2015 Dakar Rally Stage 4 – Bike Category

Jan 08, 2015

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*Team HRC’s Joan Barreda cements grip at the top with another masterful win

Joan Barreda widens the gap at the head of the overall standings on clinching the fourth stage at Dakar 2015. A notable 6th place for Javier Pizzolito of HSA Rally Team, and 8th for Laia Sanz as the rally crosses into Chile.

The Dakar took to the mountains today, the lofty San Francisco pass, at an altitude of 4,800 metres, bearing witness as the riders rode into Chile for the first time. It was also the most extreme stretch of the course encountered so far, with the longest liaison, at 594 kilometres, and temperatures which oscillated from below zero to over 35º. The weary warriors finally earned some rest back at camp in the outskirts of the mining city of Copiapó.

Joan Barreda dictated the pace from metre one. By CP1 he was already ahead, having made short work of yesterday’s winner Mathias Walkner, and closing the gap with arch-rival Marc Coma. The duel was fought nail and tooth throughout the length of the 315 kilometre timed special.

Barreda thus puts yet more distance between himself and the nearest challengers, with a 12’49’’ advantage overall. Laia Sanz shone as second of the Team HRC finishers. Relishing the Honda CRF450 RALLY, the Spanish rider stormed to a magnificent 8th place which lifts her to 12th overall.

After a complicated opening, and a slight navigational boo-boo, Paulo Gonçalves managed to claw back a bit of lost time to finish in 12th, but still remains among the leading group. Hélder Rodrigues, was third in the first part of the stage, but finished 17th after a few setbacks.

Jeremías Israel, didn’t get the type of welcome home that he had hoped for. The Chilean suffered a heavy fall at the start of the special, and lost valuable time. Nevertheless, he bravely picked himself up, and even managed to make the finish-line in the top thirty.

Honda South America Rally Team had a splendid day out today with Javier Pizzolito amid the front-runners, taking 6th place. Chilean Daniel Gouet came home in 13th, and now situates himself as the leader of the HSA Rally Team, in 21st on the overall leaderboard.

STAGE 5 – Thursday, 8th January
Copiapó (CHI) – Antofagasta (CHI)

Liaison: 239 km
Special stage: 458 km

Creating the surprise
This is the first of the rare special stages in which all categories will compete. At the start of the race, the most confident drivers will be able to take advantage of the fast tracks to try to move up in the overall standings. But the temptation to do so may be risky, particularly in the hard-to-handle fesh-fesh areas where absolute self-control is the only guarantee of success. Overtaking here requires precision handling to the extreme.

Joan Barreda
1ST 3:27’28
I’m really pleased with today. It was a really fast special and we had to really concentrate hard. I looked up ahead and when I saw it was Marc and not Walker, I really floored it to not let him get away. Everything has worked out really well up until now. To keep up with Marc’s pace and even to take time off him is not easy. But we will continue to try and stay comfortably ahead and not take any chances.
Results Stage 4

Pos. Rider Num Nation Team Time/Gap
1
BARREDA
Joan SPA Team HRC 3:27’28
2
COMA
Marc SPA KTM Red Bull Rally Factory + 1’59
3
QUINTANILLA
Pablo CHI KTM + 2’49
4
VILADOMS
Jordi SPA KTM Red Bull Rally Factory + 10’44
5
FARIA
Ruben POR KTM Red Bull Rally Factory + 10’55
6
PIZZOLITO
Javier ARG Honda South America Rally Team + 11’29
7
DUCLOS
Alain FRA Sherco Rally Factory + 12’51
8
SANZ
Laia SPA Team HRC + 13’48
9
SVITKO
Stefan SLO Slovnaft Team + 13’51
10
METGE
Mickael FRA Yamaha Racing + 14’32
11
BOTTURI
Alessandro ITA Yamaha Racing + 14’52
12
GONCALVES
Paulo POR Team HRC + 14’56
13
GOUET
Daniel CHI Honda South America Rally Team + 15’05
14
JAKES
Ivan SLO Microstep Industry Team + 15’30
15
VAN NIEKERK
Riaan RSA Brother Link KTM Rally + 16’17
18
RODRIGUES
Helder POR Team HRC + 20’31
27
AZEVEDO
Jean BRA Honda South America Rally Team + 27’53
40
ISRAEL
Jeremias CHI Team HRC + 35’43
Rider Standings

PROVISIONAL STANDINGS AFTER STAGE 4

Pos. Rider Num Nation Team Time/Gap
1
BARREDA
Joan SPA Team HRC 13:10:33
2
COMA
Marc SPA KTM Red Bull Rally Factory + 12’49
3
GONCALVES
Paulo POR Team HRC + 20’29
4
FARIA
Ruben POR KTM Red Bull Rally Factory + 23’05
5
VILADOMS
Jordi SPA KTM Red Bull Rally Factory + 24’51
6
QUINTANILLA
Pablo CHI KTM + 30’42
7
PRICE
Toby AUS KTM AUS Rally Factory + 32’05
8
WALKNER
Mathias AUT KTM Red Bull Rally Factory + 33’28
9
DUCLOS
Alain FRA Sherco Rally Factory + 36’31
10
RODRIGUES
Helder POR Team HRC + 39’05
12
SANZ
Laia SPA Team HRC + 48’02
18
ISRAEL
Jeremias CHI Team HRC + 54’16
21
GOUET
Daniel CHI Honda South America Rally Team + 1:12’43
29
AZEVEDO
Jean BRA Honda South America Rally Team + 1:48’22
67
PIZZOLITO
Javier ARG Honda South America Rally Team + 4:36’54

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