The latest episode of Honda Racing TV features Monster Energy Honda Rally team member Joan Barreda, perhaps the most overdue rider seeking a win in the Dakar Rally.
The 34-year-old Spaniard has clearly been one of the fastest riders ever to swing a leg over a rally machine, but the overall win at the Dakar Rally has eluded him time and time again.
Barreda made his Dakar debut in 2011, riding an Aprilia, but a crash in Stage 2 ended his run early. Making the move to the Speedbrain Husqvarna team in 2012, he scored his first career Dakar Rally stage win and finished 11th overall. In 2013, he was the overall leader after winning Stage 2, but navigation errors and mechanical issues in later stages dropped him back to 17th place overall. Even so, Barreda showed that he had the speed of a champion by winning a total of four Dakar Rally stages that year.
Barreda’s performance landed him a ride on the revitalized Team HRC Rally effort for 2014, and he once again showed great promise, winning two of the first three stages before slipping to second place behind Dakar Rally king Marc Coma due to navigational errors. An electrical failure would cost him dearly, and he would drop to seventh overall despite winning five stages, the most by anyone in the 2014 Dakar Rally.
The 2015 Dakar Rally will forever be known for the horribly wet conditions that ruined the event for several riders, including Barreda. Despite winning four stages that year, he suffered a heartbreaking end to his rally win hopes win the salty water of the Uyuni fouled his Honda CRF450 Rally’s electrical system.
In 2016, Barreda got off to a good start in the Dakar Rally prologue, but his hopes for his first career Dakar Rally win were lost when he suffered a mechanical problem and dropped five hours behind leader and eventual winner Toby Price. Barreda elected to throw in the towel rather than continue in the race.
In 2017, Barreda was once again in the hunt for the victory, winning four stages and surpassing the legendary Edi Orioli for most Dakar motorcycle stage victories–only to see his chances at the Dakar Rally podium taken away by a refueling rules violation that cost the factory Honda team dearly. The one-hour penalty dropped Barreda out of the hunt, but he still managed to finish a career-best fifth overall.
Will 2018 finally be the year of Joan Barreda? We’ll soon find out, as the 2018 Dakar Rally kicks off in Peru a little more than 17 days from now.
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