Irish Motor Sports News – Monster Energy Honda on Desafio Ruta 40 2023

Monster Energy Honda on Desafio Ruta 40 2023 – World Rally Raid Championship

Aug 24, 2023

The countdown is on for Desafio Ruta 40 YPF! All riders from the Monster Energy Honda Team will reach Argentina highly motivated, determined to show their skills in the fourth of five competitive rounds from the FIM World Rally-Raid Championship. Like the previous race held in Mexico, this is a new chapter in the W2RC history. Action will take place from 26 August to the 1 September.

The expectations are high regarding the terrain and riders will face a gruelling 2,804 kilometers route between La Rioja, Belén (Catamarca) and Salta. Following the same standard as the other short races in the calendar, there will be a total of five stages – meaning 1.555 km of special stages. Argentina hosted the Dakar Rally for ten times in a row from 2009 to 2019 and is a hot destination for off-road lovers, with sublime landscapes and a great enthusiasm from local fans. The Desafio Ruta 40 also ran for 10 editions from 2009 to 2018 and after five years on the ice is back in the international scene.

A total of 115 riders will compete in the bikes category, including 10 entrants in the Rally GP category for pro riders. Adrien Van Beveren – currently third in the W2RC ranking with 53 points – José Ignacio Cornejo (7th), Pablo Quintanilla (9th) and Ricky Brabec (10th) will represent once again our colors. In the manufacturer ranking Honda is the defending Champion.

Administrative and technical scrutineering will take place next Saturday at the Estadio Superdomo de La Rioja, from 9 am to 6 pm.

Ruben Faria

General Manager

“Here we go to the 4th stop of the W2RC. We are glad to be back in Ruta 40, where we compete for the last time in 2018. Most of the riders that will fight for the victory and for the championship points know the terrain. Adrien Van Beveren is currently our stronger contender regarding the W2RC title. The team is strong and motivated for this challenge. They like this kind of terrain, it will be for sure very technical. I think this will be a very interesting competition, so I hope we can start well in the prologue so we can fight for the Ruta 40”.

Adrien Van Beveren ⁴²

“I am happy to be back in Argentina. I have such good memories from this country – it was here that I made my Dakar in 2016. The desert here is really complete and there are a lot of possibilities. I think now we will be in the same area that we crossed with Dakar, so it’s very emotional to be in this region again. For me this is the purest rally can be. I feel ready, fit and prepared to go fast and I hope I can make the difference. Also happy to be again with the team and determined to fight for the championship.”

José Ignacio Cornejo ¹¹

“I am very motivated and looking forward to restarting the championship after a couple of months. Desafio Ruta 40 is always a tough rally and I feel ready to compete at the highest level. We have been doing a great preparation with the team and things unfold really well. I can’t wait to get on top of my Honda CRF 450 Rally and start the race! It is also special for me to be in touch with the fans from Argentina, they are really warm and enthusiastic.”

Pablo Quintanilla ⁷

“It’s great to be back in Argentina to compete in the World Championship, that really pleases me a lot. It’s good to be again with a team after a few months away. To race in Argentina is like being home, after so many years with the Dakar in South America. Ruta 40 is a very demanding race for riders and bikes. We will face extreme temperatures in the desert, cold mornings and hot days. I feel really good to face this challenge and I am looking forward to getting into action”.

Ricky Brabec ²

“No expectations for the Ruta 40, just want to have a mistake free rally and to come away with this event behind us in healthy condition to put the focus on Dakar. Of course we want to win. it’s always the goal but it’s not as easy as it seems. The competition is strong and a lot of people are fighting for top spot. Looking forward to coming back to South America as we have missed this zone of rally for a few years”.

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