy is difficult as you don’t know what the next stage is going to bring. All we can do is take each day as it comes and go from there. Coming into the race I expected many more kilometres in the dunes, but the organisers have certainly thrown everything else at us as well. I’m happy with my position, second overall going into the second week is of course great, but the nature of the race has made everything very close. I am still feeling good and the bike is great so if I can keep on doing what I’m doing, hopefully that will put me somewhere close next Thursday.”
Sam Sunderland gets some foot love
Husqvarna’s Pablo Quintanilla has so far been a force to be reckoned with during this year’s event. Following a well calculated plan, the Chilean rally star has arrived at the Rest Day holding on to a solid third position in the event’s provisional overall standings. Enjoying a well-deserved day of rest today at the Arequipa bivouac, Pablo is excited to keep battling during the second week of the Dakar, which starts tomorrow.
Dakar 2019
Pablo Quintanilla – P3
“I am really happy with my performance during the first week of this Dakar. I’ve had some good results in some stages. For me it was also important to reach the Rest Day inside the top five and have a good starting position for stage six. It looks like my strategy from Friday worked out quite well, now I have a great starting position for tomorrow. This gives me the opportunity to make up a lot of time in the overall and I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s stage. My bike is running great and I’m enjoying my riding here in Peru. I really like the landscape and the terrain here. A podium result would be good but, honestly, I’m focused on the overall victory. This is my main goal for this Dakar and I am motivated to keep fighting to make it happen.”
Pablo Quintanilla
The 2019 Dakar Rally has been a tough one for Toby Price. Despite nursing a wrist that he broke only a few weeks before the Dakar, the determined Aussie has gritted his teeth and ridden through the pain to place fourth overall at the rally’s halfway point.
Toby Price – P4
“So far my favourite part of the rally has been today, the rest day! No seriously, it’s been a good rally so far. I’m still in the fight and in fourth, just three minutes off the lead – if you told me that a few weeks ago I would have been quite happy. It’s been tough, every day I’m riding in pain a little and I suppose the injury is always in the back of your mind no matter what. The simple fact is, you’ve always got to be in it to win it, you can’t quit, you can’t stop, you can never give up. It doesn’t really matter where I finish, top 10, top five or on the podium, I know I will have given it my all and ridden my hardest.”
Toby Price
Overcoming the added pressure of the first few days, Adrien Van Beveren is now looking to show his full potential on the second week of the Dakar. Enjoying a mistake-free race, Adrien is now fifth overall and less than seven minutes behind the provisional overall leader.
Adrien Van Beveren – P5
“Everything is working well for me at the moment. I’m very satisfied with my results from the first week and I’m looking forward to the second one. I’ve felt fatigued on the first few days, but that was mostly due to the pre-race stress. Once I got over that, I could start racing the way I know. This Dakar is different to any other in the past. The pace is really fast and in many stages we’re racing alongside each other for pretty much most of the day. These are quite stressful conditions but I’m managing the pressure quite well. Physically I’m strong at the moment. For the second week, I want to retain that same momentum so that I can be able to fight for the big goal that is to win the Dakar. We all know that the second week will be even harder, but I am confident in my abilities.”
Adrien Van Beveren
30-year-old Argentinian Kevin Benavides has been enjoying a steady rally thus far and has managed to keep his nose clean enough to rank sixth on the leaderboard at this midway point of Dakar 2019.
Kevin Benavides – P6
“He finished the first week with a good balance and now we are preparing everything for the second. It will be five very hard days of navigation and off-piste. We will have to be vigilant and know where to attack. We will try to be as focused as possible to be able to do our best and achieve my goal, which is to win the Dakar. The seven riders in front of us are have times very close to each other, so we all have the option of winning.”
Kevin Benavides
Enjoying a successful rally so far, Matthias Walkner currently lies in seventh overall with a stage win under his belt. A hard landing from a drop-off on stage four couldn’t even slow his pace. The defending champion is happy with his performance so far and keen to attack the second week of racing.
Matthias Walkner – P7
“The Dakar Rally is like no other and this year we have seen it’s different again. The average speed on the stages has been high and it has made strategy tricky to work out. Opening the piste has been tough as we have seen, but at the same time it’s important to keep an eye on your competitors to see what they are doing, too. The first week has been good, day three was beautiful. The weather was good and the route took us through some beautiful valleys and over the dunes. The stages in general have been good, dusty in places and very, very fast. Now on the second half of the rally we will go back and cover some of the areas we have ridden already. I think it will affect the pace again as you can’t always follow the tracks on the ground, you have to rely on your road book completely. If the rally finished now with me in seventh place, of course I would be unhappy with my position but I would be happy with how I have ridden – I have done my very best on every single day and that feels good.”
Matthias Walkner
Delivering Yamaha its first stage victory at this year’s Dakar by winning stage three, Xavier de Soultrait is now eighth in the provisional overall. Physically and mentally strong, the rider from France is looking to take advantage of his acute navigational skills as the race enters it hardest part this coming week.
Xavier de Soultrait – P8
“So far I’ve won one stage and finished second in another one and I’m really happy about that. I might have lost some time on stage four, but this is part of the game. I feel I’m in a great place right now for the rest of the race. I’m doing quite well with my navigation and I think this is my strong point this year. During the second week, we’re all expecting navigation to be even trickier and I want to turn this into my advantage. The race is intense and there are stages where it’s hard to make passes. Fortunately, I’ve had zero issues so far. I’m strong physically and my bike is running great. If everything goes according to plan, I know I can fight for the overall victory and that’s where my eyes are set.”
Xavier de Soultrait with teammate Van Beveren
In just his second participation in the world’s toughest rally, Andrew Short has battled with many of the motorcycle class’ top contenders. Securing a career best fifth place result on the second day of the marathon stage, the American racer is currently 10th in the provisional overall standings.
Andrew Short – P10
“The first part of this rally went quite well for me. I expected more sand dunes, but it turned out to be more tricky than that. There was a lot of fesh-fesh and some technical bits in the mountains. My body is in a great shape right now and I’ve recovered well from some crashes I had during the first week. I’m looking forward to the second part of this rally. Hopefully I can stay smooth and steady and keep my momentum to finish strong. Today I’m preparing for the upcoming days and it’s quite important to have a strategy for the stages to come. It’s also crucial to rest. My position at the moment is decent and hopefully I can improve on it during the second week of racing here in Peru.”
Pablo Quintanilla (left) with Andrew Short (right)
Laia Sanz has put in strong performances on the first five stages and is looking to better her position during the latter half of the race. Despite recovering from illness coming into the rally, Sanz has ridden extremely well to lie just inside the top 20 at the halfway marker.
Laia Sanz – P19
“The main thing I have learned this Dakar is that I can still surprise myself in what I can accomplish when I put my mind to it. I wasn’t 100 percent coming into the race and the first couple of days took me a while to feel comfortable and get into a good rhythm, the last three days have been great though. My pace has improved and I am much happier on the bike, despite the stages being so tough. My goal for next week is to continue as I have been and hopefully, I can improve my position a little. It’s going to be tough for me, the conditions this year don’t suit me so well as the stages are often about speed and not so much the navigation. I’ll try my best and as we know anything can happen at Dakar so if I can make it into the top 15, I’ll be happy.”
Laia Sanz gives TP a haircut
Sunday’s stage, which heads out from the bivouac in Camaná, will have a total of 839 kilometres before reaching the camp in San Juan de Marcona. On the way competitors face 317 kilometres against the clock.
Jordi Viladoms (KTM Rally Team Manager)
“We knew from the very beginning the 2019 Dakar Rally would be one of very high intensity. Obviously, that has been the case, all the riders are really close and many different things happen each day that can throw off our strategy. Opening the piste is a big disadvantage and can result in a lot of time lost, we need to be mindful of that and adjust things. The race is so unpredictable, following a plan like that simply isn’t possible so we have to take each day as it comes. We go into the second half of the rally with Sam near the front, some guys in the middle and some further back so we have the positions covered. In my opinion the next three stages are going to be extremely important, the final two are a lot shorter and will make it harder to make up time if we need to. We’ll have a good idea of where we are after day eight. Every single one of our riders is performing very well. Sam is fit and I think can push next week and really fight for the win, Matthias the same – he’s so strong on his navigation and he has found a great rhythm, Toby is hurting but is so strong physically and mentally, we just need to make sure he doesn’t risk too much. Luciano and Laia are riding very well and of course Mario has been brilliant. The marathon stage is always a very important part of the rally and Mario was great assisting with all the bikes and attending the briefings. He’s taken on the father’s role for the riders, so a big thank you to him. We are definitely in a good position to fight for the podium places and the win of the rally. The next few days will be crucial, but we will do what we do best and hopefully we’ll be successful.”
2019 Dakar Rally Outright Standings after Stage Five
RABEC Ricky 15 USA Monster Energy Honda Team Honda 16:51’34
SUNDERLAND Sam 14 GBR Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team KTM +00’59
QUINTANILLA Pablo 6 CHI Rockstar Husqvarna Factory Racing Husqvarna +02’52
PRICE Toby 3 AUS Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team KTM +03’21
VAN BEVEREN Adrien 4 FRA Yamalube Yamaha Official Rally Team Yamaha +06’36
BENAVIDES Kevin 47 ARG Monster Energy Honda Team Honda +09’01
WALKNER Matthias 1 AUT Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team KTM +09’17
DE SOULTRAIT Xavier 18 FRA Yamalube Yamaha Official Rally Team Yamaha +18’37
SVITKO Stefan 11 SLO Slovnaft Team KTM +26’28
SHORT Andrew 29 USA Rockstar Husqvarna Factory Racing Husqvarna +27’54
The second part of the two-day long marathon stage, Friday’s stage five of this year’s Dakar brought competitors back to the Arequipa bivouac. The stage featured a mass motocross style start off the beach at Moquegua.
Dakar 2019 Stage Five
Riders set off in groups of 10 according to their finishing positions from the previous day’s stage four, each group split by five minutes. From the beach, competitors headed into the Ilo dunes for the remainder of the 345-kilometre timed special. With a number of riders racing together on the stage, split times were close to every waypoint.
Starting in the first group, Sam Sunderland got off to a solid start, opting not to push straight away and risk a mistake or incident with a fellow competitor. Coming across a fallen Paulo Goncalves, Sunderland stopped and assisted until the medical team arrived, setting off again after 10 minutes. Pushing hard to make up time the sand specialist demonstrated the skill he is known for, almost catching the front group before the finish. With the time lost awarded back to him, the Brit had done enough to win the stage and move up to second in the provisional overall standings, closing to within a minute of outright rally leader Ricky Brabec.
Sam Sunderland – Stage P1 – Overall P2
“Obviously the first thing is to wish Goncalves the best after his accident – it’s always scary when you see that happen in front of you. I stayed with him for over 10 minutes but it’s difficult to gauge how long you’re actually stopped for. A lot of riders passed us and so when I got going again, I just pushed as hard as I could. It’s so difficult when you are behind like that, to know if you are gaining on the guys in front or losing ground. I saw the group just before the finish so I knew I had made up some time. I’m lying second now and it’s been a good first half to the race, but I know if the next five days are going to be anything like these we’ve just had, it’s going to end up as a seriously tough rally.”
Sam Sunderland
Yamaha’s Xavier de Soultrait secured a solid runner-up result on Friday’s stage five of the 2019 Dakar Rally and moved up to eighth in the provisional overall standings.
Xavier de Soultrait – Stage P2 – Overall P8
“It was another good stage for me and I’m really happy with my second place. I started the special at a steady pace to preserve my tyres. The pace was fast and there were some dangerous spots in the special. As we were getting closer to the end of the special, I was feeling great on my bike so I decided to push hard for a good time. I made my attack and when I got to the finish I was told I had won the stage. Later on we learned that Sam Sunderland was given back the time he lost to assist an injured rider, so he ended up winning the stage with me a close second. I’m wrapping up this first week of the rally on a high. I’m really happy with the way things have worked out for me so far and I’m looking forward to the second week that starts on Sunday.”
Xavier de Soultrait
It was another strong stage for defending Dakar Champion Matthias Walkner. After clearing the group that had formed following the morning’s mass-start, the Austrian was able to increase his pace and put in an excellent performance on the latter half of the special. Walkner was the first to cross the line, posting the third fastest time just over three-minutes down on team-mate Sunderland. Unfortunately, a three-minute speed penalty then dropped Matthias to an eventual 10th.
Matthias Walkner – Stage P10 – Overall P7
“It’s always fun to set off motocross-style on the beach like that, but I didn’t get the best start and then as we hit the Fesh-Fesh I found myself in clouds of dust and wasn’t able to do anything about it. It carried on like that for around 200 kilometres and it was really frustrating. Things improved towards the end of the stage where I was able to get in front and open the piste. I pushed hard then and made up some good time and was actually the first to finish. My ankle is still sore but I don’t think it is affecting my pace, especially when the adrenalin is flowing. I just need to be careful that I don’t put my foot down and twist it more when I’m riding. Now I am looking forward to the rest day tomorrow.”
Matthias Walkner
Earning a fourth-place result for the day, WR450F rider Adrien Van Beveren remains fifth in the event’s provisional overall standings.
Adrien Van Beveren – Stage P4 – Overall P5
“This Dakar is proving to be quite challenging. Coming to Peru we thought it would just be racing in the dunes, but it turns out there’s a lot more than just sandy dunes. Today we went through some parts with fesh-fesh and lots of stones. Despite not being my favourite terrain, today I got a great feeling on the bike and was able to push. I took my time and once I felt confident in this terrain I was able to ride the way I know. This Dakar is not just about raw speed. There’s lots of parts where you need to be patient and think about the overall classification. I felt I could have possibly won the stage today, but I wanted to make sure I had a good starting position for Sunday so I slowed down a bit towards the end. This race is really intense. There’s 10 to 15 racers who are able to win stages and you need to be on top of your game each day. I’m in a good position now for the next stage and I’m looking forward to it.”
Adrien Van Beveren
Pablo Quintanilla finished 13th on stage and slipped to third in the provisional overall.
Pablo Quintanilla – Stage P13 – Overall P3
“Five days done and I’m in a great position in this rally. The first part of the stage was a lot of fun. I took the lead after the mass start, but then decided to stay off the gas a bit. My eyes are focused on the overall classification and I’m in a good spot to attack during the second week. Today I felt great on my bike. I was able to get a good pace and do my own race. The Dakar is always a long event and you need to always see the overall picture. I’m happy with my performance today because I’ve managed to put myself in a great position for Sunday’s stage six. I am feeling great physically and I’m looking forward to the second week. It’s important to get back as much time as possible on Sunday so that I can then control my pace for the rest of the race.”
Toby Price again put in an extremely brave performance to place ninth on the tough stage five. Despite aggravating the injury to his wrist, the 2016 Dakar Champion was able to maintain a solid pace throughout the timed special and goes into the rest day in a very creditable fourth place overall after losing a rank overnight.
Toby Price
Toby Price – Stage P8 – Overall P4
“It was a really, really tough day for me today. Starting in groups of 10 on the beach means that you not only have to fight for position with other riders, you have to keep an eye on your navigation while dodging the rocks and dust thrown up by the guys in front. My pace today was good but I cased out on one drop and that put a lot of strain through my wrist again. I was able to continue, but I am really thankful for the rest day now. I am happy to have reached the halfway stage of the rally so hopefully after a day off I will be ready to go again on Sunday.”
Toby Price
Despite losing a little time with just five kilometres to go, Laia Sanz completed the fifth stage in 20th position, and now sits 19th in the overall standings. Happy with the pace on her KTM 450 Rally, Laia is glad of tomorrow’s day off but is looking forward to the remainder of the rally.
Laia Sanz – Stage P20 – Overall P19
“My day went well today, I am happy with my speed and rhythm especially with everyone riding together and the times being so close. I’m not so keen on the mass-start, it’s more difficult to judge things when you are riding in a group like that. I did lose a little time today right near the end of the stage when a rock got stuck in my rear wheel but overall it was another good day. I’m pleased with how the rally is going so far, but I’m definitely looking forward to the rest day tomorrow.”
Laia Sanz
During tomorrow’s rest day, riders will catch up on some well-needed sleep and prepare themselves physically and mentally for the challenging week of racing that lies ahead.
2019 Dakar Rally Provisional Results Stage Five
Sam Sunderland (GBR), KTM, 4:11:48
Xavier de Soultrait (FRA), Yamaha, 4:15:11 +3:23
Lorenzo Santolino (ESP), Sherco, 4:15:48 +4:00
Adrien van Beveren (FRA), Yamaha, 4:16:14 +4:26
Andrew Short (USA), Husqvarna, 4:16:24 +4:36
Luciano Benavides (ARG), KTM, 4:16:24 +4:36
Stefan Svitko (SVK), KTM, 4:16:53 +5:05
Toby Price (AUT), KTM, 4:17:33
2019 Dakar Rally Outright Standings after Stage Five
Ricky Brabec (USA), Honda, 16:51:34
Sam Sunderland (GBR), KTM, 16:52:33 +0:59
Pablo Quintanilla (CHI), Husqvarna, 16:54:26 +2:52
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