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Category: Cross Country Rally
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J Rod finishes overall 4th as two Hero riders in top-5
Villamartin (Spain), 16 May 2021: Hero MotoSports Team Rally, the rally racing team of the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles and scooters – Hero MotoCorp, completed their first rally of the new season on a strong note with two of its riders finishing in the Top 5 in overall standings.
Joaquim Rodrigues and Franco Caimi, placed fourth and fifth respectively after Stage 3 started the final stage with the best chances of achieving a Podium for the team. Joaquim made a strong start to the stage but settled on the side of caution owing to a couple of crashes and brought the bike home safely in the seventh position. This was enough for him to earn a fourth place in the overall standings, building upon his win in the Prologue and a strong performance throughout the rally.
Franco Caimi also made a strong final dash and managed secure a fifth place in the last stage of the rally, his efforts rewarding him with a fifth place in the overall standings too. With this he managed to achieve a Top 5 finish in his very first rally in Hero MotoSports colors.
Sebastian Buhler, who had received a 15 minutes penalty yesterday owing to an engine change effectively lost his chance of an overall podium finish. Yet, he put the new engine to good use and achieved good speed to finish the final stage in fourth place. He finished the rally on the eight position in the overall rankings.
Sebastian Buhler finishes overall 8th. A Hero MotoSports image With a report card that boasts of a stage win in the Prologue, three stage podiums, seven Top-5 stages and all the riders competing for the top positions, Andalucia Rally, undoubtedly turned out to be a highly successful and positive first step for the Team into the new season. The resurgence of Joaquim Rodrigues, the consistency of Sebastian Buhler and the fresh energy of Franco Caimi in the team augurs really well for the team’s prospects in the upcoming season.
Next up for Hero MotoSports Team Rally will be the Rally Kazakhstan scheduled from June 7– 13, where the team will be looking to gain more experience and saddle time for the riders while battling for top results.
Wolfgang Fischer, Team Manager, Hero MotoSports Team Rally: ”This has been a great start to our season. We tested some new configurations in the bike and also in the team. I am very happy that we have a lot of positives to take home. It was great to see JRod back among the top positions, while Buhler was very impressive with his consistency and in Caimi we have another top contender bringing fresh energy into the team. The bike has also performed really well and supported the riders to fight for the top positions, so all in all, I think we have a very good combination. Now we look to build on this further in the next rallies. Last but not the least, we want to express our thanks to everyone back in the Hero family and our supporters across the world. This is a tough time for all of us and we urge you to keep safe.”
Joaquim Rodrigues, Rider, Hero MotoSports Team Rally: “Today was difficult day for me as I had a couple of crashes and hurt my hand and knee a little bit. So, I decided to slow down and focus on getting the bike to the finish safely. In the second part I got into a better rhythm and pushed through to the finish line. I am setting a good pace on the bike and the bike is also performing really well so I am happy with the results. I want to thank my team, entire Hero family and all our fans for their support.”
Franco Caimi, Rider, Hero MotoSports Team Rally: “I focused today on improving my feeling and confidence on the bike so I am happy to be at the end and with the way things have gone in my first rally with my new team. I really enjoyed it and want to thank my entire crew for doing a fantastic job through the rally and also our supporters and my new Hero family. Now we will start our work for the upcoming Kazakhstan Rally.”
Sebastian Buhler, Rider, Hero MotoSports Team Rally: “I am very happy that I managed to get some good stages for the team in the rally. The bike worked really well and the team also made a great job so everything was perfect. I feel that I am getting better day by day and even though the results could have been better, overall we had a very good rally. I want to express my special thanks to our team and fans across the world.”
Provisional Stage 4 Rankings:
1. Pablo Quintanilla Monster Energy Honda Team 02h 09m 55s;
2. Joan Barreda Bort Monster Energy Honda Team +11s;
3. Lorenzo Santolino Sherco Factory Rally Team +47s;
4. Sebastian Buhler Hero MotoSports Team Rally +01m 05s;
5. Franco Caimi Hero MotoSports Team Rally +02m 00s;
7. Joaquim Rodrigues Hero MotoSports Team Rally +02m 50s;
Provisional Overall Rankings after Stage 4:
1. Joan Barreda Bort Monster Energy Honda Team 10h 47m 32s;
2. Lorenzo Santolino Sherco Factory Rally Team +03m 28s;
3. Pablo Quintanilla Monster Energy Honda Team +10m 29s;
4. Joaquim Rodrigues Hero MotoSports Team Rally +13m 50s;
5. Franco Caimi Hero MotoSports Team Rally +14m 05s;
8. Sebastian Buhler Hero MotoSports Team Rally +26m 04s.
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Buhler 3rd after Stage 1; J Rod suffers navigational issues, finishes Day 2 in 9th
Villamartin (Spain), 13 May 2021: The charge for the team today was led by the rising young star Sebastian Buhler, who made a flawless run to bring in a podium finish in the stage, securing the 3rd spot. He was closely tailed by Franco, who balanced caution with aggression to hold on to his Top 5 spot with a 4th place finish today.
Joaquim Rodrigues, after his win in the prologue stage, had to deal with the difficult task of opening a stage today, a task that is rarely easy. A navigation mistake added to his woes as he lost some time in finding his way. However, he subsequently managed to tackle the stage well to make it to the finish line safely in 9th place.
Today’s solid effort from the riders resulted in Buhler retaining the 3rd place in the overall standings, Franco holding onto to his spot in the Top 5 in 4th place and JRod settling inside the Top 10 nicely in 8th place.
Joaquim Rodriques said: “It was a tough day for me opening the stage. I also made a mistake in navigation that cost me a lot of time in getting myself back on track. These things happen in a rally, but I am happy that I managed to bring my bike home. Tomorrow is a new day and stage, so we’ll take it one day at a time.”
Sebastian Buhler said: “It was a good and positive stage for me. I started with a bit of caution because we had ruts and tall grass all around, making it difficult to spot the dangers. So, I changed my riding style a bit to adapt to the terrain and rode without any mistakes to make it safely across the finish line with a good result.”
Franco Caimi said: “It was a good second contact with the bike in a beautiful stage. We had an early morning start so the visibility was not that good, but I had good fun riding today. In the first part of the stage, I had a minor fall, hurt my knee a bit but regained my confidence and rode comfortably through to the finish.”
Provisional Stage 1 Rankings:
- 1. Lorenzo Santolino Sherco Factory Rally Team 01h 47m 28s
- 2. Joan Barreda Bort Monster Energy Honda Team +22s
- 3. Sebastian Buhler Hero MotoSports Team Rally +01m 00s
- 4. Franco Caimi Hero MotoSports Team Rally +01m 40s
- 8. Joaquim Rodrigues Hero MotoSports Team Rally +07m 14s
- Provisional Overall Rankings after Stage 1:
- 1. Joan Barreda Bort Monster Energy Honda Team 02h 12m 46s
- 2. Lorenzo Santolino Sherco Factory Rally Team +22s
- 3. Sebastian Buhler Hero MotoSports Team Rally +42s
- 4. Franco Caimi Hero MotoSports Team Rally +01m 34s
- 9. Joaquim Rodrigues Hero MotoSports Team Rally +06m 48s
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Hero begins welll as J Rod claims victory in prologue
Villamartin (Spain) 12 May 2021: Hero MotoSports Team Rally kicked off their Andalucia Rally campaign on a winning note, claiming the top spot in the Prologue stage on Wednesday.
The team finished the prologue stage of the Rally with JRod securing the first place, Buhler third and the newest Hero Franco Caimi finishing on the fourth place. These standings place the riders in a good stead for tomorrow as they will get to start towards the front of the field, which could prove to be important given the dusty nature of the terrains here.
After successfully completing the administrative and technical checks over the past day and a half, the trio of Joaquim Rodrigues, Franco Caimi and Sebastian Buhler took the start in the afternoon. The short 8km stage, consisting of poorly visible narrow tracks, was the symbolic start to the rally and decided the starting order of riders for the first full stage of the rally on May 13.
The first full stage of the rally will bring the riders to the start line near the town of Arcos de la Frontera before setting them off on 257kms of timed special stage, and bring the stage to a close back at the bivouac in Villamartin.
The 2021 edition will be the second time that the Andalucia rally is conducted with strict Covid19 protocols in place. From the “closed-door event” format without spectators to the “biobubble” and the Covid checkpoints, all possible measures are being taken to ensure the safety
of everyone involved. On the regulations front, there have been several new introductions in this edition to make it more technical and also safe, such as not allowing a sighting lap for the prologue stage, use of an electronic Start/Go board, introduction of a new waypoint and mandating each note of the roadbook to be validated amongst others.Joaquim Rodrigues, Rider, Hero MotoSports Team Rally: “We had a good start to the rally today with a first-place finish. Our main goal is to test the bike and the new settings with Dakar 2022 in our sights and this is a good race to do that. I am really happy to get the rally off with a good result for the team.”
Franco Caimi, Rider, Hero MotoSports Team Rally: “Really a good stage today, my first with the team and the bike and I managed to keep it on the two wheels so I am happy with the start. I think I did well today to finish fourth. The idea is to build it stage by stage and gain confidence so I
am in a good position to start for the first long stage tomorrow.”
Sebastian Buhler, Rider, Hero MotoSports Team Rally: “It was a short and nice prologue so I tried to keep it safe. It’s only the beginning of the race so I think third place is a really good position to start the race tomorrow.”Provisional Rankings – Prologue
- Joaquim Rodrigues Hero MotoSports Team Rally 06m 13s
- Joan Barreda Bort Monster Energy Honda Team +01s
- Sebastian Buhler Hero MotoSports Team Rally +02s
- Franco Caimi Hero MotoSports Team Rally +05s
- Lorenzo Santolino Sherco Factory Rally Team +12s
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Andalucia Rally 2021 begins today
Andalucia, 12 May 2021: Starting Wednesday morning, 200 vehicles and more than 300 competitors are expected to pass through administrative and technical checks for the Andalucía Rally 2021. And in order to ensure the on-track safety of this XXL size rally, the Andalusian authorities and the organisers have put in place an exceptional safety dispositive.
The other particularity of this edition, is the astonishing proportion of rookie competitors present on the event. To make sure they make their debut in the best possible conditions a training and evaluation structure staffed by rally professionals has been set up via the Challenge Road to Dakar that has chosen the Andalucía Rally 2021 to show case this initiative.
SAFETY FIRST
So as to ensure the safety in the zones covered by the race for the increased number of vehicles entered (+100 % for the cars, + 40 % for the bikes), the Andalusía Rally have mobilised no less than 1100 local commissaires supervised by the Guardia Civil. Added to that are 200 members of the organisation, to give a ratio of organisers to competitors of almost 5 to 1. In addition no less than 5 helicopters will overfly the event: 2 from the police and 3 from the organisation. In the words of David Castera, “an exceptional safety dispositive.”
After being the first event in the world to allow bike and quad competitors to test an airbag last October, the Andalucía Rally 2021 will be the first race after the Dakar to make this compulsory.
Due to the Covid context, the race will be based entirely behind ‘closed doors’ at the magnificent El Rosalejo hacienda. A sanitary bubble has once again been created to protect both the population of Andalusia and the rally caravan. To access the bubble for the first time, all accredited participants will have to present a negative PCR test taken less than 72 hours before arriving. Contact between the competitors, organisers, and the media have been reduced to the strict minimum in respect of the conditions defined by the organisation. Throughout the rally an ‘anti-covid’ team will be responsible for ensuring that these rules are scrupulously respected.
RALLY-RAID SCHOOL
Put in place by ASO this year on the Andalucía Rally, the Challenge Road to Dakar rewards the best newcomer in the Moto/Quad Rally category and SSV-T4 as well as the Moto/Quad Enduro Cup. 43 rally bike/quad competitors will be trying to win an entry for the next edition of the Dakar while the 15 Enduro Cup entrants are in with a chance of winning an entry to the Rallye du Maroc 2021.
As David Castera explains, with its new educational format, everybody is a winner: “We want to accompany the newcomers so that they debut their adventure under the best possible conditions. There are still too many rookies that under-estimate the Dakar. We will train competitors the use the Iritrack, the GPS and how to navigate. None other than Cyril Despres will advise them on how to tackle their first rally, guiding and advising them during the race. In addition, the forty or so bikes entered in the category will come under the scrutiny of physical trainer Xavier Feuillée, who looks after a number of top competitors such as Sébastien Ogier and Esteban Ocon. He will test their physical and psychological aptitude and produce a report giving the areas that need to be worked on. At the end of the Andalucía Rally 2021 those who have demonstrated a super level will be informed that for them it is OK (for the Dakar). Take the rest in seven months direct to Dakar will be considered unreasonable and they will be presented with two options. Either continue to progress and take part in the Rallye du Maroc 2021 or participate in a second training session of three days that will take place at the same time as the race to avoid them spending a bigger budget. At the end of one or other of these two options we will either allow them to take the start of the Dakar or refuse their entry. To say ‘no’ if necessary, will be doing them a favour.”
To simply cross the final finish line of one of these rallies therefore no longer means an automatic entry to the Dakar, with the selection process now based on training and assessment. The new generation of the discipline will be able to count on the experience of Cyril Despres with his tally of five wins in 13 participations on bikes and 6 in cars.
Cyril Despres: “I’m very honoured to be given this role. Safety in rally-raid is something very important to us all.”
UNDER STARTERS ORDERS
Before attacking the four stages to be run from 13 to 16 May for a total of 1473 kms, of which 1086 kms are timed (74%), the competitors must tackle a short 8 kms special. A Qualifying Special for the cars, the ten fastest choosing their start position for the first stage as stipulated by the FIA regulations. The times achieved on this special being added to competitors’ overall time. Super Special for the bikes, starting the next stage in order of the time posted. A coefficient of 4 will be applied to their times to discourage them from trying for a ‘strategic’ finish. No less than 27 nationalities will be represented on the start line. France will be the most represented nation (38%) ahead of the Spanish contingent (18%), with the Dutch at 7% and the Italians at 5. All however will be speaking the universal language of road book!
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J Rod to spearhead Hero MotoSports team: Andalucia Rally
Villamartin (Spain) 11 May 2021: Hero MotoSports Team Rally, the motorsport team of the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycle and scooters – Hero MotoCorp, is geared up to kick-start their Road to Dakar 2022 campaign at the Andalucia Rally from tomorrow.
The rider duties for the Team, in the first rally of the season, will be delivered by the trio of Joaquim Rodrigues, Sebastian Buhler and the newest Hero Franco Caimi.
After an emotional and exciting outing at the Dakar Rally earlier this year – marked by the heartbreaking crash of CS Santosh and the fantastic fight back by the team to post their best results ever with two Top 15 finishes – the team is back in action for an exciting new season with renewed focus, motivation and a reinforced team.
Franco Caimi, the exciting Argentine rider has joined forces with Hero MotoSports Team Rally last month and is all set to make his debut in Hero colors at the Andalucia Rally. A promising talent in the Rally Raid circuit, Caimi is expected to enhance the overall performance and competitiveness of the team.
Joaquim Rodrigues will be looking to build upon his gritty performance at the Dakar to deliver strong results for the team. While for Sebastian Buhler it will be another opportunity to gain more experience as he continues to sharpen his skills in the sport.
Meanwhile, the morale and mood of the team is also bolstered by the news of CS Santosh making strong and quick recovery with every passing day.
Headquartered at Villamartin, Spain, the Andalucia Rally will be formally kicked off on May 12, with a short prologue stage followed by four days of racing, covering a total of 1629 kms including 1244 kms of specials.Wolfgang Fischer, Team Manager, Hero MotoSports Team Rally: “We are very excited to kick-off our new season with the Andalucia Rally and looking forward to a great race and the season ahead. We have utilized our time to work on our bike and also strengthen the team keeping the future in sight. We are excited to see Franco Caimi in our team and wish him the best for his first race with us. We are very excited about our prospects and possibilities this season. We are very happy with the remarkable progress of Santosh. He is a fighter and we are very happy with how his recovery is shaping up. It has been a very tough time since last year for the world. Our well wishes with everyone in India and we stand in solidarity with everyone impacted by this pandemic. Stay safe everyone.”
Joaquim Rodrigues, Rider, Hero MotoSports Team Rally: “I am looking forward to the start of a new season with the team. It has been a tough one and a half years for me personally as well for the team. But we have come out stronger and I want to build on that and do my best for the team. I think we are well prepared for the Andalucia Rally given the situation all around, and we have a really good bike now so looking forward to a good race.”
Franco Caimi, Rider, Hero MotoSports Team Rally: “I am really excited to be a part of Hero MotoSports Team Rally and looking forward to my first race with the team. I think we have done well to prepare the bikes for the Andalucia Rally and I can’t wait to start tomorrow!”Sebastian Buhler, Rider, Hero MotoSports Team Rally: “The start of a new season is always exciting, especially in these times when we do not know which races will happen. So, I am quite excited to begin the new season with Andalucia Rally and hoping to get more experience in the sport, learn more and do my best.”
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Rare op for sponsors to identify with iconic Dakshin Dare which starts on Easter Day, April 4
Bengaluru, 21 March 2021: The iconic Dakshin Dare is back with a bang. Despite finding it difficult to bag the title sponsor, Motorsport Inc is making all efforts to make the event a grand spectacle for one more year. A novelty is being introduced this year by bringing in the concept of Navigation to the Indian riders. The 5-day 12th edition will begin on April 4 in Bengaluru and it also presents a rare opportunity for a title-sponsor to identify itself with the iconic brand.
The man behind Motorsport Inc, the organisers of the event, Jaidas Menon said: “Dakshin Dare Rally will become the first-ever rally in India to introduce the concept of navigation to the Indian riders in association with Hero MotoSports. The intend to introduce the basics of navigation to all the riders expose them to this very important skill that is essential to succeed at the international rallies.”
Coming back to Dakshin Dare, the only such event in the south, saw the last edition held in 2019 crown Gaurav Gill as the champion. The three-time Asia Pacific Rally Championship winner and Team Mahindra Adventure entry are yet to confirm their entries. The regular sponsor has shied away this year and with the dwindling number of entries one is tempted to approach Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) promoters Champions Yacht Club (CYC) which has done a good job of roping in many entries by providing free transportation of vehicles and sponsored teams besides waiver of entry fees, to replenish the Arunachal rounds of INRC last December with many goodies.
When queried if they would be interested in supporting the iconic event in the absence of Maruti Suzuki, the regular sponsor, Vamsi Merla of CYC said: “Yes, Dakshin Dare has chalked out a name for itself as a historic event with popular support. Definitely we would be interested in supporting teams for the event as we usually do for INRC. I am in touch with the organisers and let us see how we can go about it.”
The Dare begins with a Super Special at the Unite Off-road Park, near Gunjur, after the Ceremonial Start and the next day, participants will travel to Chitradurga and some special stages nearby. They will return to Bengaluru on March 8 where the Closing Ceremony and Prize Distribution (PD) is scheduled to be held at Fairfield Marriott, Rajajinagar at 6 pm.
The four Categories will be T1 2wd, T2 4wd, for Modified Cross-country vehicles and T2 2wd and T2 4wd for Series Cross-country vehicles. There will be three classes in each category as follows: Class 1 over 1001cc Up to1400cc; Class 2 over 1401cc Up to 1850cc and Class 3 over 1851cc and above.
The entry with late fee will be March 31 at 5pm. Admin checks, documentation and scrutiny will be held on March 3 at Unite Off-road Park.
Navigation Bootcamp: “Hero MotoSports team will be conducting an exclusive bootcamp in Bengaluru on March 27 and 28 for anyone interested in learning the navigation basics. The bootcamp will be conducted by Jordi Grau, who is a part of the Hero MotoSports Team Rally and is a Navigation expert of international reputation. Many of our own stars like CS Santosh and other international top riders have trained with him in Spain,” a Hero statement said.
“The bootcamp will cover some theory aspects of Navigation followed by a practical session where one can learn reading a roadbook and ride, using it under the guidance of the Hero MotoSports team.”
“It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn navigation from the best in the business. So I would strongly recommend all of you to attend the same,” concluded Jaidas Menon, a former National Champion navigator in the Indian National Rally Championship for many years.
Riders can register for the bootcamp here.
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Al-Balooshi retains his bike title; Yasir Seaidan wins again
Aqaba (Jordan), 20 March 2021: Saudi Arabia’s Yasir Seaidan took full advantage of his starting position for the final stage to snatch victory away from Dutch rival Erik van Loon at the Jordan Baja.
A second outright win in the space of three weeks for the Mini John Cooper Works Rally driver also means that he extends his early season advantage in the Drivers’ Championship of the 2021 FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Bajas, before the series heads into a three-month break before five European rounds between July and October.
Teams tackled a 235.82km stage through Wadi Rum and the surrounding deserts on the final morning and Van Loon set out to defend a 26-second lead, despite running first on the road and having the added burden of opening the track in terms of navigation. Rival Seaidan took full advantage and managed to close in on the Dutchman as the stage progressed and overhauled the Toyota Hilux driver to secure the win by 5min 24sec.
“It was not easy but our performance became better than yesterday,” said the Saudi, who was partnered by Alexey Kuzmich. “We tried to be more safe today. Unfortunately, after 50km, we get a slow puncture and decided to continue to see what happened.
“We are glad that we finished without changing the tyre. We overtook Van Loon after 54km and we continued in front of him. Then we made a mistake and he overtook us and then we came back again to him and we continued in front of him to the finish. I am leading the championship with two wins. I hope I keep it like this until we finish the season.”
“It was a tough day,” said Van Loon. “At the beginning it looked nice. We had to open and you cannot do the same speed as when you follow a car. No punctures and we drive safe to the finish but the last part of the stage was not nice, only stones and twisty and second gear. When we came here, I was delighted to come on to the podium and we are happy with second.”
Ronan Chabot was never troubled in the second of the Toyotas and the Frenchman and fellow countryman Gilles Pillot cruised to the finish in third place. “It was a good stage, no puncture, quite beautiful country. We enjoyed it.”
Saleh Al-Saif stormed into contention for the FIA T4 Championship with victory in his Can-Am Maverick X3. The Saudi had done all the hard work to gain a good lead on the first day and he stayed clear of trouble through the closing kilometres to seal the win.
“We had a comfortable margin thanks to yesterday’s result,” said the Saudi. “We benefited from it today, as we did not push much. The layout is great. I thank Jordan Motorsport for the route and the precise road book.”
Kuwait’s Meshari Al-Thefiri continued his title bid with second in T4 and fifth overall, Dubai-based Briton Thomas Bell came home in sixth and French veteran Claude Fournier maintained a reduced championship lead after finishing fourth in T4 and seventh overall.
The fastest T4 time on the final day fell to Khalifa Saleh Al-Attiyah, but fuel issues had ruined the Qatari’s chance of challenging for the win on Friday. He finished fifth in T4.
Saudi female driver Dania Akeel completed her second international event, with French navigator Stéphane Duplé on this occasion, and moved into a clear lead in the FIA T3 championship standings. She finished eighth overall.
Various time penalties were imposed on several drivers and riders before the restart. They did not affect the overall standings in the FIA category but cost Abdullah Abu Aisheh more time in his duel with Mohammed Al-Balooshi in the motorcycle section and the local rider began the final day trailing by 5min 24sec.
The duo rode together for much of the final stage and Al-Balooshi held on to secure the win on two wheels by 3min 47sec, but that was increased to 18min 47sec when his rival was handed a 15-minute penalty. The young Jordanian he has been coaching in the UAE confirmed second place and Saudi Arabia’s Abdulhalim Al-Mogheera finished a distant third on this second round of the 2021 FIM Bajas World Cup.
“It was a very tough stage, but I was leading by eight minutes and I just took it easy,” said Al-Balooshi. “I was tired from yesterday. I guess I am still recovering from January’s Covid. I am not 100%. I thought I was. I stayed behind Abdullah. He did a great job and we rode together. I could not ask for a better result. If he had not had the penalty, I would have had to attack a bit more. This was much more difficult that my last win here (2019).”
Runner-up Abu Aisheh added: “Today was a very hard stage, all rocks and gravel and no dunes or soft sand, only at the start for 40km. We did good, me and Balooshi, because he is my coach and my big brother. I was pushing all I have.”
Amit Sadot and Talat Al-Shishane rounded off the top five. Local rider Zaid Jaber failed to restart after sustaining a back injury on Friday.
Yamaha’s Faisal Al-Suwayh moved ahead of Hani Al-Noumesi to seal the quad victory. Haitham Al-Tuwayjri failed to restart after his fuel feed issues on the opening day.
The Saudi Arabian crew of Hamed Harbi and Waleed Al-Shegawi cruised to an emphatic win in the Jordan National Baja.
This year’s Jordan Baja was organised by Jordan Motorsport and received support from sponsor Zain, the telecommunications provider.
Jordan Baja – standings after leg 2:
FIA
1. Yasir Seaidan (SAU)/Alexey Kuzmich (RAF) Mini John Cooper World Rally -6hr 37min 51sec; 2. Erik van Loon (NLD)/Sébastien Delaunay (FRA) Toyota Hilux Overdrive – 6hr 43min 15sec; 3. Ronan Chabot (FRA)/Gilles Pillot (FRA) Toyota Hilux Overdrive -6hr 54min 31sec; 4. Saleh Al-Saif (SAU)/Oriol Vidal (ESP) Can-Am Maverick X3 (T4)- 7hr 28min 11sec; 5. Meshari Al-Thefiri (KUW)/Nasser Al-Kuwari (QAT) Can-Am Maverick X3 (T4)- 8hr 08min 35sec;6. Thomas Bell (GBR)/Armand Monleón (ESP) Can-Am Maverick X3 (T4)- 8hr 09min 00sec; 7. Claude Fournier (FRA)/Szymon Gospodarczyk (POL) Can-Am Maverick X3 (T4) – 8hr 33min 48sec; 8. Dania Akeel (SAU)/Stéphane Duplé (FRA) Can-Am Maverick X3 (T3) – 12hr 45min 20sec; 9. Khalifa Saleh Al-Attiyah (QAT)/Xavier Panseri (FRA) Can-Am Maverick X3 (T4) – 32hr 53min 42sec
Bikes
1. Mohammed Al-Balooshi (ARE) Husqvarna 450 – 9hr 47min 02sec;
2. Abdullah Abu Aisheh (JOR) KTM 450 Rally Replica – 10hr 05min 49sec;
3. Abdulahim Al-Mogheera (SAU) KTM EXC F450- 10hr 58min 46sec
4. Amit Sadot (ISR) KTM – 11hr 18min 45sec;
5. Talat Al-Shishane (JOR) KTM EXC 500 Enduro – 12hr 02min 25sec;
6. Paulo Olivera (MOZ) Husqvarna 450 – 12hr 36min 08sec
7. Rotem Costa (ISR) KTM FR Rally Replica – 23hr 22min 40sec
8. Salman Farhan (BRN) Husqvarna FE450 – 31hr 15min 00sec
9. Sarah Khuraibet (KUW) Yamaha WRF 450 F – 56hr 43min 00sec
10. Mohammed Al-Khater (SAU) KTM EXC – 500 – 63hr 06min 44sec
Quads
1. Faisal Al-Suwayh (SAU) Yamaha YFZ 450R – 67hr 28min 00sec
2. Hani Al-Noumesi (SAU) Yamaha Raptor 700- R – 80hr 50min 10sec.
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Al- Balooshi leads the Bike category: Day 1, Jordan Baja
AQABA (Jordan), 19 March 2021: Erik van Loon and Yasir Seaidan were locked in a fascinating duel for supremacy after the first leg of the Jordan Baja, held over a challenging route across Wadi Rum’s majestic desert terrain on Friday.
The Dutchman and the Saudi were separated by just 26 seconds after two timed sections of 210.72km and 112.99km on this fourth round of the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Bajas.
The Toyota Hilux and Mini John Cooper Works Rally drivers were closely matched throughout the entire opening selective with Van Loon leading through all the checkpoints and going on to win the first stage by 1min 27sec. Seaidan then clawed 61 seconds back in the shorter second desert sprint.
“Two beautiful stages, quite demanding and it was tough work behind the steering,” said Van Loon. “They were nice stages to drive and the road book was okay. The second stage we made a few small mistakes. We had to cross some bumpy stuff but the track went around it and we lost a little.
“The first one we win by one and a half (minutes) and we lose this one by one minute, so only half a minute between us. The problem now is that I have to start in front (Saturday). It is better when he is in front. We managed well – no punctures. Séb did a good job and the car was perfect and two amazing stages. I would love to see those more.”
Seaidan admitted that he lost his way in the second stage and sustained a flat tyre in each of the day’s tests.
“It was so difficult, navigation really hard and the stage was tricky and twisty,” said the Saudi. “The stage was beautiful but the time between the two stages was very short. I got lost for a few minutes but I really enjoy it.”
Frenchman Ronan Chabot was a comfortable, albeit distant, third overall in the second of the Overdrive Toyota Hiluxes.
“Beautiful, the country was beautiful,” said the Frenchman. “No problems, but I need to try and find the road. It was difficult for the navigation. We did not get lost. It was okay.”
Five drivers were battling it out for FIA T4 category honours and Qatar’s Khalifa Saleh Al-Attiyah was the early pacesetter before hitting fuel pump trouble late in the first stage and incurring massive time penalties. His issues paved the way for Kuwait’s Meshari Al-Thefiri to win the Wadi Rum section by 49 seconds from Saudi Arabia’s Saleh Al-Saif.
Al-Saif then hit back to win the second stage to take a lead of 2min 46sec back to the night halt in Aqaba.
“Today went well, the second stage was good for us, but we were unfortunate in the first as we collect two punctures,” said Al-Saif. “I think my performance was good in the second stage. Meshari Al-Thefiri was in front of us and we passed him and made a comfortable margin. It will be important for tomorrow. The stage was very interesting, similar to Al-Ula and Tabuk, but with some differences. I plan to visit it as a tourist in future.”
Al-Thefiri added: “The stage is excellent generally. I got lost in some places where we were among the first to start, but we enjoyed it more than previous rounds. We treat the Baja as an exercise. Nasser (Al-Kuwari) did a good job and he surprised me with his superb attitude.”
Thomas Bell and Claude Fournier reached the finish in sixth and seventh overall and third and fourth in T4, while Saudi female driver Dania Akeel brought up the rear of the finishers in the FIA field in her Can-Am Maverick X3 entered in the FIA T3 category. She incurred six hours of time penalties for failing to complete all the opening stage.
Emirati Mohammed Al-Balooshi set the pace in the motorcycle category on his Husqvarna 450. The regional off-road riding instructor beat local rider Mohammed Abu Aisheh by 4min 47sec in the opening stage but his riding student redressed the balance in the second one and Al-Balooshi earned an overnight lead of 2min 30sec on this second round of the 2021 FIM Bajas World Cup.
“I’m a little bit rusty to do the navigation without the arrow,” said Al-Balooshi. “It has been a long time, like a year or so, but I am really happy. Me and Abdullah got together at the beginning and we rode together and then I don’t know what happened. I had a small tip-over and spend around three minutes stuck under the bike. It’s an amazing place. Abdullah was pushing me. If I win it is a victory, but if he wins it’s also a victory because this should be the aim of any coach. I’m proud of what he is doing.”
Abu Aisheh added: “For me it was a hard route today with more rocks and gravel. I am okay, no crash and difficult navigation but we finished second behind my coach. I am happy with this result.”
Abdulhalim Al-Mogheera was classified in third place and Jordan’s Talat Al-Shishane came home in fourth place.
Aishwarya Pissay was the first retirement in the two-wheel section: the Indian fell off her Husqvarna 450 and was taken to hospital for medical checks after sustaining arm injuries.
Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed Al-Khater, Jordan’s Zaid Jaber and Kuwait’s Sarah Khuraibet were awarded additional time penalties for failing to complete the longer Wadi Rum stage.
Hani Al-Noumesi continued the run of good form that saw him clinch the win in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province recently and led the quad category on his powerful Yamaha Raptor. But, like rivals Haitham Al-Tuwayjri and Faisal Al-Suwayh, he incurred hefty time penalties. Al-Tuwayjri only completed 20km of the opening test before the fuel line disconnected and sidelined his Yamaha.
The Saudi Arabian crew of Hamed Harbi and Waleed Al-Shegawi comfortably led the Jordan National Baja in a Yamaha YZR 1000 after five Jordanian and Palestinian rival teams were badly delayed in Wadi Rum.
The event is receiving support from sponsor Zain, the telecommunications provider.
Tomorrow (Saturday), the Jordan Baja concludes with a final selective section of 235.82km that loops through the southern desert and starts and finishes in Salhiyah.
Jordan Baja – standings after leg 1 (unofficial):
FIA
1. Erik van Loon (NLD)/Sébastien Delaunay (FRA) Toyota Hilux Overdrive 3hr 42min 20sec
2. Yasir Seaidan (SAU)/Alexey Kuzmich (RAF) Mini John Cooper World Rally 3hr 42min 46sec
3. Ronan Chabot (FRA)/Gilles Pillot (FRA) Toyota Hilux Overdrive 3hr 54min 55sec
4. Saleh Al-Saif (SAU)/Oriol Vidal (ESP) Can-Am Maverick X3 (T4) 4hr 02min 11sec
5. Meshari Al-Thefiri (KUW)/Nasser Al-Kuwari (QAT) Can-Am Maverick X3 (T4) 4hr 04min 57sec
6. Thomas Bell (GBR)/Armand Monleón (ESP) Can-Am Maverick X3 (T4) 4hr 10min 00sec
7. Claude Fournier (FRA)/Szymon Gospodarczyk (POL) Can-Am Maverick X3 (T4) 4hr 26min 50sec
8. Dania Akeel (SAU)/Stéphane Duplé (FRA) Can-Am Maverick X3 (T3) 8hr 18min 58sec
9. Khalifa Saleh Al-Attiyah (QAT)/Xavier Panseri (FRA) Can-Am Maverick X3 (T4) 29hr 15min 00sec
Bikes
1. Mohammed Al-Balooshi (ARE) Husqvarna 450 5hr 34min 46sec
2. Abdullah Abu Aisheh (JOR) KTM 450 Rally Replica 5hr 37min 16sec
3. Abdulahim Al-Mogheera (SAU) KTM EXC F450 6hr 06min 13sec
4. Talat Al-Shishane (JOR) KTM EXC 500 Enduro 6hr 12min 08sec
5. Amit Sadot (ISR) KTM 6hr 19min 45sec
6. Paulo Olivera (MOZ) Husqvarna 450 6hr 57min 56sec
7. Mohammed Al-Khater (SAU) KTM EXC 500 12hr 49min 00sec
8. Rotem Costa (ISR) KTM FR Rally Replica 16hr 08min 06sec
9. Salman Farhan (BRN) Husqvarna FE450 26hr 15min 27sec
10. Zaid Jaber (JOR) Husqvarna FE450 30hr 56min 00sec
11. Sarah Khuraibet (KUW) Yamaha WRF 450 F 31hr 33min 00sec
Quads
1. Hani Al-Noumesi (SAU) Yamaha Raptor 700 R 30hr 45min 00sec
2. Faisal Al-Suwayh (SAU) Yamaha YFZ 450R 45hr 00min 00sec
3. Haitham Al-Tuwayjri (SAU) Yamaha YFZ 450R 51hr 00min 00sec
Jordan National Baja:
1. Hamad Harbi (SAU)/Waleed Al-Shegawi (SAU) Yamaha YXZ 1000 3hr 30min 52sec
2. Ghaith Qubti (JOR)/Moath Al-Arja (JOR) Range Rover Classic 5hr 09min 56sec
3. Feras Al-Sallal (JOR)/Qais Khattab (JOR) Can-Am Maverick X3 6hr 07min 08sec
4. Haitham Al-Abbadi (JOR)/Saif Al-Abbadi (JOR) Range Rover Classic 6hr 17min 53sec
5. Juma Ferwan (PLE)/Mohamad El-Sana (PLE) Mitsubishi Pajero 7hr 26min 51sec
6. Hassan Al-Kaeid (PLE)/Yasser Al-Shek (PLE) Mitsubishi Pajero King 8hr 57min 28sec
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Flash: Aishwarya Pissay crashes with minor injuries, taken to hospital
Aqaba (Jordan), 19 March 2021: Ace Indian rider Aishwarya Pissay, backed by TVS Racing, suffered a minor crash in SS1 and was forced to retire from the Jordan Baja, the second round of the FIM World Cup Baja.
Pissay, who suffered minor injury to her hand, is taken to the hospital and is safe, sources said.
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TVS Racing’s Aishwarya Pissay sets sights on Jordan Baja
Aqaba (Jordan), 18 March 2021: TVS Racing Factory Rider Aishwarya Pissay is excited to take part in the Jordan Baja Rally which also doubles-up as the second round of the FIM Bajas World Cup which will have 559 competitive kilometres in a total route of 859 km.
The ace Indian cross-country rallyist, Aishwarya Pissay said:“I had a tough first round in Dubai last month when my bike encountered technical issues. But I still managed to finish at 14th position overall. After the Dubai round, I stayed back in Dubai and trained for two weeks under the guidance of Mohammed Al-Balooshi. I have also worked on my fitness prior to the Rally.” Aishwarya, astride a Husqvarna, also finished third in the Ladies Class at the Dubai Baja last month which will count for the World Cup rankings and stayed back to train under Al-Balooshi, the 2019 Jordan Baja winner.
The ceremonial start of the Baja is scheduled for 9.30 pm (IST) on Thursday and the competitors will tackle two challenging sections of 211 kms and 116 kms on Friday and a further 237 kms through the deserts to the north of Aqaba on March 20, the final day on Saturday. Fifteen motorcycles and five quads will be at the start of the Jordan Baja, which will be held in the nearby deserts of Wadi Rum.
The 25-year Bengaluru-based Aishwarya, is supported by her title sponsor TVS Racing, and is co-sponsored by IIFL, Surana College, Micro Labs, SCOTT Sports, Puma, Sidvin, Big Bear Customs and GoPro India. She is one of the two female racers on the entry list, along with Kuwait’s Sarah Khuraibet.
Aishwarya Pissay finishes documentation on Thursday. Talking from Jordan, Aishwarya said: “I am very excited about the second round of the FIM Bajas World Cup. This will be my first experience of racing in Jordan. But I am going in with a positive mindset and hoping for a good finish. Thanks to my sponsors I am well prepared and am able to fight with a clean state of mind. They have enabled me to travel and participate in the World Cup during these challenging times and but for them this Baja would not have been possible.”
Despite the ongoing global travel challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, 17 teams and competitors from 11 nations are participating at the event.
However, this year, the women riders have the liberty to chose only two rounds to qualify for the Final of the ten rounds for the year 2020’s FIM World Cup honours. Dutch rider Mirjam Pol is leading the points table after Round 1 with 25 points while Indian Aishwarya Pissay has 16 points and is third on the table. Margot Llobera Farre, the second ranked rider and Mirjam Pol are not taking part in Jordan Baja
Jordan is located on the eastern bank of the Jordan River and is rich in monuments, temples, tombs and archaeological sites, including the famous Nabataean capital of Petra in the south of the country and in close proximity to the Baja’s base in Aqaba on the Red Sea.
