Former FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Champion Paulo Goncalves gives Team HRC Honda its second stage win in of the rally.
Team HRC’s Paulo Goncalves handily won Stage 3 of the UAEMC Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge in the United Arab Emirates today and moved into second place in the overall rally standings.
Gonçalves pushed through the dunes of the Liwa Desert in Stage 3 of the five-stage race, posting a winning time of 3 hours, 38 minutes and 49 seconds over the 400-kilometer route, which included a 272.8-kilometer timed special stage. It was the Portuguese rider’s first stage win of the 2015 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, and he is now second in the overall standings, about five minutes out of the lead.
“Today was a really good special,” Goncalves said. “I had a great starting position, I won the stage and I’m in second place in the general standings. Tomorrow will be more difficult, but there are still two days ahead. I’m pleased because I’m still in the running for the victory. The bike is working perfectly in the hardest conditions of the year so far. We will keep pushing.”
The stage win vaulted Goncalves past Red Bull KTM’s Sam Sunderland of Great Britain in the overall rally standings, but Sunderland’s teammate, reigning FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Champion and 2015 Dakar Champion Marc Coma retook the overall lead with a second-place finish in the stage. Coma posted a stage time just 29 seconds slower than Goncalves’, while Sunderland finished fifth on the stage, losing 10 minutes and 1 second to Coma and dropping two positions to third place in the overall standings.
Team HRC’s Joan Barreda of Spain finished fourth after taking advantage of a new rule that allows the top three finishers from the previous stage to pick their starting positions among the first six starters. Barreda, who won Stage 2, had first pick, and he chose to start Stage 3 from sixth place. In typical Barreda fashion, Barreda pinned the throttle and passed all of the riders in front of him. However, Goncalves, Coma and Sunderland all got back around him, dropping Barreda to fourth in the stage. Owing to his disaster in the opening stage, he is still well off the overall lead, running in 18th place.
“Today was a great day,” Barreda said. “It was a pity about the final few kilometers because the rivals managed to catch me up. I was opening the way and pushed hard with a cracking pace. It’s a great test out here in Abu Dhabi and I’m happy with the work that we’ve done today.”
For his part, American Ricky Brabec continues to ride steadily in his FIM FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship debut. Brabec, the reigning National Hare & Hound (desert racing) champion in his home country, had no trouble in the 50-degree (122 degrees Fahrenheit) heat of the dune-filled stage, and he finished Stage 3 in seventh place, holding on to sixth place in the overall rally standings.
“After yesterday’s race I started this one in third, so I was towards the front so that took a bit more navigating to do,” Brabec said. “I knew my teammates were behind me, and I knew they were coming quickly, so I didn’t try and hold them up. I rode my own race today and tried to navigate and learn a little bit more. Now that I’m used to riding the dunes, I’m having fun and not struggling as badly. I’m just letting the bike do what it wants and now I’m getting the hang of it. I can’t wait for the next two days.”
2015 FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship
Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Results: March 31, 2015 (Round 1 of 6)
Stage 3
1. Paulo Goncalves (POR)-Hon/3 hours, 38 minutes and 49 seconds
2. Marc Coma (SPA)-KTM/+00:00:29
3. Pablo Quintanilla (CHI)-KTM/+00:03:04
4. Joan Barreda (SPA)-Hon/+00:06:16
5. Sam Sunderland (GBR)-KTM/+00:10:30
6. Ruben Faria (POR)-KTM/+00:14:37
7. Ricky Brabec (USA)-Hon/+00:15:28
8. Mohammed Albalooshi (UAE)-KTM/+00:20:12
9. José Cornejo (CHI)-Suz/+00:22:53
10. Juan Carlos Salvatierra (BOL)-Hon/+00:24:52
Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge Overall Standings (After Stage 3 of 5)
1. Marc Coma (SPA)-KTM/11 hours, 4 minutes and 41 seconds
2. Paulo Goncalves (POR)-Hon/+00:05:04
3. Sam Sunderland (GBR)-KTM/+00:06:31
4. Pablo Quintanilla (CHI)-KTM/+00:18:21
5. Ruben Faria (POR)-KTM/+00:23:49
6. Ricky Brabec (USA)-Hon/+00:25:39
7. Mohammed Albalooshi (UAE)-KTM/+00:32:02
8. Juan Carlos Salvatierra (BOL)-Hon/+00:49:05
9. José Cornejo (CHI)-Suz/+00:57:59
10. Matthew Hart (AUS)-KTM/+00:59:40
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