Howes leads Husqvarna 2022 Rallye du Morocco 1-2

news7g10/07/2022

10 7 minutes read

Howes leads Husqvarna 2022 Rallye du Morocco 1-2

2022 Rallye du Morocco – Stage five
World Championships of Cross Country Competitions FIM

Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Skyler Howes moved into second place in the fifth and final stage of the 2022 Rallye du Morocco, taking the overall win, securing victory at the FIM World Racing Championship. his first.

Taking the top title for the race was French Monster Energy Honda Team rider Adrien Van Beveren who proved to be the fastest in the final race.

American Howes completed five days of racing in the Moroccan desert to the finish line just over seven minutes ahead of runner-up Luciano Benavides.

The return to Agadir means a total of 379 km to go, 89 km in laiason and 290 km of the special leg. It’s time to enjoy the ultimate sprint along the Atlantic, with sand on the way and above all rocky and hard slides. Right before arrival, the participants returned to the beach and showed off all their style along the Plage Blanche.

The highlight of the day for Honda was another stage victory for Adrien Van Beveren, while Ricky Brabec took last place on the podium overall despite finishing the day in 19th place. Meanwhile, Van Beveren came in at number two. final quarter.

As the sixth driver to enter the day’s stage, Skyler had a great opportunity to chase and catch up with the drivers ahead and in turn created the precious minutes he needed to finish on the track. podium, which proved to be true with the lead group facing major problems with an early reference point.

Howes made an impressive ride back to Agadir, making the fewest mistakes to finish second on stage, six seconds behind leader Van Beveren.

Finishing stage five in third place, nine seconds behind teammate Howes, Luciano Benavides cemented himself in second place in the overall result.

Pablo Quintanilla and Ignacio Cornejo took fourth and fifth place on stage respectively, ahead of Ross Branch, who in his second appearance in a Heroes shirt delivered a stellar performance, while a free kick The temple he received in one of the earlier stages cost him dearly. overall finish.

Continuing his steady run throughout the race, Franco Caimi finished the day’s race just ahead of Ross in sixth place, in the Rally GP class. Constantly improving his performance during 6 consecutive days of racing, the Argentine driver got himself a commendable 9th place on the final Rally GP Class rankings.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Kevin Benavides finished the 2022 Rallye du Morocco in sixth place overall, but an early spot in the timing special caused some problems for many drivers, leading to a group of four riding together, including the Benavides. Therefore, it was difficult for the KTM 450 RALLY driver to take the lead and finish on time as planned to finally finish the race in eighth place.

The downside that made Sam Sunderland an impressive finish in stage 4, especially, was that he was the second driver on the final stage. After a quick start, the same troublesome waypoint allowed many of his chasing competitors to catch up. With an established group of riders, Sam remained calm despite the frustrations of cycling through the dust for the rest of the day, finishing 11th and 5th overall.

Michael Burgess finished the final leg in 13th place, with Goodman 84th.

On the overall championship standings, Sunderland leads with 22 points, while Quintanilla is currently second (52 points) and Brabec third (50 points).

Unfortunately falling out of the rally at stage four, thankfully Toby Price was fully examined by medical staff and suffered no serious injuries, but was unable to complete the 2022 Rallye du Maroc.

Skyler Howes – Rallye du Morocco Winner 2022

“We finished in Morocco Rally and I finished first, it was amazing! The last stage is actually quite technical, it’s not a walk in the park. Navigating is tricky and I did a few laps out there which slowed me down a bit. I still managed to finish second on stage, which was enough to win the final, and I have to admit it was the best thing of my life! Honestly, I’m on the moon. It is a dream come true to win here in Morocco, and the plan is to continue this momentum for the Dakar Rally. “

Adrien Van Beveren – Winner of stage 5

“Today was a top stage for me, I started in 5th place and it was great to be in the top group early. The first few kilometers were not easy, but I managed to navigate correctly and it took much less time than the prepaid group. The feeling was good, the terrain was beautiful – a lot more technical – and I went very fast. This is my first race with Honda and day by day I feel more comfortable driving. I know I’m taking all the right steps to reach the next Dakar at the highest level.”

Luciano Benavides – Runner-up Rallye du Morocco 2022

“We have completed phase five, the last day of the rally. I really wanted to win the stage today but made a small mistake that took me a while. However, I finished third on stage, really close to the winner and second overall, which was amazing. I can’t describe this moment – I’ve worked so hard since last year to be where I am right now, and to have such a good feeling on the bike. Not only me, but the whole team did an incredible job with the bike and worked so hard in Morocco. This result is a big thank you to them. I can’t wait for Andalusia now, the next round, and of course Dakar in January.”

Ricky Brabec – Third overall

“The rally was great, overall it was great for the whole team to get together, do some tests, read some books on the road. The team did a great job working together. Today was a bit difficult for us, we had to open the curtain and try not to miss a minute. It was really difficult in the rally to do that, so it was very difficult for us. In the end, we’re glad we’re on the podium, we’re glad the team is working great together. We look forward to going to Andalusia and trying to improve our speed and navigation. “

Pablo Quintanilla

“Personally this was a very difficult rally for me from the start, with a lot of trails. I was quite limited after the first day due to an impact that affected my shoulder and caused me a lot of pain. Even with this disability, I can still ride in a great rhythm from start to finish. This hasn’t been the perfect rally for me, but I know I gave it my all and it’s worth it all I’ve given here in Morocco. Now let’s relax and take a week off because Andalusia is just there! “

José Ignacio Cornejo

“We finished the Rallye du Maroc 2022, it was a tough tournament with a lot of kicks and kicks. The level is quite high among the racers, who are really competitive. I know I can do better, but the most important thing is that I have learned my lesson. We still have another race to do in the world championship so for now that will be the main focus, sure that the preparations for Dakar 2023 will go well. “

Sam Sunderland

“It is the Rallye du Morocco made in a year. It was a tough game and I wasn’t at my best this week. But day by day, I improved and with some small changes to the bike, things got better as the race went on. The whole week had some tricky navigation points and today was no exception. Seven kilometers in there and quite a few of us couldn’t confirm it and then we were all just walking in the dust which slowed us all down. It’s frustrating but overall I’m happy and I’m not trying to force the issue or take any risks. Thursday was good for the championship and now it’s coming to Andalusia in a few weeks. “

Ross branch

“It’s been a while since I ended a protest, and I’m so happy to be here at the end of a Moroccan rally! I’m very happy with how the whole week went – we had some great times, and of course some bad luck, but it’s part of the race. The team is incredible, and we’re in a really good position; I know our future is bright. Personally, I’m much more confident with my speed now and very comfortable with my bike. Looking forward to Andalusia, and of course the biggest, Dakar. “

Franco Caimi

“The Rallye Du Maroc was a really tough race, almost like Dakar, and I was happy to finish. Today was a good period, and I ended up feeling good on the bike – which is really important. I have been working daily on my navigation skills and there are still some areas for improvement. However, I’m happy with what we were able to achieve – improvements and overall performance. Eager to race again in a week, in Andalusia. “

Sebastian Buhler

“I am happy to have finished another race. Overall, it was a good race for me and for the team. It’s been too long for us – there hasn’t been any racing, and there hasn’t been any action in the desert either. Every day here, I’ve regained my confidence. I feel much better now than at first and I am grateful for that. We will continue to work hard to be in the best shape for Dakar. “

Kevin Benavides

“While I am really happy with my riding and the feel of the bike, I didn’t have the best results for today’s race. I started in third place, but then soon at about 15 miles a group of us struggled to find a point of reference and ended up all of us riding together for the whole leg. Then it’s really hard to make up for it because you’re always in other people’s dust. After refueling, we hit the finish line again and it was like a motor race with all of us together. Overall, I am satisfied with my performance in Morocco. After taking the lead in the first leg, it was difficult to regain that time and that also made our strategy difficult. But during the whole rally, I think I opened more than 600 km, which is a really good experience for my navigation and speed. Next is the race in Spain against Dakar early next year, so the team will continue to work hard and hopefully we can get back on the podium. “