Tag: DAKAR

Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, January 4, 2020

Hero MotoSports Team Rally, the rally racing team of Hero MotoCorp – the world’s largest two-wheeler manufacturer, began its campaign at the 42nd edition of the most gruelling race on the planet – the Dakar Rally – in Jeddah today.

This year, Hero MotoSports Team Rally will field a four-rider team that includes Paulo Goncalves (Competitor No. 8), Joaquim Rodrigues (Competitor No. 27), C S Santosh (Competitor No. 50) and 25-year-old Sebastian Buhler (Competition no. 32), the latest addition to the team.

The confident quartet rolled off the ceremonial podium today in front of thousands of enthusiastic fans assembled in the beautiful setting of the Corniche area of Jeddah, facing the majestic Red Sea. They gave a cheerful send off to the competitors.

Paulo’s wealth of experience, Buhler’s youthful exuberance, JRod’s focus and CS Santosh’s intensity strikes the right balance for exciting prospects at the Dakar 2020, riding on the back of some strong performances, intense training sessions and a battle-tested Hero 450 RR. These riders will be ably supported by an experienced assistance crew.

Having completed all the administrative and technical checks successfully, the team is now raring to kick start their Dakar 2020 campaign with the first stage on 5th January that will take the riders from Jeddah to Al Wajh with a 319 km special stage and a total run of 752 kms including the liaisons.

Wolfgang Fischer, Team Manager, Hero MotoSports Team Rally said, “We are quite excited to be at Dakar 2020 for our 4th year now. For this new adventure in a completely new continent and terrain, we also have an exciting new combination of riders with Paulo, a Dakar legend in our ranks on one hand and an exciting young prospect in 25-year-old Sebastian Buhler on the other, who has already achieved a Top 20 finish in the last year’s Dakar. For Buhler, it was fortunate as the two time Top 10 finisher for the team, Oriol Mena, was forced to sit out of this Dakar due to injury. Joaquim has also completed his recovery now, coming back strongly to win the Pan Africa Rally while Santosh also recorded his best ever performance with a 5th place finish in the same rally. So, the team has been shaping up really well both mentally and physically and we are in a very positive frame of mind for this Dakar. We can never predict an outcome in the Dakar, especially this year as it’s a new environment for all the teams, so our first aim still remains to get the riders and bikes safely across the finish line every day.”

Paulo Goncalves (Comp No. 8) said, “I am really excited to be a part of this new chapter of Dakar. I have had the privilege of racing in two continents with the Dakar, and now coming to the 3rd continent of Asia. I feel honoured and blessed to be able to do this. We have had really good preparations; the team has bonded like a family and that’s a very good thing for us. I am very happy with my Hero 450RR and quite confident about our prospects. In the end, the first job of any rider is to bring the bike home and that’s what I will be focusing on. It is a new challenge for everyone so patience and having cool heads is going to be the key here. Looking forward to my first Dakar with Hero MotoSports Team Rally!”

Joaquim Rodrigues (Comp No. 27) said, “It’s a completely new challenge and I am quite excited about it. My recovery has been good and I am back to 100% so that’s a really good feeling to have. I had a good last season, got some good experience under my belt and the win at the Pan Africa Rally boosted my confidence. We have really come together as a team in the last season with Paulo coming on board. I am quite happy with our preparations and the bike is looking good too, so we are in a good place. I am going to do my best to get my Hero bike home every day.”

CS Santosh (Comp No: 50) said, “I am quite kicked about this all-new adventure that the Dakar 2020 is offering. It’s going to be tough and from the first impressions we have got, the navigation is going to play a key role here. I have worked hard on my navigation throughout last season and my speed has also improved a few notches. I am feeling quite confident and well prepared for the new challenge. We have got a really good team bonding going on and Paulo has been sharing a lot experience with all of us so it has really helped. I could not finish the last Dakar so I am going to try and finish what I started last time.”

Sebastian Buhler (Comp No: 32) said, “It’s going to be my first time racing with Hero MotoSports Team Rally and I am really happy to be a part of this team. We have a great environment within the team and I have learnt so much from all these guys. To be able to ride and work with these guys and Dakar legend Paulo, for a young rider like me, that’s a great opportunity and I am trying to make the most of it. My focus is to get as much experience out of this opportunity and try to get to the finish line in every stage.”

GASGAS FACTORY RACING RIDER AND DEFENDING WOMEN’S CLASS CHAMPION LOOKS AHEAD TO THE START OF THE 42ND DAKAR RALLY

Laia Sanz and the GasGas Factory Racing team are tonight looking forward to the start of the 2020 Dakar Rally after successfully completing a pre-event shakedown and event administrative controls. Riding the all-new GasGas RC 450F, Laia will start her 10th Dakar Rally when she begins the opening 752-kilometre stage on Sunday, January 5.

* Laia Sanz will debut the new GasGas RC 450F at the 2020 Dakar Rally
* The 12-stage event covers more than 7,800km including 5,118km of timed specials
* This 42nd edition will be held in the Middle East for the first time in its history

Laia Sanz: “It is always an exciting time, just before the start of Dakar. We had already completed a lot of testing on the bike in Morocco in December, but it’s been good to see and ride the terrain here in Saudi Arabia. So far, my feeling on the bike has been very good. I think once the race has started, we will see lots of different styles of terrain, and for sure a really challenging Dakar. My first impressions here have been good, the country is very beautiful. To join GasGas for their new rally project is motivating, I’m so happy to be representing the brand here and throughout the season. As everyone knows, it’s really tough to finish the Dakar and my goal is to be inside the top 15. The level of riders is really high right now and I will need to be smart to have a good race. Last year I finished 12th and had great results during the 2019 racing season, so I hope to keep this momentum going into the 2020 Dakar. I feel ready, I’ve been training hard, I feel healthy and my goal is to earn a good result for GasGas on this new bike.”

The most successful female competitor at the Dakar Rally, Sanz comes into the 2020 event not only hoping to extend her 100 percent finishers record but to also claim another top-15 result. The Spaniard enjoyed a strong 2019 season including an excellent seventh place at the gruelling Silk Way Rally. Now, with the full support of GasGas Factory Racing, Laia hopes to continue her impressive run of form and successfully complete her 10th Dakar with a strong result.

Following an 11-year period of being held in South America, the 42nd Dakar Rally will see competitors face a new challenge with the event moving to Saudi Arabia for the first time in its history. The Middle Eastern country will present riders with a wide variety of terrain as they cover a total distance of more than 7,800 kilometres.

Starting in the coastal city of Jeddah, the 12-stage event will first lead riders north along the coast of the Red Sea, before returning south through the Empty Quarter and finishing in Qiddiya on January 17. With 75 percent of the race ridden in sand and with expected difficult navigation promising to truly test the riders, the 2020 race looks set to be one of the toughest yet.

Photo: GasGas Motorcycles

ROCKSTAR ENERGY HUSQVARNA FACTORY RACING DUO SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE SHAKEDOWN TEST AHEAD OF SUNDAY’S OPENING STAGE
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Pablo Quintanilla and Andrew Short have completed their pre-race shakedown and are all set to begin their participation in the 2020 Dakar Rally, which starts with stage one on Sunday, January 5.

Following months of preparation, the two-rider team is now fully set to take on the world’s most challenging cross-country rally. Held in the Middle East for the first time, this 42nd edition of the Dakar will be run over 12 gruelling stages, covering over 7,800 kilometres.

Pablo Quintanilla came agonisingly close to fulfilling his dream of a Dakar win in 2019. Now, with the 2020 race breaking new ground and offering a level playing field to all competitors, the two-time FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Champion sees this year’s event as the perfect opportunity to secure his maiden victory. Settled aboard his FR 450 Rally machine, Quintanilla will be going all-out for a strong result on Sunday’s stage one.

With another year of rally racing experience, and his first world championship event victory secured, Andrew Short carries increased confidence into the 2020 Dakar Rally. Despite a small fall in testing, Short is aiming to secure his best Dakar finish to date.

Held exclusively in Saudi Arabia, the 12-stage 2020 Dakar Rally commences with a 752-kilometre opening stage on January 5. The race looks set to challenge all competitors with an exciting mixture of fresh terrain combined with difficult navigation. Concluding on January 17, the race will cover a total of close to 8,000 kilometres through the Middle Eastern desert.

Pablo Quintanilla: “It was nice to be back on the bike after a lot of travelling and preparation before the event. The terrain we saw in the shakedown test was a little different to what we’re used to – the sand is extremely soft and will be quite tricky to race on, I think. It’s definitely going to make the event really tough physically, but then it’s the same for everyone. Personally, I feel really good ahead of the start on Sunday. I feel fit, but also quite relaxed and confident this year. This is my eighth Dakar, so I am starting to know what to expect.”

Andrew Short: “I think everyone is really excited to be here in Saudi and get racing again. The atmosphere inside the team is excellent and we’re all looking forward to the event now. My feeling on the bike is good, I did have a little crash yesterday but luckily didn’t do myself, or the bike, too much damage. People have been saying how soft the terrain is, but for me desert is desert, no matter where you are in the world. From a sporting perspective, racing here in Saudi Arabia for the first time feels great and I’m honoured to be a part of this latest chapter in the Dakar. It’s going to be a massive challenge and a very long race, but right now, I just can’t wait to get started.”

Pela Renet – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Rally Team Manager: “Things are going well here in Saudi Arabia – we have a new country and a new challenge to face for the Dakar this year. The shakedown test went very well, Andrew had a small crash but was thankfully uninjured. Both riders are all set for the race now and really motivated. The team have been great so far too, everyone is working together well and focused on the same goal. We’re really looking forward to Sunday and the start of the event.”

Photo: Husqvarna Motorcycles