Team HRC’s Kevin Benavides becomes the third different winner in three stages of the 2016 Afriquia Merzouga Rally.
Team HRC’s Kevin Benavides excelled in the first part of the Afriquia Merzouga Rally’s marathon stage in Morocco today, winning Stage 3, which moved the competitors out of the dune and into the Atlas mountains.
Benavides triumphed in oxygen-sapping conditions, in which the stage finish was located 1600 meters–just under 1 mile–above sea level. The altitude and high temperatures forced rally organizers to shorten the timed special from 223 kilometers to 182 kilometers and then to just 127 kilometers after a sandstorm threatened the safety of the event by grounding the chase helicopters. As a result, the decision was made to halt the timing after Checkpoint 2 and count those results as the finish of the stage. Benavides was credited with a time of 3 hours, 24 minutes and 5 seconds, 3 minutes and 29 seconds ahead of Yamalube Yamaha Official Rally Team’s Helder Rodrigues of Portugal.
“I’m really happy to have won the third stage,” Benavides said. “It was really tough, a very complicated course and difficult navigation. I tried to stay focused on doing the job well and not making any mistakes. It went well, and I caught up with the other riders ahead; I was able to overtake them in spite of all the dust that they were producing, and I finished first. We will continue working to finish the rally well.”
Rodrigues, had a trouble-free stage and jumped from fourth to second in the overall standings. He now sits just 1 minutes and 37 seconds behind overall leader Stefan Svitko of the Slovakia KTM Rally Team. Svitko finished third in today’s stage, 6 minutes and 42 seconds behind Benavides.
Team HRC’s American rider, Ricky Brabec, once again struggled with his roadbook and lost more time today, finishing the stage seventh, 33 minutes and 47 seconds behind Benavides. He remains sixth in the overall rally standings, although his chances for a podium finish appear bleak as he is more than 40 minutes off the lead pace.
“The special went well, but the navigation was really difficult,” Brabec said. “We had a lot of trouble finding the waypoints. We were in sand dunes all day, going back and forth, back and forth. I made a few mistakes, and that cost me a bit of time. A lot of stones, rocks and sand… It wasn’t an easy stage. This desert is really tough. Who knows what will happen over the next few days, but we are achieving what we set out to do, which is to gain experience and learn.”
The part of the marathon stage tomorrow will include 311 total kilometers with 204 kilometers of timed special stage.
2016 Afriquia Merzouga Rally
Morocco
Results: May 25, 2016 (Stage 3 of 5)
Stage 3
1. Kevin Benavides (ARG)-Hon/3 hours, 24 minutes, 5 seconds
2. Helder Rodrigues (POR)-Yam/+00:03:29
3. Stefan Svitko (SLO)-KTM/+00:06:42
4. Adrien Van Beveren (FRA)-Yam/+00:09:59
5. Gerard Farres (SPA)-KTM/+00:12:39
6. José Cornejo (CHI)-KTM/00:20:41
7. Ricky Brabec (USA)-Hon/+00:33:47
8. David Thomas (RSA)-Hus/+00:47:12
9. Gonçalo Reis (POR)-KTM/+00:47:40
10. Daniel Nosiglia (BOL)-Hus/+00:50:44
2016 Afriquia Merzouga Rally Overall Standings (after 3 of 5 stages)
1. Stefan Svitko (SLO)-KTM/11 hours, 16 minutes, 12 seconds
2. Helder Rodrigues (POR)-Yam/00:01:37
3. Kevin Benavides (ARG)-Hon/+00:03:43
4. Adrien Van Beveren (FRA)-Yam+00:07:08
5. Gerard Farres (SPA)-KTM/+00:09:34
6. Ricky Brabec (USA)-Hon/+00:40:51
7. José Cornejo (CHI)-KTM/+01:03:19
8. Daniel Nosiglia (BOL)-Hus/+01:19:37
9. Joquim Rodrigues (POR)-Her/+02:09:18
10. Gonçalo Reis (POR)-KTM/+02:18:09
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