Stage 5
W2RC 2023
Round 4

Brabec Gets Podium In Argentina

ar Desafio Ruta 40

The 11th edition of the Desafio Ruta 40 YPF was over today with the arrival of the caravan in Salta, northeast of Argentina. All four riders from the Monster Energy Honda Team reached the end and Dakar winner Ricky Brabec got a podium position.

Brabec Gets Podium In Argentina

Also riding an Honda CRF 450 Rally,  Tosha Shareina won the race, meaning that Honda enlarged its record in this competition with 9 victories out of 11.

For the last stage, riders did a 305 km liaison and 258 km of Special Stage between the cities of Belén and Salta. The margin to recover was short on a fast day of gravel and sand tracks. In the end, the penalties handed down to several riders for exceeding the speed limit in the special made the organization recalculate the results. Schareina, Brabec, Quintanilla, Branch and Dumontier got two minute penalties upon arrival at the bivouac. Price, Benavides and Docherty got 6 minute penalties.

In the overall standings, besides Brabec’s third place Van Beveren finished 5th, Pablo Quintanilla 6 th and José Ignacio Cornejo 7th place.

After the Desafio Ruta 40 YPF in Argentina there is one more stop to go at the World Rally-Raid Championship W2RC: the Morocco Rally will close the season between 13 and 18 of October. It will be a decisive moment for the dispute of the riders and manufacturers titles and Monster Energy Honda Team will certainly play an important role.


Ruben Faria
Ruben Faria
Monster Energy Honda Team
“This was a great competition and made me remember the Dakars in South America. It was like a small Dakar with a lot of quality in every small detail. Regarding Monster Energy Honda Team today Adrien finally showed his great performance, he was the best. Ricky also did a great race and it was great to see him on the podium. Nacho was sick during the race and could not show his full potential. Pablo was great at the start of every special. In fact this was a great race for us. I want to enlighten here the winning from Tosha Shareina, he is a Honda satelite rider and made a great race."

Ricky Brabec
Ricky Brabec 2
Monster Energy Honda Team
“We have finished the rally and it was a good week with a brutal first day of course with some issues but fought through them and managed to finish off Ruta 40. It feels good to be back in South America and after this week I think I am looking forward to coming back here next year. Today it was a close stage that I almost won, but then I got a penalty."

Adrien Van Beveren
Adrien Van Beveren 42
Monster Energy Honda Team
“Today was a better day for me. The first part was really stony and I tried to stay safe. The second part I could push hard like a WRC track, a bit like Andalucia. I won the stage and with this at least I am not going home with my empty pockets. It's good! Now let’s focus on Morocco and on the possibility of winning the title.”

Pablo Quintanilla
Pablo Quintanilla 7
Monster Energy Honda Team
“This was not a good race for me, I had to face many issues and felt limited. I could not race at my usual level but I am sure I gave my best. Even so I know I gave my best and this is very important. We need to keep the focus and work hard everyday even if things are not going the way we want. Now we have Morocco and my mind is already there and also in the Dakar preparation."

José Ignacio Cornejo
José Ignacio Cornejo 11
Monster Energy Honda Team
“We have finished Ruta 40 and this was a tough rally as always. I was feeling pretty good the first couple of days, feeling comfortable with the bike. Then I got a flu and some kind of virus in the end and could not race the same way. I tried to do my best, it was not easy but that is rally."

Provisional Final Standings after Stage 5

Pos.

Rider

Num

Nation

Team

Constructor

Time/Gap 

1

SCHAREINA Tosha

68

SPA

Honda Team

Honda

15:58:46

2

BENAVIDES Luciano

77

ARG

Husqvarna Factory Racing

Husqvarna

16:10:22 

3

BRABEC Ricky

2

USA

Monster Energy Honda Team

Honda

16:20:02 

4

EVAN BRANCH Ross

16

BWA

Hero Motorsports Team Rally

Hero

16:25:31 

5

VAN BEVEREN Adrien

42

FRA

Monster Energy Honda Team

Honda

16:27:38

6

QUINTANILLA Pablo

7

CHI

Monster Energy Honda Team

Honda

16:37:54

7

CORNEJO José Ignacio

11

CHI

Monster Energy Honda Team

Honda

16:51:03 

8

COX Bradley

49

RSA

BAS DAKAR KTM RACING TEAM

KTM

17:01:01 

9

PRICE Toby

18

AUS

Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team

KTM

17:24:00

10

DABROWSKI Konrad

26

POL

Duust Rally Team

KTM

17:39:54



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