Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Pablo Quintanilla took the lead of the 2016 Atacama Rally via a win during Stage 1 in his come country of Chile on Tuesday. The event is round four of the FIM 2016 Cross-Country Rallies World Championship.
Quintanilla, who is seeking his fourth consecutive Atacama Rally victory, rode well in the morning portion of the stage, chasing Team HRC’s Kevin Benavides of Argentina on the loop stage that began and ended in Antofagasta, the country’s fifth-largest city. Benavides appeared to be in complete control of the stage, only to make a mistake just 20 kilometers from the finish that that would cost him the lead. Instead of winning, Benavides dropped to fourth place in the stage.
“I navigated well throughout the special and was almost the whole day at the head of the course as I had got ahead by kilometer thirty, but in the final twenty kilometers I made a mistake where I got the entrance to a river wrong,” Benavides said. “I had to backtrack two or three kilometers, and Quintanilla passed me.”
Quintanilla finished the stage with a time of 2 hours, 14 minutes and 56 seconds. He was followed in by reigning Dakar Rally Champion Toby Price of the Red Bull KTM team; the Australian finishing 1 minute and 13 seconds off the lead pace. Third place went to Team HRC’s veteran, Paolo Goncalves of Portugal. The former FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Champion finished 2 minutes and 50 seconds behind Goncalves and 1 minute and 31 seconds ahead of Benavides.
American hope Ricky Brabec also got his Atacama Rally off to a solid start, finishing fifth on Stage 1. The former AMA National Hare & Hound Champion and Baja 1000 winner was comfortable aboard his Team HRC Honda CRF450 Rally, and he rode a clean stage to finish 5 minutes and 38 seconds off Quintanilla’s stage-winning time.
“Here we are today at the first stage of the Atacama Rally,” Brabec said. “I chose to start ninth. I figured that would be a good place for me to start out from. At the start there was a lot of rocks and off-piste (no tracks to follow). I like the rocky stuff, which suits my style, so I felt comfortable today. I’m ready to go for the next four days and am feeling very confident.”
Tomorrow’s Stage 2 from Antofagasta to Bahia Inglesa will be some 400 kilometers, and it is expected to be more difficult, which could quickly add some time separation among the field.
2016 FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship
Atacama Rally
Antofagasta, Chile
Results: August 23, 2016
Stage 1 of 5
1. Pablo Quintanilla (CHI)-Hus/2 hours, 14 minutes, 56 seconds
2. Toby Price (AUS)-KTM/+00:01:13
3. Paulo Goncalves (POR)-Hon/+00:02:50
4. Kevin Benavides (ARG)-Hon/+00:04:19
5. Ricky Brabec (USA)-Hon/+00:05:38
6. Matthias Walkner (AUS)-KTM/+00:12:28
7. Franco Caimi (ARG)-Hon/+00:13:21
8. Pela Renet (FRA)-Hus/+00:14:41
9. Sam Sunderland (GBR)-KTM/+00:18:01
10. José Cornejo (CHI)-KTM/+00:21:09
2016 Atacama Rally Overall Standings (after 1 of 5 stages)
1. Pablo Quintanilla (CHI)-Hus/2 hours, 14 minutes, 56 seconds
2. Toby Price (AUS)-KTM/+00:01:13
3. Paulo Goncalves (POR)-Hon/+00:02:50
4. Kevin Benavides (ARG)-Hon/+00:04:19
5. Ricky Brabec (USA)-Hon/+00:05:38
6. Matthias Walkner (AUS)-KTM/+00:12:28
7. Franco Caimi (ARG)-Hon/+00:13:21
8. Pela Renet (FRA)-Hus/+00:14:41
9. Sam Sunderland (GBR)-KTM/+00:18:01
10. José Cornejo (CHI)-KTM/+00:21:09
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