Sunday, January 12, 2014

Team HRC's Barreda Wins Stage 7 for Third Win in 2014 Edition of the Dakar Rally










Dakar 2014   Stage 7   12/01/2014




















An outstanding CRF450 RALLY and a third win for Joan Barreda in the Dakar 2014

The Rally Dakar left Argentina today and for the first time in the race’s history entered Bolivia. It was Joan Barreda who took the honours in the Salta-Uyuni stage, giving Honda TEAM HRC the fourth victory in 7 days of racing. Hélder Rodrigues finished in seventh place and Laia Sanz twelfth.

Week two of the Rally Dakar got underway this morning from the Argentine city of Salta, in the northern region, heading towards Bolivia, for the first part of the special. Nevertheless, the meteorological conditions were such that the start had to be moved 103 km further up the course to the site of the way-point.
 
Joan Barreda started at a cracking pace, clocking up the best times in both parts of the the special before arriving home with a 4.03 minute deficit over Marc Coma, the stage runner-up and overall leader.
 
A fine performance too from Hélder Rodrigues in the seventh stage on the Honda CRF450 RALLY, who holds on to eighth overall place. The team’s third rider Javier Pizzolito, made a significant improvement in this stage, always up among the top twenty riders, arriving in Uyuni in 18th, where the riders will be without mechanical assistance, as this is the first part of the race’s second marathon stage.
 
It was also a day of success for the team supported by TEAM HRC with the new Honda CRF450 RALLY machine. Laia Sanz goes from strength to strength and today recorded some excellent times on the stopwatch. She crossed the line in twelfth place. Her Honda Argentina Rally Team colleague, Pablo González put in a steady performance too. 


Video Rest Day, here                     Video Behind the Scenes Rest Day, here 

Joan Barreda   1st   03:28'41   TEAM HRC
For sure I´m very happy about my result. Anyway it was very hard to stay focused. The high altitude made me feel a bit dizzy. Especially when the going got tough in the water and mud of the river.









Helder Rodrigues   7th   +10'57   TEAM HRC
In this high altitude I was happy not to worry about any power loss of the motor. The engine with its self adjusting fuel injection worked very fine. Also I was impressed by the bolivian crowd waving flags the last 40 kilometres.









Javier Pizzolito   18th   +18'42   TEAM HRC
It was a nice stage which made a lot of fun despite the rain in the first part. Honestly I didn´t expect such  a overwhelming welcome by the bolivian crowd. It was incredible.









Classifications Stage 7
 
1Joan Barreda03:28'41ESPHONDATEAM HRC
2Marc Coma+04'03ESPKTMKTM Red Bull Rally Factory
3Cyril Despres+05'35FRAYAMAHAYamaha Racing
4Joan Pedrero+06'57ESPSHERCOSherco Rally Factory
5Kuba Przygonski+08'56POLKTMKTM Rally Factory
6Jeremias Israel+10'04CHLSPEEDBRAINTeam Speedbrain
7Helder Rodrigues+10'57PORHONDATEAM HRC
8Mario Patrao+11'27PORSUZUKIRR Motos Credito Agricola Suzuki
9Olivier Pain+11'37FRAYAMAHAYamaha Racing
10Jordi Viladoms+11'57ESPKTMKTM Red Bull Rally Factory


General standings after Stage 7
 
1Marc Coma26:40'44ESPKTMKTM Red Bull Rally Factory
2Joan Barreda+38'14ESPHONDATEAM HRC
3Jordi Viladoms+01:16'03ESPKTMKTM Red Bull Rally Factory
4Alain Duclos+01:16'35FRASHERCOSherco Rally Factory
5Jeremias Israel+01:39'29CHLSPEEDBRAINTeam Speedbrain
6Olivier Pain+01:50'42FRAYAMAHAYamaha Racing
7Kuba Przygonski+01:54'52POLKTMKTM Rally Factory
8Helder Rodrigues+02:08'18PORHONDATEAM HRC
9David Casteu+02:23'50FRAKTMTeam Casteu
10Cyril Despres+02:26'13FRAYAMAHAYamaha Racing

TOMORROW'S STAGE

Monday, January 13
Stage 8: Uyuni – Calama
Liasion: 230 km            Special: 462 km            Total: 692 km

Uyuni, a vision of white

The Salar de Uyuni is quite simply the biggest salt flat in the world! And the motorcyclists will be able to realise this, since they will have to go right round this gigantic stretch during the eighth stage of the rally. The route will be marked out around and across the salt flat, a marvel stretching over more than 400 kilometres, and will also pass by several islands which make this site so exceptional. The stature of the Tunupa Volcano (5,300m in altitude) will be a permanent feature on the landscape. An amazing daydream vision between heaven and earth on a white backdrop may be apparent, weather permitting!















No comments:

Post a Comment

Keep it nice, but keep them coming!

---Please note---You can leave comments anonymously, but you can also leave them while logged into Google, Yahoo and other platforms.
We'd love to hear from you!

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.