After two runner-up finishes in the first two stages, France’s Adrien Van Beveren stepped up and landed his first stage victory of the 2018 Dakar Rally in Peru yesterday, and he assumed command of the overall rally lead. What’s more, Van Beveren’s Yamalube Yamaha Official Rally teammate, Xavier de Soultrait, finished second and moved up to fifth place overall.
On the flip side, and there always seems to be one in the Dakar Rally, 2017 champion Sam Sunderland will not be 2018 Dakar Rally Champion. After winning Stage 3 and moving back into the overall lead during Stage 3, the The Red Bull KTM star was forced to withdraw from the event after suffering a back injury when he landed from a jump during Stage 4.
Van Beveren took advantage of his starting position within the second wave of riders in the mass-style start, and he navigated the sand well to finish the 330-kilometer special stage that was part of the loop bear San Juan de Marcona with a time of 4 hours, 8 minutes and 23 seconds, 5 minutes and 1 second ahead of de Soultrait. Sunderland’s Red Bull KTM Rally Factory teammate Matthias Walkner of Austria finished third, 7 minutes and 10 seconds out of the lead.
“I am happy with the victory on this stage,” Van Beveren said. “We all started together on the beach, and I was in the second group of riders to take the start. It reminded me a lot of the massive start in Le Touquet and it was great fun for me. I knew I had to stay focused on my riding and navigation, and this is exactly what I did. We came across some parts where there was a lot of dust during the stage. My goal was to win it, so I knew I had to be patient and attack whenever that was possible. It all went well for me, and I managed to pass many riders even from the first group. When we reached the big dunes we raced alongside Xavier and actually helped each other to the finish. It was a great day for me and a great day for Yamaha. We proved that we have a bike capable of winning long stages. There is still a long way to go, but I will do my best to keep this momentum going.”
De Soultrait, who started in the first group of riders, said he had a great day.
“I got a good pace right from the start, and then after the halfway mark I saw Adrien was right behind me. We raced for some time together, and then he upped his pace and tried to make up some time. I did my best to follow him and this actually helped both of us in the final results. The last few kilometers were really fast, and we had some great fun with Adrien. We’ve worked really hard during the season to be where we are right now.”
Also, having a good day, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Rally rider and two-time FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Champion Pablo Quintanilla finished a solid fourth in Stage 4, 7 minutes and 32 seconds behind Van Beveren, and the Chilean rider moved up to second place in the 2018 Dakar Rally overall standings, a mere 1 minute and 55 seconds out of the overall lead.
“It was a tough day today, but we managed to make the best out of it,” Quintanilla said. “Following the massive start in the morning, initially we thought navigation wasn’t going to be that difficult, but we were wrong. After some kilometers, we realized that navigation was tough for everybody, and the soft sandy dunes were not making it easier for us. In such conditions it is always tough to find the waypoints and select the best lines in the dunes. Nevertheless, it was a good stage for me. I lost a few minutes between kilometers 200 and 230, but the race was okay for me. I feel much better now with my stomach, and I had a good dinner today. Tomorrow is the last day in the Peruvian dunes, so anything could happen. I know that if I keep calm and stay focused on my job, we can finish these sand stages with a good overall result.”
Slovnaft Racing Team KTM rider Stefan Svitko finished fifth, ahead of Himoinsa Racing’s Daniel Oliveras. Then came a trio of Monster Energy Honda riders, Jose Ignacio Cornejo–who is subbing for the injured Paulo Goncalves this year, Kevin Benavides and Joan Barreda. Benavides remains Honda’s best hope for a top finish in the 2018 Dakar Rally, as the Argentinian currently sits third overall. Barreda’s ninth-place result saw him 10 minutes off the stage winner’s pace, and the Spaniard was only able to shave 33 seconds off his overall deficit to overall leader Van Beveren. Barreda is currently 12th overall, one position behind American teammate Ricky Brabec, who finished a disappointing 24th in Stage 4 and dropped from fourth overall to 12th overall, 21 minutes and 7 seconds out of the lead.
“It was pretty difficult,” Brabec said. “We had a beach start, which was cool but also very difficult towards the end. The navigation was a little bit tricky–I think all of us got confused and lost at the same waypoint. I spent a bit more time at that waypoint trying to find it; everyone was going their own way. I thought it might be at the top of a dune. I struggled to get back to the top. Unfortunately it wasn’t there. It was in the next valley, so I lost about 20 minutes today, which hurts me pretty badly in the overall standings. It’s hard to swallow, but we will fight on over the next few days.”
Meanwhile, fellow American Andrew Short enjoyed the best finish of his Dakar Rally debut, finishing 22nd and moving to 22nd overall, just under 53 minutes off the lead.
“That was my best ever stage in rallying,” Short said. “It was good fun to have a mass-start, and it was great to see the pace of the fast guys for 18 kilometers along the beach. In the dunes I was in a good position, but there was a really tricky waypoint to find and I lost some time there. After finding that, I was able to continue with some really fast guys and manage to stay with them for a good distance. I did make a mistake with my navigation that was my own fault and cost me a little, but generally I am feeling really positive about the day. It was great to be able to ride with some of the top guys, and I feel like I have learned a lot more today.”
2018 Dakar Rally
Stage 2, San Juan de Marcona to San Juan de Marcona, Peru
Results: January 10, 2018 (Stage 4 of 14)
Stage 4
1. Adrien Van Beveren Adrien (FRA)-Yamalube Yamaha Official Rally Team / 4 hours, 8 minutes, 23 seconds
2. Xavier de Soultrait (FRA)-Yamalube Yamaha Official Rally Team / +00:05:01
3. Matthias Walkner (AUT)-Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team / +00:07:10
4. Pablo Quintanilla (CHI)-Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Rally Team /+00:07:32
5. Stefan Svitko (SLO)-Slovnaft Team / +00:07:45
6. Daniel Oliveras (SPA)-Himoinsa Team / +00:08:39
7. José Ignacio Cornejo (CHI) Monster Energy Honda Team / +00:08:45
8. Kevin Benavides (ARG)-Monster Energy Honda Team / +00:09:14
9. Joan Barreda (SPA)-Monster Energy Honda Team /+00:10:00
10. Gerard Farres (SPA)-Himoinsa Team / +00:10:11
22. Andrew Short (USA)-Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Rally Team / +00:18:05
24. Ricky Brabec (USA)-Monster Energy Honda Team / +00:23:44
2018 Dakar Rally Overall Standings (after 4 of 14 stages)
1. Adrien Van Beveren Adrien (FRA)-Yamalube Yamaha Official Rally Team / 11 hours, 3 minutes, 23 seconds
2. Pablo Quintanilla (CHI)-Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Rally Team /+00:01:55
3. Kevin Benavides (ARG)-Monster Energy Honda Team / +00:03:15
4. Matthias Walkner (AUT)-Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team / +00:05:23
5. Xavier de Soultrait (FRA)-Yamalube Yamaha Official Rally Team / +00:07:34
6. Toby Price (AUS)-Red Bull KTM Factory Team / +00:10:14
7. José Ignacio Cornejo (CHI) Monster Energy Honda Team / +00:12:06
8. Franco Caimi (ARG)-Yamalube Yamaha Official Rally Team / +00:12:48
9. Gerard Farres (SPA)-Himoinsa Team / +00:13:05
10. Antoine Meo (FRA)-Red Bull KTM Factory Team / 00:13:47
12. Ricky Brabec (USA)-Monster Energy Honda Team / +00:21:07
22. Andrew Short (USA)-Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Rally Team / +00:52:56
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