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Sam Sunderland continues the Honda CRF450 RALLY success story, this time with a victory in the Merzouga Rally. His TEAM HRC team-mate Hélder Rodrigues finished second. It was a spectacular start to the two African rallies with the new Honda CRF450 RALLY taking two consecutive victories, having won nine of the twelve stages disputed. Although it was just a week ago that Paulo Gonçalves won the Morocco Rally and the World Championship, it was the turn today of young British rider Sam Sunderland in the Merzouga Rally. This, of course, was the final test before TEAM HRC heads out to Argentina to confront its next challenge with the Honda CRF450 RALLY: the Dakar. The final stage couldn’t have been more spectacular. The participants headed out in line from Erfoud and rode just a 72 kilometre route through the Erg Rissani and Erg Chebbi dunes, where the race came to its close. First across the line was Sam Sunderland, who picked up his second stage win, as well as becoming the overall race winner, after holding onto the lead from the third stage. Not far behind was his TEAM HRC team-mate, Portuguese rider Hélder Rodrigues, who took second place, and thus the double for the team in their first Merzouga Rally outing. Sam Sunderland 1st 58'00 TEAM HRC Yeah, it’s perfect. Just before the Dakar. It’s nice for confidence. The week went really well. The bike was flawless. The team did really well. Everybody was working together for the same thing and in the end we won. We came first and second. I’m really happy as it’s been a long time since I raced. To finish like this is the best it can be, just before the Dakar. I’ve a lot of confidence now. We’ve just got to keep working. It has proved that I’m moving in the right direction. The last two races we’ve come away with victory, it’s really important for the team spirit. I’m really happy to be winning. Helder Rodrigues 2nd +00'05 TEAM HRC I’m happy. I’ve finished second, but I won two stages, and Honda has won the race which is the important thing. The results are important, but also the teamwork. I rode well and I won two specials and the team has worked really well. The bikes running really well and we all come away more experienced. I’m happy for the team result and for having come out here. Katsumi Yamazaki TEAM HRC Dakar Project Leader We finished the sixth stage out here in Merzouga, and it’s been an extremely positive one for TEAM HRC. Sam Sunderland won today’s stage and the overall standings and Helder Rodrigues finished second. It’s perfect! We are ready for the Dakar. Thanks for your support. Martino Bianchi TEAM HRC General Manager We’ve won the Merzouga Rally. It has been a really important test for us just two months before the Dakar. He have finished first and second with a great team effort.
The riders of TEAM HRC notched up another double in the Merzouga Rally with a win for Hélder Rodrigues and Sam Sunderland runner-up in the fifth stage. It was the Honda CRF450 RALLY that really marked the difference at the head of today’s race. After a cold night back at the camp at the foot of the Erg Chebbi, it was time to get back to the stage with a lot of dunes, some dusty track and a lot of rocks. It was TEAM HRC who once again shone at the Merzouga Rally with some great results: Hélder Rodrigues won spectacularly in the fifth stage, which was the second leg of the marathon, with Sam Sunderland finishing in second place. The British rider, who set out in first position after winning yesterday’s stage on the new Honda CRF450 RALLY, kept the lead until refuelling, where his team-mate Hélder Rodrigues caught him up. The two of them rode together until practically the end of the special. Sunderland hangs on to his first place in the overall standings. The Portuguese rider Hélder Rodrigues meanwhile retakes second place on the overall leader-board after a penalty he picked up for missing a waypoint was overruled in the review of the stage. It was decided that he had actually passed through the point. Helder Rodrigues 1st 3:47'36 TEAM HRC It was a lovely stage with a lot of navigation. Sam opened the stage with a lot of dunes in the first part, where he rode really hard. In the second part I pushed and was up with him until the end. It was great fun. There were some parts of navigation and others of handling, but we had a good time together. I’m second in the overall standings and Sam is first. It’s good for me, for Sam and especially for the team. Sam Sunderland 2nd +2:06 TEAM HRC It was a great day today.
There was a slight problem on the marathon stage. Nothing of great
importance, but that’s what we are here for; to test out the
resistance of the bikes. The bike is going really well, I’m very
comfortable with it, with the navigation, and most of all with myself,
as I’m still getting used to this type of race, and I’m getting
better and better. It was a good day with a lot of navigation in the
dunes, with canyons and off-road. A bit tricky, but good. I got to the
refuelling with a one minute advantage, which was great. Hélder caught
up with me and we had a great time riding together and jumping over the
‘camel grass.’ Great fun...
New leader Sunderland shines on the longest stage Sam Sunderland was outstanding in the third special of the rally. The British rider’s performance for TEAM HRC earns him top place on the leaderboard of the Merzouga Rally, after finishing second in today’s stage. Tomorrow will be held the first half of the Marathon stage. The ‘Bereber’ stage is the longest so far in the Merzouga Rally, although it was reduced to less than that which had been previously planned, putting the riders to the test. The two TEAM HRC riders, Hélder Rodrigues and Sam Sunderland, set out in first place this morning, opening the route, after finishing first and second respectively in yesterday’s stage. Hélder made a slight navigational error early on and saw his team-mate Sam overtake him, thus opening the route for a section of the special in the dunes where the rider is particularly at ease on the Honda CRF450 RALLY. Nevertheless, Sunderland had problems with his road-book which gave his competitors a chance to regain some time. In spite of this setback, Sam was able to push hard and finish in second place, a position which moves him up to the top-spot on the overall leader-board. Hélder, sixth on the day, takes third place in the overall standings. Sam Sunderland 2nd +03'24 TEAM HRC Yeah, it was a good day. It started off really well. I opened the route through the dunes. I felt really confident and I could see well. Then there was a slight modification in the road-book to recalibrate the ICO and it didn’t link with my GPS and I was a kilometre out and didn’t know which one I should go off on. I went off half a kilometre too soon. Then after some kilometres I realized it was the wrong way. So I came all the way back and caught the guy at the end, then I passed the guys and opened to the finish and it was pretty good. Helder Rodrigues 7th +11'22 TEAM HRC It was tough to be ahead. I made a navigational error and Sam overtook me. After, both of us made a mistake and we lost quite a bit of time. It was about 30 minutes until we got back on the right track. We arrived at the refueling and I tried to push as hard as possible until the end. Tomorrow I start from behind and I’ll try and win the stage. It’s not easy. The race is that way....hard, difficult and long. The good thing is that the bike hasn’t given any trouble.
Merzouga Rally 2013 Stage 2 - Jamalum 22/10/2013 Morocco - Erfoud
- Total: 256 km -Special stage: 238 km - Weather Sunny - Air 32°C -
Humidity 11% The success of TEAM HRC and their Honda CRF450 RALLY continues as the team commands more African raids. The second stage of the Merzouga Rally saw Helder Rodrigues and Sam Sunderland take the first two places in the stage, and likewise the top two positions in the overall standings, In the short prologue stage of yesterday that opened the Merzouga Rally, both Helder Rodrigues and Sam Sunderland thought that it was preferable to start from further back on this the second day of racing. The rally itself was a long and technical ride with some truly tricky orientation points that really put the riders’ navigational skills to the test. Portuguese rider Helder Rodrigues set off from 28th position this morning, and was able to get the best out of his Honda CRF450 RALLY against the clock in the 200 kilometres special. Finishing some two minutes ahead of TEAM HRC team-mate, Sam Sunderland. The British rider’s second place finish pays tribute to his continually improving navigational skills. Both riders are on top of the standings of the Merzouga Rally. Helder Rodrigues 1st 03:26'56 TEAM HRC I feel great. It was a day of difficult navigation and picturesque tracks. I started out in twenty-eighth place and I pushed pretty hard until the refuelling. Once there, I was able to see that I had set a good time and from there on I tried to keep in control and not steer off the good track. It was a tough day for the navigation, with a lot of routes, tracks, rocks.... I very full-on day. Sam Sunderland 2nd +01'46 TEAM HRC It was a good stage. Really very complicated as far as navigation went, and I had to really focus on the road-book. A lot of dust and a lot of sand, which was good, and on the whole I think that we did a good job. I’m pleased because we’ve been improving the navigation which keeps getting better and better. A good day and I’m happy to be up there at the top of the leader-board.
The Merzouga Rally got underway today with the warm-up and prologue. TEAM HRC riders Helder Rodrigues and Sam Sunderland got off at a good pace, although they will be waiting until tomorrow before really beginning to attack. The morning saw the riders carrying out a preparatory dune-filled
route of some 120 kilometres, which served to help get used to the
road-book and GPS. As the sun went down on Erfoud, the riders took part
in a short five kilometre special, as a kind of lead-in to the main
event. Nobody was prepared to take any risks, knowing too that a start
in tomorrow’s stage from too far up the field could have negative
consequences. Sam Sunderland 15th TEAM HRC It was a bit of a shame. I had a minor problem with the grip of the throttle in the special and I wasn’t able to race exactly as I’d have liked. But it’s OK, I’ll start from behind tomorrow but I’ll try and make up some time. Prolog Results
The celebrations begin for TEAM HRC. Things couldn’t have been any better for the new Honda CRF450 RALLY with a victory in the Morocco Rally and a World Championship title picked up by Portuguese rider Paulo Gonçalves sealing his fate in the final stage of the championship. Joan Barreda finished in third place. In doing so, Honda has won five out of the six stages disputed and has three riders in the overall first five standings. A thrilling final stage saw Paulo Gonçalves win the Morocco Rally. It was a complicated affair with a lot of challenging navigation and many chances to make mistakes. The Portuguese rider was pushing hard and was able to handle the Honda CRF450 RALLY with great skill, and eased through the most high-pressure moments, arriving at the halfway point ahead of his nearest rival Marc Coma. Gonçalves takes the crown of World Championship FIM Cross-Country Rallies. Joan Barreda started the day from first position, but a fall a few kilometres into the race damaged his road-book. In spite of this setback and not knowing the correct route, he was able to continue, following in the tracks of the riders that had overtaken him. He finally came in ninth, finishing in third overall place on the championship podium. The other Portuguese rider from TEAM HRC, Hélder Rodrigues rode an excellent second place in the final stage of the rally. British rider Sam Sunderland, who set out in second behind Barreda, made a navegational error and finished in thirteenth. In spite of this, Sunderland took an overall fifth final place. Paulo Goncalves 1st 17:08'59 TEAM HRC Today has been a fantastic day for me. I’ve won the World Championship title and also the race. I’m really pleased for me and for the Speedbrain team. We’ve done a great job together. Since Brasil we have been able to win the last two races and the title. I wanted to also thank Joan Barreda who has really helped me. Without his help, it would have been really hard to win this title. Thanks to everyone, and now it’s time to celebrate, recuperate and start all over again. Joan Barreda 3rd +7'39 TEAM HRC I’m really pleased. I had some navigation problems and it was tough. I started from the front and I had to really push things and take risks. It was the only chance. The main objective was for Paulo to win the world championship and we’ve done it. I’m really happy for him. There was also the possibility of winning the race. It wasn’t easy. I tried my hardest until the end but it didn’t turn out. But I’m really pleased to be up on the podium, with a very quick pace, just two months away from the Dakar. The new bike, the Honda CRF450 RALLY hasn’t given us any problems whatsoever, and we hope that this continues.We will keep on working towards getting a good result in the next Dakar. Sam Sunderland 5th +45'57 TEAM HRC It’s been a great week. I’ve learnt a lot with the bike. On the final day I made a few navigational errors like the other riders. But in the end I made it to the finish-line. It’s been a great week apart from that mistake. A good week for finishing well, learning from the bike and I’m looking forward to the next rally. Helder Rodrigues 32th +9:56'49 TEAM HRC This has been a really important race for us. Paulo has won the championship and he’s won the race. I think we won almost every day and I think it’s been perfect. It’s a great start for the Dakar and we will go into it with a lot of strength. Katsumi Yamazaki TEAM HRC Dakar Project Leader We have won this race and I’m really pleased! The race was really fantastic and exciting. Marvelous. It’s been a great success for Honda and for the new Honda CRF450 RALLY. I’m very pleased and very proud of the team. Not only the riders, but also the mechanics, engineers.....everyone. I’m very happy. Martino Bianchi TEAM HRC General Manager It was a very successful race for Honda. We have won five stages out of six, and we’ve won the world title, and the Morocco Rally. We finished first with Paulo Gonçalves and third with Joan Barreda. It was a great team effort -specially from the riders of Team Speedbrain with which we had a great collaboration since the beginning of our new adventure-, and a very good test for the Dakar. Also, with the new CRF450 RALLY we have proved that this machine is on the highest level of the Rally World Championship. I want to also thank all the riders, mechanics and team staff for their work and their huge success.
Joan Barreda took the honors in the fifth stage of the OiLibya Morocco Rally, the third so far in this race and the fifth consecutive victory for the Honda CRF450 RALLY which is proving to be of the highest level winning everything since the competition began. The Spanish rider showed himself to be on top form and in doing so returns to the top of the overall leaderboard. His TEAM HRC team-mate, Paulo Gonçalves finished a tricky stage but manages to keep his title hopes alive as we go into tomorrow’s special, the last of the rally. Spanish rider Joan Barreda’s victory came after the longest stage so far in the rally. Today turned out to be a tough ride for all the team due to a particularly dusty special on route to the dunes. Barreda really put the Honda CRF450 RALLY through its paces to take the best time, some 4 minutes 15 seconds ahead of TEAM HRC team-mate Sam Sunderland. The second place gives the British rider his best result so far in the rally. Paulo Gonçalves did an impeccable job of keeping his nearest rival in the championship in check. He started out first today, opening the way, and only managed to concede 2'26”. The Portuguese rider is now right behind Barreda in the overall standings. Team-mate Hélder Rodrigues finished in seventh place after starting the special from third position. Javier Pizzolito was unable to start this morning after the race doctor ruled him out of rally. Yesterday’s fall caused Javier to suffer a perforated muscle in his left leg. Joan Barreda 1st 03:17'35 TEAM HRC It was a difficult day. There was a lot of dust and it was really hard to overtake. In the end I got a good result but it was difficult to get past Olivier Pain. After refuelling I set a good pace and continued to push until the end. It’s really important to win the race for Honda; let’s see if Paulo can win the championship. At the moment we are well on the way. We are in a great position for tomorrow, and we hope it all goes well. We know that we are at a good level, that the bike is going really well, and we are in with a shout. We’ve got to work hard in the next two months but I’m sure that we can get a good result in the next Dakar. Sam Sunderland 2nd +4'15 TEAM HRC There was a lot of dust on the track until we got to the refuelling. I think that it went well from then on. I thought that I had some kind of problem, so I had to stop to take a look, so I lost a bit of time, but it has been a good day all round. Very good for Honda. It’s been long and hard, but it’s been good. I’m getting better at the navegating, and I’m improving constantly. Paulo Goncalves 5th +6'46 TEAM HRC I think that I rode a really good special. I led the way until kilometre 260 when my CAP stopped working. Marc passed me and I figured that I had lost about 20 minutes of the difference from when we set out. There’s one day to go. Let’s see how it plays out.
It’s as good a start as it gets for the Honda CRF450 with four wins out of four stages of the OiLibya Morocco Rally. The second half of the OiLibya Morocco Rally was a long and arduous stage, but one of great satisfaction for Team HRC. The move from Zagora to Erfoud brought a fine victory for the team with Paulo Gonçalves winning his second day as well as taking the overall leadership, bringing the Honda CRF450 RALLY tally to four straight wins. In addition Hélder Rodrigues made a return to front with a third place on the day. Paulo Gonçalves stated that he was very pleased with his performance in the rally, not just for having got through a long and tricky course, but also for getting back on top of the overall leaderboard. The day turned out to be one of heavy navigation, in which the Portuguese rider set off at a great pace in persuit of his main championship rival, crossing the Erfoud finishing line in victorious fashion. Likewise, his fellow Portuguese TEAM HRC rider Hélder Rodrigues had a smile back on his face after having getting over a couple of eventful days. Hélder took the third fastest time in the special. British rider Sam Sunderland also did well in the special finishing in fifth place after starting out in third. Joan Barreda started the day well, but lost all the advantage that he had built up over the other riders trying to find a hidden waypoint. In the end the Spanish rider came in seventh place. Argentinian Javier Pizzolito was struck by a similar fate, falling while in search of an obligatory passing point and digging a stone in his right leg. Even so, he was still able to take eighth spot, but will not start tomorrow because the medical staff give not him the permission for safety reason. Paulo Goncalves 1st 3:01'49 TEAM HRC Today was a very important and long stage. A lot of dust, rocks, fast track, but in the end it turned out well for me and for the Honda CRF450 RALLY. I won the rally and we are in a great overall position. There’s two days left and you never know what is going to happen. We have to stay really focussed. Helder Rodrigues 3rd +5'56 TEAM HRC There was a lot of navegation today, with potholes and some technical zones. I pushed hard all morning to get to the head of the race. I’m happy with my third place. Marc and Paulo are fighting for the championship but I’m not in the running. I do my job without making any mistakes. I’m happy with the bike; it’s good and fast and the team are really doing well. Sam Sunderland 5th +7'46 TEAM HRC It’s been a good stage. I was going really well until the refuelling then I got on the wrong path and couldn’t find the waypoint, so I was forced to go back and make a check. After that I pushed hard to try and catch up with the lads, because Paulo and Coma had overtaken me. I was fast and I think that I did a good job overall. The bike is going really well and I’m very happy. Joan Barreda 7th +9'37 TEAM HRC This fourth stage could have been better, but it was a good day with a lot of tough navegating which I managed well with a good steady pace. I had a hard time finding one of the waypoints when Pablo appeared. After that I made it to the line really pushing hard. I’m pleased overall. Javier Pizzolito 8th +16'14 TEAM HRC Today was a really complicated stage with some problems with the GPS from the start. I fell in a rocky area, and damaged the bike quite a bit. It came off much worse than it should have for a bump of that size.
Three stages of the Morocco Rally completed, and three wins for the Honda CRF450 RALLY in the bag. Joan Barreda came in first today and retakes top-spot on the overall leaderboard. TEAM HRC team-mate Sam Sunderland ran the fourth fastest time and Paulo Gonçalves finished sixth and is second in the overall standings. Joan 'Bang Bang' Barreda once again proves that he’s a force to be reckoned with. The Spanish rider appeared to be at ease even on such a navigationally tricky stage as today’s. Erg Cheggaga and Lago Iriki gave him the chance to really put the Honda CRF450 RALLY through its paces. The rider from Castellón thus takes back the top position on the leaderboard. British rider Sam Sunderland too, was pleased to be back in the dunes, finishing in a fine fourth position which keeps him in fifth overall place after three days of racing. Portuguese Paulo Gonçalves had his work cut out as he started the special from the front, but in spite of this was able to finish in good sixth place. Gonçalves is now second in the overall standings. TEAM HRC has once again kept its components up in the top eight overall positions, with Argentine Javier Pizzolito putting in a fine performance in eighth place and Hélder Rodrigues ninth, penalized with an fifteen place start after an electrical problem yesterday, which saw him forced to overtake various riders amidst the heavy dust that they were generating. Joan Barreda Joan Barreda 1st 2:43'57 TEAM HRC It’s incredible to get a third win for Honda in this rally. We are really pleased. Today has been a very important day for us and we’ve made up a lot of time. Especially for Paulo who had an excellent stage, and who’s doing extremely well looking to win the championship. Sam Sunderland 4th +4'43 TEAM HRC It’s been a great day. Fortunately for me it was with the dunes which is what I like. There were some very fast zones and I had to be really careful in the last few kilometres, which were very dangerous with a lot of dust. The bike is going really well and I’m pleased as it’s getting better and better. This is very positive for the coming Dakar. Paulo Goncalves 6th +7'44 TEAM HRC I’m very happy with today’s special. I opened the way for the whole day with 70 km off-road and 50 km of dunes, setting the pace with a good speed. Tomorrow will be a stage to try and make up some time. The bike has been incredible. I’ve been amazed at its performance in the race so far and it just keeps getting better and better. Javier Pizzolito 7th +8'25 TEAM HRC It’s been a nice third stage, with a lot of sand and navigation, the way I like it. At first there was a lot of dust but I don’t think that it set me back very much. I had a good stage near Caselli and I think that it’s been good stage on the whole. Helder Rodrigues 8th +8'27 TEAM HRC A very dusty, but a good stage. I started from behind and had to stay back there for about 50 km unable to overtake for all the dust. Later I picked up the pace a bit but I knew that I wouldn’t be able to do a very good special. Tomorrow I start from behind, but I’ll try and make up some time.
TEAM HRC continues to lead the Morocco Rally. In a 298 km second stage, including 240 against the clock, 'Speedy' Gonçalves carved out an amazing victory that places hims at the top of the leaderboard. The other TEAM HRC riders put in fine performances too, with Sam Sunderland third and Joan Barreda in fifth. Another day, another type of rally. After the sand and dunes of yesterday’s opening stage, today saw an entire day of rocky mountain terrain with a lot of navigation. Joan Barreda started out first and rode a fine race, although this allowed the other riders to follow his tracks and thus gain time. His colleague TEAM HRC rider Paulo Gonçalves, seemed at ease on his Honda CRF450 RALLY and kept up the consistency in the first leg, before pushing hard in the later stages. Around Zagora he was practically unbeatable. Gonçalves finds himself leading in the overall standings after two days of rally. British rider Sam Sunderland also put in a fine performance, overcoming a slight navigational error early on in the special and finishing in third. Joan Barreda’s fifth place leaves him behind Gonçalves in the overall standings. A good all-round team effort. The tough rocky terrain suited much less Argentine Javier Pizzolito, who is looking forward again to the sand and dunes, where he hopes to better today’s seventh place. Finally, Hélder Rodrigues, who set out from fourth position suffered an electronic failure some fifteen km from the end of the stage. Paulo Goncalves 1st 2:50'22 TEAM HRC It was a mountain and rocky stage with a lot of navigation. I think I did well trying to stay on course. The Honda CRF450 RALLY never ceases to amaze me. In the hard terrain the traction is very important and it’s been great to see how it handles the curves. Let’s see how the next four days play out in this tough rally. Sam Sunderland 3rd +2'09 TEAM HRC A very tough one today with loads of navigation and a lot of rocks. I kept up a great speed until the end after I had a small error near the start. I lost a little time but after was able to push hard. I navigated well and I’m happy. Joan Barreda 5th +3'45 TEAM HRC I’m very pleased. Having two fast riders like Marc and Paulo behind pushing all day, means that I’ve got to be happy with the result. There was a lot of difficult navigation and I had to mark out the route up front. Tomorrow I start behind them so hopefully I’ll catch up and we can stay together. Javier Pizzolito 7th +6'52 TEAM HRC We’ve finished a really hard, complicated stage with a lot of rocks. I’m getting used to that type of terrain now. It’s been a very positive stage and the idea was to not lose time. I think if I keep up this pace I should be able to make it up among the leaders.
'Bang Bang' Barreda made a spectacular come-back to the World Championship, with a win in the first stage of the Morocco Rally after setting a cracking pace from start to finish. An awesome victory for the Honda CRF450 RALLY which also saw five of its riders finish in the top seven on the day. Paulo Gonçalves and Hélder Rodrigues came in third and fourth, while Javier Pizzolito and Sam Sunderland finished sixth and seventh. Nobody, least of all, Joan Barrera, was prepared to hold back in this, the first of the Morocco Rally. The Spanish rider clearly set out to win. In spite of a slight initial error early on whilst crossing the Cheggaga dunes, the rider from Castellón clocked up the fastest times and finished the fastest overall, over three minutes ahead of the second place rival. Paulo Goncalves headed off from a good starting position, although he had a tough job with the amount of dust generated by riders up ahead. In spite of this, he was able to keep up a fine pace, getting on extremely well with the CRF450 RALLY, and finishing in third, thus proving that the new bike is a force to be reckoned with. After the first way-point there were three HRC riders, Barreda, Rodrigues and Goncalves, in the first three places. Given that we are only in the first of six stages of the Morocco Rally, Hélder Rodrigues decided not to take any risks. The Portuguese rider scored the fourth fastest time of the day at 6'13” from the winner Barreda. Team HRC Argeninian rider Javier Pizzolito, finished in sixth place, and also had nothing but praise for the hardware that took him there. Pizzolito put in a very reliable performance, since his starting position also meant that he had to put up with a lot of the dust generated by the riders ahead. Sam Sunderland also put in a good performance without too much loss of time. He finished 11'09” behind Barreda, just 30 seconds after Pizzolito. Joan Barreda 1st 2:25'40 Team HRC The truth is that I’m very pleased with the opening stage, and although there is still a long way to go, I managed to keep up a good rhythm and only made a slight mistake in the dunes. I had to go back one kilometre, but I was lucky enough that the arrow on the GPS opened up right away. After I was able to set a good steady pace. Paulo Goncalves 2nd +03'09 Team HRC I had to ride in a lot of difficulty but at times being behind helped me out. The most important thing today was to make it through, and build confidence for the next few days. I’ve got to say that I’m really thrilled with the new CRF450 RALLY which went perfectly. I love this bike more and more every day. It really hit it off and I’m sure that it go well in the next couple of stages. Helder Rodrigues 4rt +06'13 TEAM HRC Today was the first day of rally and I think that it’s gone really well until now. I pushed hard, but not only because it was the first day. The great thing is that I didn’t lose too much time with the first riders, but I think that I did a great job of finishing in a good overall position. Javier Pizzolito 6th +10'32 TEAM HRC I’m very happy with the first stage. The bike gave me some really good sensations. It really has a superior mechanics to the previous one, and I’m sure we can do something with this. I’m getting used to the race, the bike and I hope to finish in a good position Sam Sunderland 7th +11'09 Team HRC Rally I had a good day and took it quite steady in the dust. The bike worked great. I stayed safe and tried to hit my navigation good and stay out of the dust and avoid the dangers. It all went pretty good and overall I’m pretty happy.
After the World premiere held this week of the new Honda CRF 450 RALLY bike, now it’s time for some action. For first time the entire TEAM HRC will be riding the new CRF450 RALLY in an international competition – The OiLibya Morocco Rally - which begins next Monday, and forms the final round of the World Championship Cross-Country Rallies. Earlier this week, the team was able to interact with the new Honda CRF450 RALLY for the first time during the official photo shoot, shortly before beginning a race that will challenge the riders and the new bike. The feedback after each race day will be very important for HRC engineers in the coming weeks ahead of the team's preparation for the Dakar '14 Rally. In The OiLibya Morocco Rally, both HRC teams will be present with a
total of five riders: Helder Rodrigues (Portugal), Sam Sunderland (Great
Britain), Javier Pizzolito (Argentina), Joan Barreda (Spain) and Paulo
Goncalves (Portugal). Katsumi Yamazaki Katsumi Yamazaki Team HRC- Project Leader Honda have developed a new bike which is completely different: a new engine, new chassis and new plastics. Our machine preparation is almost perfect so far. Good handling, good performance, good reliability, good design also. I'm looking to the OiLibya Rally and make sure our bikes perform and have good reliability. Regarding our team staff: we have five riders, five mechanics and one chief mechanic. Team structure is much better than last year. Our team work is getting better day by day and I'm very happy right now. Martino Bianchi Martino Bianchi Team HRC- General Manager This Oilybia Marocco Rally is very important for Team HRC in order to test the new team structure and the new bike. We'll test all five riders, the team combination, new bike settings and durability so it's a very important week for us because we stay also for the Merzouga Rally. All October is quite tough month for the team in order to be ready for the Dakar. It's a very important preparation for the Dakar '14.
The first series of tests throughout August and early September of the all-new Honda CRF450 RALLY have been completed by TEAM HRC Rally as the team and its five riders prepare for the forthcoming Dakar. TEAM HRC's riders, led by Helder Rodrigues, Joan Barreda and Paulo Goncalves, put the new bike through its paces in the Californian desert near Barstow alongside Sam Sunderland and Javier Pizzolito, with the assistance of expert American rider Johnny Campbell. The CRF450 RALLY has been rebuilt from the ground up based on the demands arising from the last edition of the Dakar '13. The brand new machine and the official HRC riders will make their debut in the next Oilibya Maroc Rally to be held in Morocco from 13th to 19th October. Katsumi Yamazaki - TEAM HRC Rally director We are really happy with the way the tests have gone until now. We have reached all the goals which we set ourselves at the start of this new project. The new CRF450 RALLY is lighter, more powerful, reliable and handles well and easier. We now have another month of intensive tests and racing in Morocco to fine tune a few final details, but the immediate feedback from all the riders for the new machine was extremely positive.
Team HRC ready to go Tomorrow it will be time for the proper race to begin and a crowd is gathering as Lima is starting to live the Dakar experience. On the seafront, next to the Magdalena beach, the Harbour Area is filling up and feeling like a bivouac. Team HRC was among the firsts to pass successfully the technical and administrative scruteneering. All the technical and logistics details have been followed with special care: from the meticulous preparation of the bikes and the assistance vehicles, to the riders training, to the strong image that characterizes the Team HRC working area made of 13 vehicles and an experienced crew of 36 people representing 11 different nationalities. The wait is over for the Honda factory team that returns on the Dakar after 24 years and an overall record of 5 victories in 9 events (1981-89). Team HRC will compete the 35th edition of the Dakar with Portuguese Helder Rodrigues, Argentinian Javier Pizzolito and American Johnny Campbell, instead of the original 5-rider line up due to the incidents to Brazilian Felipe Zanol and Brit Sam Sunderland during the last pre-Dakar test, that took place in the Mojave Desert in California at the beginning of December. While the two injured riders continue their recovery, the team is very motivated to tackle the world’s toughest off road competition also for the two team mates that had to withdraw. Helder Rodrigues: “I feel well and I’m very motivated to do a great race for Honda and the Team. We have been working very hard and the machine has made a huge progress in just 6 months of work. Compared to Morocco, my CRF 450 Rally has improved a lot in terms of engine power, suspensions and chassis. I’m focused on my race and after two podium finishes in the last two Dakar editions my target is to improve my result”. Javier Pizzolito: “I’m very happy with the machine, on the 1st of January we did the final shakedown of the bike and the last specs we used in the US tests worked very well in Peru. I was impressed by the logistics and the organization of the team. The atmosphere in the team is very good and I hope we can have a good Dakar as a team. This is my 4th Dakar and I’m very motivated. I will help Helder to fight for the first position and I will try to put my CRF 450Rally as much on top of the standing as possible”. Johnny Campbell: “I have tested the bike a lot since the last US test, the machine has made a good progress as a whole package (chassis, engine, suspension,) and I’m very comfortable with my CRF 450Rally. I’m focused and excited to be part of Team HRC on this important project”. Katsumi Yamzaki: “After Morocco Rally, where the machine was at 70% of development, we focused on getting more power and having a good durability. We made a lot of modifications to the aerodynamics and many other details in order to improve the machine drivability but also engine power. Now the machine is ready to compete on the Dakar rally and we are all very excited with this new adventure. Unfortunately Felipe and Sam won’t be able to compete due to the injures in the last US test, but they are part of the team and we will tackle the Dakar as a team with Helder, Javier and Johnny supported by an experienced staff made of 36 people also for them. Team work is the key for such a long and demanding Rally and we will fight for the win”.
The second stage of the 35th edition of the Dakar was a loop that started and finished in Pisco. Competitors experienced a 100% sandy stage characterized by fast tracks at the beginning and then, from km 145, big dunes and dunes “cassées” that made the challenge even more demanding. A 242 km special stage in deep sand was particularly demanding for the machines, especially for fuel consumption with one refuelling point at km 81 in the liaison, 4 km before the start of the special stage. The day looked promising for the Team HRC riders and Helder Rodrigues, started 29th , used all his experience to attack in the dunes picking up the 4th position at the CP1 (km 160). Helder continued to push aiming to finish in the first positions but unfortunately his machine ran out of fuel at 4 km to the finish line. Thanks to the team work, Javier Pizzolito gave his fuel to the team mate and both Helder and Javier arrived together at the end of the stage. Spanish Joan Barreda won today’s stage in front of Juan Pedrero and team mate Matt Fish and is now leading the overall standing with an advantage of 5’35 on Ruben Faria and 6’36 on Juan Pedrero, third. Helder Rodrigues SS2 15th +10’32, 15th in the Overall : “At the beginning there was a lot of dust but in the dunes I attacked recovering many positions. At one point in the stage I was third and I pushed till the end to assure me a good result but at 4 km to go, I ran out of fuel and had to wait for Pizzolito who gave me his fuel. I’m disappointed but the Dakar is still long”. Johnny Campbell SS2 33th +19’53, 35th in the Overall: “It was a 100% sandy stage, with some difficult dunes as they were very steep in the back and I had to be careful with the gas. Like many of us I lost some precious time at km 74 to validate the waypoint, then I found the correct direction and I caught several riders. I stopped to help Juan Carlos (Salvatierra), Honda private rider from Bolivia and then I continued. In the last 30 km it was a good fun to battle with 5 riders as we were attacking and passing each other back and forth”. Javier Pizzolito SS2 49th + 27’05, 39th in the Overall : “I liked the dunes so it was a good stage for me but I made a navigation mistake at km 79 that made me loose some time and I also did 20 km more so I had to continue with an eye to the fuel consumption. At the end I found Helder and helped him by giving him some of my fuel”. Unofficial Lap times SS2: Provisional Overall Standing
The Dakar marathon continues heading south reaching Nazca, famous for its enigmatic lines designing geometric shapes, animals and human figures visible only from the sky. It was another demanding day for the riders with a 243-km long stage, characterized by fast tracks split by big dunes of white sands that are similar to the Mauritanian desert for their softness and difficulty, it is very easy to get stuck in this sand. Chaleco Lopez claimed today’s stage win, gaining his second stage victory for this 2013 Dakar, ahead of Paolo Goncalves and Cyril Despres, who leads the general classification by 2'51" over Francisco López, second and 4’59” over Ullevalseter, third. It was a positive day for Javier Pizzolito, who secured his position in the top 10, finishing 7’39” behind the stage winner, while it was a difficult stage for his team mates, with Helder Rodrigues finishing 33rd because of a fuel problem that made him lose almost 20 minutes after a strong performance in the dunes that saw the Honda rider catching Cyril Despres. A tough day also for Johnny Campbell who was obliged to stop at km 20 of the special as a result of a mechanical problem. Johnny succeeded in repairing the machine and continued his race, but lost a lot of time and energy in the heat of the Nazca Desert, finishing 158th. Javier Pizzolito SS3 10th +7’08”, 21st in the Overall: “I started 50th and there was a lot of dust and fech fech at the beginning so I tried to do more “off piste” to recover positions. When the way was clear I started to push and finishing 10th is a good result. It was a varied stage with some hard ground, fast track, big soft dunes and fech fech. I’m confident for tomorrow and my target is to do a good team result”. Helder Rodrigues SS3 33rd +25’24, 28th in the Overall: “It was another difficult day for me. At the beginning there was a lot of dust and fech fech so I couldn’t attack. Then I started to push and in the middle of the stage I caught Cyril. I was aiming to get a good result but I suffered again a fuel issue and I lost almost 20 minutes. It’s a real pity but Dakar is still long and we will work with the team to try and find some solutions”. Johnny Campbell SS3 158th +4h19’39, 146th in the Overall: “It was supposed to be a short day but it became a long one for me. Early in the stage the bike had some hesitations and at km 20 I had to stop and diagnose the problem. It was an issue with the fuel pump and I had to replace it. It took me a long time to fix the problem. Then the bike was ok but after 140 km i was struggling again with the machine so I had to ride conservative to finish the stage and arrive at the bivouac”. Henk Hellegers, Team HRC Manager: “It has been a difficult start for Team HRC, especially for Helder. Yesterday and today’s stages were two very long special in the deep dunes and hot temperature. We will analyse the information and will look for a solution to give Helder, Javier and Johnny the best possible bike”. Javier Pizzolito is now 21st in the Overall standing, while two problems in the second and third stage obliged Helder to concede 24’58” to the leader Cyril Despres. Johnny drops from 35th to 146th overall position. Unofficial Lap times SS3 Overall Standing
With 720 km to cover, this was the longest stage since the start of the 2013 Dakar. The route for cars and bikes was slightly different this time. It was a spectacular stage with a sandy start with dunes following one another, each one like the next in a never ending desert capable of misleading even the more expert riders. Different from the first two stages there was a mix of rocks and sands and crossing dry rivers with tricky navigation. Competitors also tackled an incredible 2 km slide downhill in the first third of the stage. All Team HRC riders did a great job regaining valuable positions with Helder Rodrigues finishing 5th in the special and sits now 16th in the overall, climbing 12 positions. Argentinian Javier Pizzolito continues to improve consistently and today he secured the 7th position and is now 15th the general classification After the problem suffered yesterday, Johnny Campbell gave an incredible performance, gaining positions and finishing 38th. Helder Rodrigues SS4 5th +11’43”, 16th in the Overall: "I’m pleased with today’s stage. My bike worked well and I was able to gain valuable positions and close the gap with the front riders a little. I started 23rd and there was a lot of dust and fech fech at the beginning but then I started to push and I’m happy with the result. Tomorrow I aim to continue like this and climb some more positions in the overall standing. Dakar is a special race and many unforeseen events may happen, so it’s important to maintain the concentration and avoid mistakes, especially in the navigation”. Javier Pizzolito SS4 7th +12’32”, 15th in the Overall: I’m very pleased with the bike, it worked very well and I was very comfortable. It was a varied stage with dunes but also rocky terrain and tricky navigation. I’m very happy with my result that allows me to gain some valuable positions in the standing. All in all it was a very good stage for me and for the team”. Johnny Campbell SS4 38th +37’11”, 120th in the Overall: “I started at the back so I struggled with the dust, especially at the beginning. I stopped to help Pedrero who had crashed in the rocks and then I continued. I also crashed due to a hole while I was riding downhill, fortunately without serious consequences. Now my ribs are sore but I was able to finish the stage without problems”. Tomorrow the race will leave Peru and enter Chile reaching Arica. The first bike will start at 08:30 for a 135 km special and 275 liaison. SS4 Unofficial Lap Times 1.Barreda (Husqvarna); 2.Pain (Yamaha) +8.23”, 3.Casteu (Yamaha) +10’42”, 4.Farres (Honda) +11’40”, 5.Rodrigues Team HRC (Honda) +11’43” … 7. Pizzolito Team HRC (Honda) +12’32, 38. Campbell Team HRC (Honda) +37’11 Overall Classification 1. Pain (Yamaha), 2. Casteu (Yamaha) +2’24” , 3. Depres (KTM) +3’09, 4.Barreda (Husqvarna) +5’38”, 5. Viladoms (Husqvarna) +7’22”……. 15. Pizzolito Team HRC (Honda) +19’12”, 16. Rodrigues Team HRC (Honda) +22’15, 120.Campbell Team HRC (Honda) + 4h53’29
The Dakar Rally enters Chile and the difference is visible in terms of the scenery and the average speed recorded at the end of the stage. Riders tackled mountains rocky paths today reaching 2,200 meters before riding downhill for a 136-km long stage. It was a very demanding stage from a physical point of view especially in the stony sections and in the river bed crossings. Team HRC Riders started this relatively short stage with the target to close the gap from the front riders but without taking too many risks. It was a tight battle at the front with French David Casteu winning the stage 1'09" ahead of Olivier Pain and 3'25" in front of Alessandro Botturi. Cyril Despres finished in fourth place, 4'07'' behind his countryman,
whilst Helder Rodrigues was eighth, 4'52" behind the stage winner. Argentinian Pizzolito now sits in 11th place overall (25’45” behind Pain who maintains the lead) followed by his team mate Helder Rodrigues, 12th at 25’58”. Johnny Campbell sits in 98th place. Helder Rodrigues, SS5 8th +4’52”, 12th in the Overall: “It was a technical stage with lots of fech fech mixed with rocks, some fast “off piste” and then we climbed on rocky trails up to 2,000 meters. As it was a short stage, my strategy was not to push too much, so that tomorrow I can start in 8th position and I can attack focusing on recovering positions. My CRF 450 rally worked well today and I’m satisfied with today’s performance”. Javier Pizzolito SS5 18th +7’42”, 11th in the Overall: “The final stage in Peru was short but very technical. I didn’t push too much as this was not a stage where you could recover many positions. I’m focusing on the first stage in Chile tomorrow where we will face sand and dunes of the Atacama desert”. Johnny Campbell SS5 24th +14’50”, 98th in the Overall: “At the beginning there was a lot of fech fech mixed with stones so I rode more conservative, then we had a challenging hill climb on rocky mountains trails. Riding downhill, we faced tricky river crossings with lots of ditches. I was not comfortable in the first part of the stage, but after km 50, when we got some fast hard terrain, it was more a “Baja style” ride and I could ride more on full gas”. Unofficial Results SS5 Overall Classification. 1Pain (Yamaha), 2. Casteu (Yamaha) +1’15”
This first special stage held in Chile took the competitors to the Atacama desert, a plateau that covers a 600-mile strip of land on the Pacific coast west of the Andes Mountains, famous for the torrid temperatures, sand dunes and salt lakes. The Dakar is getting tougher and tougher and riders faced today a 455-km stage, split in two parts by 100 km of liaison. The first stage was characterized by big rolling dunes at the sea level, while the second part climbed up to 3,200 meters, before reaching the mining town of Calama at 2,200 meters of altitude. Overall it was a very long day that stressed the competitors’ bodies as well as the machines. Endurance alone is not sufficient as riders need to focus always at their road books and ride with an accurate navigation. Chilean rider Chaleco Lopez won the first fully Chilean special stage of the year in front Portuguese Ruben Faria (2’34 behind) and Cyril Despres, third at 03’48, while Helder Rodrigues finished 7th , 06’.58” behind the stage winner. Argentinian Javier Pizzolito rode with a good pace and finished 16th, 11’37” from Lopez. It was a positive day for Johnny Campbell in 24th, still suffering from sore ribs. With today’s results Helder Rodrigues gained some valuable positions and sits in 9th place overall, Javier Pizzolito in 13th and Johnny Campbell in 77th, due the problem he had on the third stage. Helder Rodrigues SS6 7th +06’58”, 9th in the Overall: “It was a long stage and climbing uphill we had the first taste of the altitude. Tomorrow it will be tougher as the stage will be averagely between 3,400 and 4,000 meters. With 4 hours sleep last night, it will be important to have a good rest and be ready for tomorrow’s marathon stage”. Javier Pizzolito SS6 16th +11’37”, 13th in the Overall: “I rode consistently without taking too many risks as it is still a long race and it’s important not to make mistakes. I enjoyed particularly the sandy dunes and I’m ready for tomorrow’s marathon stage”. Johnny Campbell SS6 24th +23’41”, 77th in the Overall: “I enjoyed the big rolling dunes in the first part of the stage. In the second part the machine started to feel the altitude and I also could feel it, as it was more difficult to breath. It will important now to take a good rest as tomorrow we will climb up to 4,975 metres”. Unofficial Lap Times SS6 1 Lopez (KTM), 2. Faria (KTM) + 2’34”, 3. Despres (KTM) +3’48” … 7. Rodrigues Team HRC (Honda) +6’58, 16. Pizzolito Team HRC (Honda) +11’37, 24. Campbell Team HRC (Honda) +23’41” Overall Classification: 1. Pain (Yamaha) 2. Despres (KTM) +2’22”, 3. Casteu (Yamaha) +4’48”…. 9.Rodrigues Team HRC (Honda) +25’23”, 13. Pizzolito Team HRC (Honda) +29’49”, 77. Campbell Team HRC (Honda) +5h23’18.
The Dakar circus crossed the Andes Mountains for the first time this year and entered Argentina. The first riders left Calama at 04:30 am this morning to tackle the Andes in a convoy on road section reaching the record altitude of 4,975 metres. The 218-km long stage, that took place after having crossed the Andes on mountain tracks above 3,400 meters, was quite simple in terms of navigation but very fast. Besides the altitude, that stressed the riders’ stamina as well as the machines, the key point today was a tactical ride in order to save the bike and the tyres for this first part of the marathon stage. Riders will in fact sleep in a separate bivouac tonight located in Cachi, where no assistance is allowed. Riders will check the bikes by themselves, they will do the necessary repairs with the tools they brought with them and can help each other. The 7th stage was won by Kurt Caselli, who replaced Marc Coma, injured, ahead of Chaleco Lopez and Olivier Pain, who maintains the lead in the overall classification in front of Chaleco Lopez, second at 6’06” and David Casteu, third at 06’37”. Team HRC riders rode more conservatively today in order to save the machines and the tyres and to be in their best shape for tomorrow 492-km special stage. Argentinian Javier Pizzolito finished 16th and sits now in 12th place overall, 35’07” from Pain, while team mate Helder Rodrigues finished 19th and is now in 11th position, 31’32” behind the leader. A conservative ride also for Johnny Campbell, 70th, who didn’t push too hard in order to save the machine and the tyres. Javier Pizzolito, SS7 16th +6’41”, 12th Overall: “It was a long day and it was cold when we reached the top at 4,975 meters. The stage was very fast but easy in terms of navigation. Now I will work on the bike and I will rest because tomorrow is an important stage”. Helder Rodrigues, SS7 19th +7’32”, 11th Overall: “It was a simple stage but very fast, I rode with a good pace but I didn’t want to take too many risks as I plan to attack tomorrow. My bike worked well and I am confident for tomorrow”. Johnny Campbell SS7 70th +33’51 77th Overall: “we left the sands and dunes of Peru and Chile and today it was a complete different landscape. We could feel the altitude, but all in all it was fine. Now we will work on the machine to be ready for tomorrow’s 492-km long special stage. SS7 Unofficial Lap Times 1. Caselli (KTM) ; 2. Lopez (KTM) +1’23, 3. Pain (Yamaha) +1’23”, 4. Verhoeven (Yamaha) +1’30, 5. Faria (KTM) +2’30 ...16. Pizzolito Team HRC (Honda) + 6’41,19.Rodrigues Team HRC (Honda) +7’32, 70. Campbell Team HRC (Honda) +33’51 Overall Classification 1. Pain (Yamaha), 2. Lopez (KTM) +6’06, 3. Casteu (Yamaha) +6’37, 4.Faria (KTM) +9’42, 5. Despres (KTM) +14’07 … 11. Rodrigues Team HRC (Honda) +31’32. 12. Pizzolito Team HRC (Honda) +35’07, 77. Campbell Team HRC (Honda) +5h55’46
The 8th stage was divided into 2 special stages, split by a neutralisation section. Because of yesterday's heavy rain, the first timed section was cancelled for bikes, cars and trucks so the total timed section today was reduced from the original 492 km to183 km. Riders continued their marathon stage from Cachi, a separate bivouac where no assistance was allowed which meant they had to work on their bikes by themselves. With the first timed section cancelled, the first riders started for the second part of the special at noon, passing through canyons, river beds, green areas and fast tracks. Navigation was the key issue today as there were several river crossings with many different lines that could mislead the riders. Tricky navigation was complicated by the rain that started to fall during the stage. An incredible performance by American Johnny Campbell gained him second position, 7’04 behind Barreda who won today’s stage. Johnny felt at home on the fast tracks similar to the California desert. Starting from the back, he found the correct direction while navigation mistakes spoiled today’s stage for Rodrigues and Pizzolito. Rodrigues finished 10th and drops into 14th position overall, while Javier finished 25th but moves 2 positions up to 10th overall. Johnny Campbell SS8 2nd +07.04", 66th overall: “It was a nice stage, I started from the back and it was kind of challenging in the “off piste”, but when we arrived on the hard pack, there were very fast tracks like navigating in the California desert and it felt like home. Finishing 2nd after the long marathon stage is a very good result”. Helder Rodrigues SS8 10th +15’57", 14th overall: “Dakar is like this, today the navigation was very difficult and I lost valuable time with a mistake. At km 400 I went on the right while everybody else went on the left, I rode for 10 km alone, there were no marks and I started to doubt myself, so I changed direction and I caught up everybody, that were lost. This was a wrong decision and this mistake spoiled my stage result. It’s a real pity but this is the human side of the Dakar challenge”. Javier Pizzolito 25th +20’38”, 10th overall: “The rain complicated a lot of the first part of the stage, navigation today was very difficult and I got lost like many of the riders. Once I caught Helder, I followed him, finding the right way. All in all being 10th overall after the first 8 stages is a good result. Now I look forward to the rest day and then more desert stages ahead”. Today’s result are subject to change because the jury is still evaluating the possibility to cancel the final part of the stage with the results being taken at CP2. SS8 Unofficial results: 1.Barreda (Husqvarna), 2. Campbell Team HRC (Honda) +07’04 3.Jakes (KTM) +07’57 4. Bianchi Prata (Husqvarna) +11’10, 5.Guindani (Yamaha) … 10.Rodrigues Team HRC (Honda) +15’57”, 25.Pizzolito Team HRC (Honda) +20’38. Overall results: 1. Casteau (Yamaha) 2. Despres (KTM) +9’26” 3.Faria (KTM) 11’16” 4.Lopez (KTM) 12’00” 5.Pain (Yamaha) 16’10”… 10. Pizzolito Team HRC (Honda) +34’55, 14. Rodrigues Team HRC (Honda) +41’39, 66. Campbell Team HRC (Honda) +5h42’00
The Dakar circus has reached the green bivouac of San Miguel de Tucuman after 8 demanding stages that saw the riders tackling all kind of terrains, from the big dunes of the Peruvian desert to the arid landscape of Argentina, after having crossed the Andes Mountains with a stage in Chile. The Dakar has been tough from day 1 and as challenging and unpredictable as usual. Competitors are enjoying a well deserved rest day to recharge their batteries while the mechanics keep working on the bikes as the race is still long and open. Good team work for the HRC squad on their debut at the Dakar in South America. It's a new project, a new team and a new machine for HRC and on the rest day it’s time for assessment. Javier Pizzolito, 10th overall: “A 10th place overall is a good result for me. I have tried to ride consistently trying to respect the machine and my body because we still have 6 long days ahead. We have done good team work, supporting Helder and helping each other. We had several issues with the machine in the first stages, but were able to make adjustments to the bike and continue”. Helder Rodrigues, 13th overall: “Dakar is a long challenging race and you have to take it a day at a time. We had some problems on the second and third days that made us lose valuable time but the race is still open and I will continue to fight with the same great determination. As riders we have to maintain our concentration for many hours as we are alone in the desert, we need to trust ourselves, making the right decisions at the right time, being fast but with an eye always on the roadbook. Not only are we riders, we need to have mechanical skills to repair the machine if something happens in the stage. This is what makes the Dakar so special”. Johnny Campbell, 67th overall: “This first half of the race has been inconsistent for my positions and results, but this mainly because of the new team and my position as chase rider. In my career I have always been consistent whereas here I have finished 24th, 38th, 70th and yesterday second. The problem with the fuel system on day 3 spoiled my race as I lost more than 3 hours but the target was to finish the stage and support Helder, who is the more experienced and most competent rider in the team, despite my personal result”. Henk Hellegers, Team Manager: “we had some fueling issues on days 2 and 3 that had big consequences in terms of results as we lost a lot of time and contact with the front riders, but the riders did a very good team job helping each other. We are collecting data that will help us to continue the development of the machine and gaining experience for all kind of terrains and altitude as there is no test that can reproduce race conditions. This is a young project, that started only 6 months ago. Everyone is working hard and there is a lot of potential. The race is still open and we are confident that we can progress”.
After the rest day in Tucuman, Team HRC riders today tackled the longest stage of the Dakar 2013 with a 593-km long special split into 2 timed sections with 122 km of neutralised sector. Starting second, Johnny Campbell was able to take advantage of the fast tracks followed by a more technical part. He rode with a good consistent pace, finishing the first special in third position behind Despres and Barreda. Despite a small crash at the beginning of the second stage that made him stop to replace the front brake lever, he finished in the top ten. Team mate Rodrigues was 2nd at the CP1 but lost valuable time finishing 8th at the end of the first special stage, although he was able to recover in the second timed section. With today’s 5th position Helder moves up into 7th position overall, 31’23” behind Faria who leads the general classification. A difficult day for Javier Pizzolito who was not comfortable on the rocky terrain and preferred not to take too many risks. Finishing 26th overall, the Argentinian rider lost 2 positions and now sits in 12th place overall. Helder Rodrigues SS9 5th +8’47, 7th overall: “It was a long day, the navigation was not difficult but it was hard for the machine, the tyres and our bodies. I didn’t want to take too many risks as it was quite dangerous out there so I’m happy with my result”. Johnny Campbell SS9 10th +14’56, 52nd overall: "I was third at the end of the first special but I made a mistake at the beginning of the second stage that spoiled today’s result. I came into a corner too fast and I couldn’t slow down so I lost the bike and I crashed, breaking the front brake lever which I had to replace. My bike was also damaged at the back but I managed to make it to the end, despite the pain in my ribs. Today’s terrain was tough for the machine and the tyres, but our Pirelli tyres worked very well”. Javier Pizzolito SS9 26th +30’58, 12th overall: “It was a tricky and technical stage especially the rocky section in the mountains and I wasn’t comfortable so I preferred to ride safely and wait for the last part of the stage that had softer ground”. SS9 Unofficial results 1. Despres (KTM), 2, Barreda (Husqvarna) +04’03, 3.Botturi (Husqvarna) +5’14, 4.Faria (KTM) +7’47, 5.Rodrigues Team HRC (Honda) +08’47… 10. Johnny Campbell Team HRC (Honda) +14’56” 26.Javier Pizzolito Team HRC (Honda) +30’58” Overall standing: 1.Faria (KTM) 2.Despres (KTM) +5’23 3.Lopez (KTM) +09’03 4.Jakes (KTM) +16’56 5.Botturi (Husqvarna) +22’58… 7.Helder Rodrigues Team HRC (Honda) +31’23, 12. Javier Pizzolito Team HRC (Honda) +46’50, 52.Johnny Campbell Team HRC (Honda) 5h52’53
It was another long day for the Team HRC riders in the mountainous region that links Cordoba to La Rioja. Riders tackled first the rocky narrow tracks, like enduro racing, reaching almost 2,000 meters before dropping back down to 357 meters in La Rioja where the thermometer registered 50 degrees. All in all it was a technical and varied stage with twisty tracks mixed with fast hard pack paths. Starting 5th, Helder Rodrigues rode consistently in the first part of the stage and lost some time in the final section eventually finishing 9th, 09’34” behind stage winner Joan Barreda, who claimed his 4th Dakar stage victory. Argentinian Javier Pizzolito started 27th and fought against the dust, enabling him to recover positions once the track was clear, finishing 14th. It was a hard day for Johnny Campbell, who rode for 8 hours despite the intense pain due to yesterday’s injuries, complicated by another crash while crossing a river where the ground was particularly slippery. With 4 stages still to go, the race is still open and Helder Rodrigues gained another position in the overall standings and is now sitting in 6th place, 34’19” behind Cyril Despres who leads the general classification. Also Javier Pizzolito moves one position up, from 12th to 11th and the same for Johnny Campbell from 52nd to 51st. Helder Rodrigues, SS10 9th +9’34”, 6th overall: “It was a varied stage with some twisty paths in the mountains followed by some fast tracks with several dangers that were not signalled in the road book. I think starting 9th is not bad for tomorrow as it will be a sandy and more technical stage”. Javier Pizzolito, SS10 14th +12’56”, 11th overall: “I was slowed by the dust till km 100, then I managed to pass a couple of riders and with a clear path I was able to push till the end, gaining some positions”. Johnny Campbell SS10 21st +23’00”, 51st overall: “I would have liked to be on top form for today because the scenery was great. I liked the nice twisty mountain trail, but I was still suffering from yesterday’s injuries. Things got more complicated when I lost the bike crossing a river bed where the ground was very slippery. I tried to regain some strength in the liaison but riding for 8 hours is very demanding especially when you are not 100% and I had a lot of pain in my ribs”. SS10 Unofficial results: 1. Barreda (Husqvarna) 2. Despres (KTM) +1’15”, 3. Goncalves (Husqvarna) +2’44”, 4. Pedrero (KTM) +4’27, 5. Caselli (KTM) +6’56….9. Helder Rodrigues Team HRC (Honda) +9’34”, 14. Javier Pizzolito Team HRC (Honda) +12’56”, 21. Johnny Campbell Team HRC (Honda) +23’00 Overall Classification 1. Despres (KTM), 2. Faria (KTM) +1’37”, 3. Lopez (KTM) +13’41, 4.Jakes (KTM) +18’21” 5.Botturi (Husqvarna) +24’25” 6. Helder Rodrigues Team HRC (Honda) +34’19”, 11. Javier Pizzolito Team HRC (Honda) +53’08”, 52. Johnny Campbell Team HRC (Honda) +06h07’41”
Famous for its white sand dunes and its torrid temperatures, Fiambala is always a very special stage for the Dakar competitors. A cloudy sky with some rainfalls at the beginning of the day was a blessing for the riders that tackled todays’ stage characterized by sandy dunes mixed with some rocky paths and difficult navigation. Shortened by 30 km due to the bad weather conditions of the last few days over the region of Catamarca, today’s strategy for the HRC Team was to attack to close the gap from the front runners. Starting in 9th position, Helder Rodrigues gave a tremendous performance both in the first rocky part as well on the dunes, without making any navigation mistakes. He was 1st at CP1 and 2nd at CP2 but bad luck prevented him from a well deserved result that would have allowed him to make a big step forward towards the podium. A branch caught one of the wires of his bike and broke it. The bike stopped and it took Helder at least 48 minutes to find out the problem and repair it. Finishing 29th, Rodrigues lost 3 positions and now sits in 9th place overall. A navigation mistake at the start of the stage complicated today’s performance for team mate Javier Pizzolito, but the Argentinian was able to recover positions, finishing the stage in 21st position that assured him a place in the top 10 overall. Even if the sand was harder due to the rainfalls of the last few days, it was a very challenging stage for Johnny Campbell, who suffered a lot from the injuries of the previous stages. Despite the intense pain from suspected broken ribs, the “Baja 1000” legend finished 34th and sits now 45th in the overall standings. Javier Pizzolito SS11 21st +36’29”, 10th overall: “Everything is possible in Fiambala and the cloudy sky helped us a lot as it was not as hot as we expected. The navigation was very difficult today and I got lost with a bunch of riders at the beginning of the stage, where the path was rocky and there were a lot of tracks. It took us a while to find the first way point, but afterwards I took my rhythm, recovering some positions. I enjoyed a lot the dunes and I look forward to the next stages in Chile. Being 10th overall is a good result but we need to maintain the concentration as tomorrow’s stage in Copiapo will be really crucial for the final result of the race”. Helder Rodrigues SS11 29th +48’29”, 9th overall: “I’m very disappointed because today I was flying. I was very fast on the stony paths as well as on the dunes, I made no navigation mistakes but it was just an unlucky day for us. A branch caught a wire of the machine, ripping it out and the machine stopped. It took me a lot of time to fix the problem. It’s a pity because today’s plan was to attack and I did it but it was definitely not our day”. Johnny Campbell, SS11 34th +52’52", 45th overall: “The cloudy sky was a true blessing because I was not fit and the heat would have complicated my stage. My navigation was perfect but I suffered a lot from the pain in my ribs, especially on the dunes and the “off piste” tracks. I fought with my body on the river crossings as there was a lot of water and I was happy to get to the finish”. Katsumi Yamazaki, Team HRC Director: “It was a bad day for us. We had planned to attack with Helder in order to close the gap with the first riders and to get closer to a podium finish. Unfortunately he had an issue with the machine that made him loose valuable time spoiling his stage result and compromising his position in the overall. It’s a pity but Dakar may be like this.” SS11 Unofficial results: 1. Caselli (KTM), 2, Goncalves (Husqvarna) +4’45", 3. Despres (KTM) +06’24”, 4. Pedrero (KTM) +10’18", 5. Lopez (KTM) 10’51"…21. Javier Pizzoltito Team HRC (Honda) + 36’29, 29. Rodrigues Team HRC (Honda) +48’29", 34. Johnny Campbell Team HRC (Honda) + 52’52". Overall Standing 1. Despres (KTM) 2. Faria (KTM) +13’16”, 3, Lopez (KTM) +18’08”, 4, Jakes (KTM) +23’33”, 5. Botturi (Husqvarna) +29’32” … 9. Rodrigues Team HRC (Honda) 1h16’24”, 10. Pizzoltito Team HRC (Honda) +1h23’13”, 45. Johnny Campbell Team HRC (Honda) +6h55’43”.
It was another technical and demanding stage with the major section of big dunes right in the middle of the special, with some difficult rocky and stony tracks at the beginning and at the end of the stage. Helder Rodrigues finished in the top 5, only 3’35” behind stage winner Frans Verhoeven, Pizzolito worked as a good team mate throughout the stage gaining the 9th position, while Johnny Campbell gave another brave performance, getting to the finish in 45th place, despite the pain and the altitude sickness. Helder Rodrigues, SS12 5th +3’35”, 8th overall: “When we passed the San Francisco Pass this morning it was freezing, I think the temperatures were below zero. What a difference from the heat of the Atacama desert! I enjoyed today's stage as navigation was important as well as being fast. At the beginning there were many rocks with a lot of dust and fech fech and then the challenging dunes of the Atacama desert. Today everything went well, the bike worked well and I finished 5th but, unfortunately yesterday I lost the possibility of fighting for a place on the podium. It’s a pity, now I’m 8th overall but I will continue to push and try to get the best possible result for Team HRC”. Javier Pizzolito, SS12 9th +5’22”, 9th overall: “Navigation was important in this stage and I particularly enjoyed the big dunes of the Atacama desert, famous because they're very difficult to climb. Today it was a very demanding stage for the body and the machine due to the altitude when we crossed the Pass but also because it was very tiring to face the special after 392 km of liaison. Today our team work was excellent, once I caught Helder, I followed him and we did the special together. I'm now sitting in the top 10 overall and I intend to continue to push and try to improve my final result”. Johnny Campbell 45th +50’53”, 44th overall: “It was freezing this morning. When I stopped to change gloves I felt dizzy then when we started the descent I felt kind of sleepy because of the altitude sickness. I started the stage feeling weak. Fortunately the pain was less intense, but I rode conservatively as there was no reason to push. I stopped to help Marc Guasch, who had crashed hitting a rock and then I continued at a nice pace to have fun with the bike and the terrain. It’s a pity that I’m not fit to push but I prefer to ride more conservatively aiming to bring the bike to Santiago”. SS12 Unofficial results: 1. Verhoeven (Yamaha), 2. Faria (KTM) +1’38”, 3.Barreda (Husqvarna) +3’01, 4. Duclos (sherco) +3’17, 5. Rodrigues Team HRC (Honda) +03’35”..9. Javier Pizzolito Team HRC (Honda) +5’22”, 45. Johnny Campbell Team HRC (Honda) +50’53” Overall Standing 1.Despres (KTM), 2.Faria (KTM) +5’39”, 3.Lopez (KTM) +13’40, 4 Jakes (KTM) +20’15”, 5. Pedrero (KTM) +41'14”…8. Rodrigues Team HRC (Honda) +1h10’44”, 9. Javier Pizzolito Team HRC (Honda) +1h19’20, 44. Johnny Campbell Team HRC (Honda) +7h37’21”.
From the Atacama desert to La Serena on the Pacific coast, the rally is heading down to Santiago where tomorrow the Chilean capital will celebrate the protagonists of the 2013 Dakar. Because of the “camanchaca”, the fog that characterises this region, riders set off very late for this stage, normally starting around 04:00 am, the first bikes today started at 08:00 for the last dunes of the rally. Tough right until the end, today’s 441-km long special was split into 2 timed sections: dunes for the first part followed by a faster special on stony terrain. With 13 hard stages and 7,794 km behind them, navigation as well as concentration were the key points of this stage, the riders had to attack to gain positions but also to preserve the bike aiming for tomorrow’s final stage. Team HRC Riders Helder Rodrigues rode with a consistent pace finishing 6th, 09’37” behind Chilean Chaleco Lopez, who won today’s stage ahead of Despres (+05’25”) and Goncalves with Javier Pizzolito 11th and Johnny Campbell, 33rd. Despres is leading the general classification while Rodrigues and Pizzolito sit in the top 10, in 7th and 8th place respectively. Helder Rodrigues, SS13 6th +9’37, 7th overall: It was a good day for me, the stage was fast and focused on navigation. I started 5th and recovered a lot of the positions in the first sandy special. I started in front in the second timed section and I continued pushing but I hesitated at km 410 and Chaleco overtook me. All In all, I’m happy with this stage and I look forward to the final day.” Javier Pizzolito, SS13 11th +12’28, 8th overall: “It was a tough stage. We are tired from 13 hard stages and today I struggled a bit to maintain the concentration. Moreover, it was a 441-km long stage and it was very tiring for the body. I look forward to tomorrow final stage”. Johnny Campbell SS13 33rd +38’10” 40th overall: “It was a long stage. I struggled in the dunes as I have not recovered from the injuries of the last days and I preferred to ride conservatively. I enjoyed the second special on hard pack as this kind of terrain is less tiring for my body. With one more stage to go, we are getting closer to the end of the rally, the target is Santiago”. SS13 Unoffcial Results 1.Lopez (KTM) 2. Despres (KTM) +5’25” 3. Goncalves (Husqvarna) 4.Pedrero (KTM) +7’42” 5 Barreda (Husqvarna) +8’24” 6. Helder Rodrigues Team HRC (Honda) +9’37”, 11. Javier Pizzolito Team HRC (Honda) +12’28”, 33. Johnny Campbell Team HRC (Honda) +38’10 Overall results 1. Despres (KTM) 2. Lopez (KTM) +8’15” 3.Faria (KTM) + 14’41” 4.Jakes (KTM) +24’45” 5. Pedrero (KTM) +43’31”… 7. Helder Rodrigues Team HRC (Honda) +1h14’56”, 8. Javier Pizzolito Team HRC (Honda) +1h26’23”, 40. Johnny Campbell Team HRC (Honda) +8h10’06”
After having covered 8,420 kilometres on all kinds of terrain throughout 14 hard stages, from Peru to Chile passing through Argentina, Helder Rodrigues, Javier Pizzolito and Johnny Campbell finished today’s final stage reaching the target: Santiago. The protagonists of the 2013 Dakar had to maintain their concentration for the very last 346 km of a fast stage on stony and hard ground. Only 53 seconds separated Helder Rodrigues, fourth, from stage winner Chaleco Lopez who finished ahead of Faria and Barreda. With Javier Pizzolito,15th and Johnny Campbell 21st, Team HRC celebrated two riders in the top ten overall with Rodrigues and Pizzolito in 7th and 8th place respectively and Johnny Campbell 40th, while Cyril Despres sealed his fifth Dakar title. ?Having the complete team at the end of the toughest rally in the world was the result of perfect team work with the three Team HRC riders, helping and supporting each other, stage after stage. When the project started six months ago, the challenge was to be at the starting blocks in Lima with a completely new team and a new machine. Team HRC engineers worked very hard to prepare a competitive machine and on the 5th of January Helder Rodrigues, Javier Pizzolito and Johnny Campbell set off for the 2013 Dakar on board of their CRF 450 Rally. In a race where a navigation mistake or a small mechanical failure can spoil the whole result, some fuel issues on the second and third days made Team HRC riders lose valuable time and the contact with the first riders. Despite that, Helder Rodrigues, Javier Pizzolito and Johnny Campbell continued to fight and recover positions. Rodrigues was ready to attack on stage 11 to close the gap from the front runners, when a branch caught a wire of the machine, ripping it out and stopping his machine. It was a small problem that had big consequences as Helder had given an incredible performance that would have allowed him to make a big step forward towards the podium. Team mate Pizzolito gave also a great performance. Javier was very good at preserving the machine and his condition, riding with a constant pace throughout the whole rally on the same engine. Johnny Campbell couldn’t take advantage of his experience due to a mechanical problem on the third stage that made him lose more than 3 hours, but he scored the team’s best result with a great second place on the 8th stage. Unfortunately a crash the following day compromised his second part of the race, but Johnny continued until the end despite the intense pain from suspected broken ribs. Helder Rodrigues SS14 4th +0.53”, 7th overall: “It was a great challenge and an honour for me to be part of this project and bear the Honda colours on the Dakar. I cannot be happy with my results in terms of my final position because with this team and this machine we had the potential to fight for the podium, but we don't have to forget that this is a young project and we couldn’t test as much as we would have liked. We had some bad luck and also some fuel issues on the second and third stage that spoiled our result but the team has worked hard and the bike has improved a lot stage after stage. I’m very satisfied that we are all here in Santiago and that the team is very motivated to continue this experience”. Javier Pizzolito SS14 15th +4’11”, 8th overall: “I’m very satisfied to have finished the Dakar and even happier of the 8th position in the overall classification. After last year unlucky incident where I suffered from a broken femur and elbow, I had to train very hard to prepare this year event. The machine proved to be really reliable as I rode the whole event with one engine. We are very excited and motivated to continue this amazing project”. Johnny Campbell SS14 21st +6’01”, 40th overall: “This is a brand new team we worked very hard together to get to the finish. Dakar Rally is about keeping the body and the bike together, it was very hard for me after the crash on the 8th stage. It was challenging and hard at the same time, for me to return to racing after 5 years out and to finish this tough rally you need a 100% dedicated preparation. It was a dream come true to race the Dakar with this team and help with bike development”. Katsumi Yamazaki, Team HRC Director: “We reached our first target which was to have all the machines get to the end of the rally. It’s the result of great team work, everyone in the team has contributed with a common target in mind. It’s a young project and with 6 months of work we never expected to win, even if we hoped for it, and we have fought hard to get the best possible result. We have faced several issues during the rally and fixed them. In a very competitive race with strong rivals and 14 demanding stages, we have gained an incredible amount of data and experience that will be extremely useful to continue the development of the CRF 450 Rally to return stronger and make a bike capable of winning in 2014. I want to thank Helder, Javier and Johnny, the team members and all our sponsors and partners for their great work and support”. SS14 Results: 1.Lopez (KTM) 2. Faria (KTM) +0.29”, 3. Barreda (Husqvarna) +0.37”. 4. Helder Rodrigues Team HRC (Honda) +53”, 5. Pedrero (KTM) +1’25”…15. Javier Pizzolito Team HRC (Honda) +4’11”, 21. Johnny Campbell Team HRC +6’01” (Honda) Overall Standing 1. Despres (KTM) 2.Faria (KTM) +10’43”, 3.Lopez (KTM) 18’48” 4.Jakes (KTM) +23’54”, 5.Pedrero (KTM) +55’29”, 7. Helder Rodrigues Team HRC (Honda) +1h11’22” 8. Javier Pizzolito Team HRC (Honda)+1h26’07, 40 Johnny Campbell Team HRC (Honda) +8h11’40
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Merzouga
Rally 2013 Stage 6 - Jbel 26/10/2013 - Morocco Erfoud - Total: 186 km -
Special stage: 72 km - Weather Sunny - Air 29°C - Humidity 13%
Merzouga
Rally 2013 Stage 5 - Nakla 25/10/2013 Morocco Erfoud Total: 259 km
Special stage: 259 km Weather Sunny Air 31°C Humidity 11% 
Merzouga
Rally 2013 Stage 3 - The Berber 23/10/2013 - Morocco Erfoud - Total: 284
km - Special stage: 281 km - Weather Sunny - Air
Merzouga
Rally 2013 Stage 1 - Prolog 21/10/2013 - Morocco Erfoud - Total: 5 km -
Special stage: 5 km - Weather Sunny - Air
The
OiLibya Rally of Morocco Stage 6 19/10/2013 Total: 285 kms Special
stage: 219 kms Weather Sunny Air 29°C 
The
OiLibya Rally of Morocco Stage 5 18/10/2013 Morocco From Erg Chebbi to
Oued El Mader Total: 349kms Special stage: 310kms Weather Sunny Air
31°C Humidity 12%
The
OiLibya Rally of Morocco Stage 4 17/10/2013 Morocco On the track of the
Mummy Total: 361kms Special stage: 295kms Air 31°C Humidity 11% 
The
OiLibya Rally of Morocco Stage 3 16/10/2013 Morocco Under the sun of
Mahmid Total: 413kms Special stage: 250kms Weather Sunny Air 32°C
Humidity 11%
The OiLibya Rally of Morocco Stage 2 15/10/2013 Morocco From Jbel
to Jbel Total: 298kms Special stage: 240kms Weather
The OiLibya Rally of Morocco Leg 1 14/10/2013 In
the sand of Cheggaga
TEAM
HRC all set for the OiLibya Morocco Rally
NEW
CRF450 RALLY TESTED BY TEAM HRC
