Ventura takes charge with Rally 2 stage one win in Morocco
Rally of MoroccoMartim Ventura came out fighting on stage one of the Rallye du Maroc, with the Monster Energy Honda HRC Rally 2 rider delivering a superb performance to take the stage win and move into the overall lead.
After Bruno Crivilin’s prologue victory yesterday, the Monster Energy Honda HRC Rally 2 riders were ready for a much longer day aboard their Honda CRF450RX RALLY bikes.
Leaving Agadir before sunrise, they faced a lengthy 264 km road section before launching into the 272 km special. A varied route awaited them, with stony tracks giving way to a first taste of the spectacular dunes in the Tata region, while camel grass, broken terrain and dusty conditions added to the challenge on the way to Zagora.
Starting seventh, Ventura was determined to make his mark after feeling he could have delivered more in the prologue. The current Rally 2 World Cup leader wasted little time making amends, setting a blistering pace through the opening part of the special and putting himself at the sharp end of the standings. With the experience gained from his Rallye du Maroc debut last year, Ventura looked increasingly at home in the Moroccan desert and maintained his strong pace all the way to the finish. A brilliant ride earned him his ninth World Rally-Raid Championship stage victory, finishing nearly a minute clear of his nearest Rally 2 rival.
The result also moved Ventura into the overall Rally 2 lead, putting him in a strong position with four stages still to come.
Fresh from his prologue victory, Crivilin continued to impress in what is only his second rally-raid. Still learning the intricacies of reading a road book and adapting to the constantly changing terrain, the Brazilian faced a steep learning curve on his first full stage in Morocco. Despite the challenge, he settled into the stage and enjoyed the varied route on his way to another impressive result. Third place kept Crivilin on the provisional overall podium as he continues to build valuable experience in the discipline.
Preston Campbell was the first of the Monster Energy Honda HRC Rally 2 riders onto the stage and also enjoyed the fast-paced route, particularly his first encounter with the Moroccan dunes. He finished just behind Crivilin and will now look to reduce the gap to Ventura over the coming stages as he targets a move into podium contention.
With the opening full stage complete, the riders have arrived at the Zagora bivouac, which will serve as the team’s base for the remainder of the rally. There will be little respite on stage two, however, with another demanding day ahead. A loop from Zagora will feature 300 km against the clock as Ventura looks to defend his Rally 2 lead and his teammates aim to stay firmly in the fight.
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It was a very good day for Martim. For most of the stage, he was leading the bikes overall up until the refuelling. After that, he made a small navigation mistake and lost a little bit of time, but he still finished first in the Rally2 class, which is a great result for the team. Now he needs to recover well and get some good rest. Tomorrow, the goal is to continue at his own pace, take it day by day and make sure he reaches the end of the rally in a strong position.
Bruno finished third and considering this is his first time racing in Morocco, I think it’s a very good result for him. He had to be a little more careful in the final part of the stage, where the navigation became more difficult and we also had the dunes. He lost a little bit of time there, but overall he did a really good job.
Preston finished in fourth. He feels comfortable in the dunes, although he pushed a little too hard at times, so he needs to focus on controlling the bike and managing the pace. Most importantly, he made it to the finish and we’re in a good position with all three riders.
Now we’ll recover, prepare for tomorrow and see how it goes.
It was a very good day for Martim. For most of the stage, he was leading the bikes overall up until the refuelling. After that, he made a small navigation mistake and lost a little bit of time, but he still finished first in the Rally2 class, which is a great result for the team. Now he needs to recover well and get some good rest. Tomorrow, the goal is to continue at his own pace, take it day by day and make sure he reaches the end of the rally in a strong position.
Bruno finished third and considering this is his first time racing in Morocco, I think it’s a very good result for him. He had to be a little more careful in the final part of the stage, where the navigation became more difficult and we also had the dunes. He lost a little bit of time there, but overall he did a really good job.
Preston finished in fourth. He feels comfortable in the dunes, although he pushed a little too hard at times, so he needs to focus on controlling the bike and managing the pace. Most importantly, he made it to the finish and we’re in a good position with all three riders.
Now we’ll recover, prepare for tomorrow and see how it goes.
I really liked the stage today. The first 150 km were really fast and my bike was working well in those conditions. After that we arrived at the dunes, with a good mix of sand and dunes through the final part of the stage, which I really enjoyed. I didn’t push too hard over the last few kilometres because there were some dangers and I didn’t want to take any unnecessary risks. Overall, I really enjoyed the day, so let’s keep going!
I really liked the stage today. The first 150 km were really fast and my bike was working well in those conditions. After that we arrived at the dunes, with a good mix of sand and dunes through the final part of the stage, which I really enjoyed. I didn’t push too hard over the last few kilometres because there were some dangers and I didn’t want to take any unnecessary risks. Overall, I really enjoyed the day, so let’s keep going!
I had a good feeling from the beginning of the stage and quickly found a good flow. I wasn’t taking any risks, I was just having fun and really enjoying the pistes, which suited me a lot. After refuelling I made a few navigational mistakes and towards the end I struggled a little physically. I’m not sure what happened, so I need to understand that because it can’t happen again. Overall, though, I’m happy. The rhythm was there and now we can build on that for the rest of the rally.
I had a good feeling from the beginning of the stage and quickly found a good flow. I wasn’t taking any risks, I was just having fun and really enjoying the pistes, which suited me a lot. After refuelling I made a few navigational mistakes and towards the end I struggled a little physically. I’m not sure what happened, so I need to understand that because it can’t happen again. Overall, though, I’m happy. The rhythm was there and now we can build on that for the rest of the rally.
The first stage was good. It was a super-fast pace all day, but I really enjoyed it and had a good time on the bike. The first 150 km were especially fast and then we had around 50 km of dunes on and off throughout the rest of the stage, which was super fun. The bike was working really well, I felt good out there and I have no complaints. I’m happy with the day and looking forward to the rest of the week.
The first stage was good. It was a super-fast pace all day, but I really enjoyed it and had a good time on the bike. The first 150 km were especially fast and then we had around 50 km of dunes on and off throughout the rest of the stage, which was super fun. The bike was working really well, I felt good out there and I have no complaints. I’m happy with the day and looking forward to the rest of the week.
Rally 2 Result - Stage 1
Pos. | Rider | Num | Nation | Team | Constructor | Time/Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | VENTURA Martim | 84 | POR | Honda HRC | Honda | 02:42:05 |
2 | DOCHERTY Michael | 14 | RSA | BAS World KTM Racing Team | KTM | + 00:59 |
3 | CRIVILIN Bruno | 69 | BRA | Honda HRC | Honda | + 09:18 |
4 | CAMPBELL Preston | 85 | USA | Honda HRC | Honda | + 11:56 |
5 | MULEC Toni | 16 | SLO | BAS World KTM Racing Team | KTM | + 12:08 |
6 | PAKCIARZ Sebastian | 75 | CHI | BAS World KTM Racing Team | KTM | + 12:31 |
7 | THERIC Neels | 66 | FRA | Kove Factory Racing | Kove | + 13:18 |
8 | BARBOSA Ruy | 41 | CHI | HT Rally Raid | Honda | + 14:09 |
9 | HERRERA RIED Benjamín | 8 | CHI | Xraids Experience | KTM | + 14:13 |
10 | LUCCI Paolo | 29 | ITA | RSMOTO HRC Race Service | Honda | + 14:48 |
Provisional Rally 2 Standings after Stage 1
Pos. | Rider | Num | Nation | Team | Constructor | Time/Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | VENTURA Martim | 84 | POR | Honda HRC | Honda | 02:53:36 |
2 | DOCHERTY Michael | 14 | RSA | BAS World KTM Racing Team | KTM | + 00:58 |
3 | CRIVILIN Bruno | 69 | BRA | Honda HRC | Honda | + 09:17 |
4 | CAMPBELL Preston | 85 | USA | Honda HRC | Honda | + 12:01 |
5 | MULEC Toni | 16 | SLO | BAS World KTM Racing Team | KTM | + 12:52 |
6 | PAKCIARZ Sebastian | 75 | CHI | BAS World KTM Racing Team | KTM | + 13:31 |
7 | THERIC Neels | 66 | FRA | Kove Factory Racing | Kove | + 13:54 |
8 | HERRERA RIED Benjamín | 8 | CHI | Xraids Experience | KTM | + 14:57 |
9 | BARBOSA Ruy | 41 | CHI | HT Rally Raid | Honda | + 15:26 |
10 | LUCCI Paolo | 29 | ITA | RSMOTO HRC Race Service | Honda | + 15:56 |
