New Delhi [India], June 5 (ANI): Hero MotoSports Team Rally has kicked off its campaign at the fourth and penultimate round of the FIM World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) 2024 – the Desafio Ruta 40. As the current leaders of the championship in both the rider and manufacturer rankings, team Hero MotoSports has entered this round with a mission to maintain their lead.
This is the team’s second appearance at DR40 – the only American race on the W2RC 2024 calendar. Back to South American soil after a year, the team has started the race on a positive note, with team rider and W2RC 2024 leader Ross Branch finishing the Prologue stage on the podium. Team Hero is represented by its factory riders Ross Branch, Sebastian Buhler, and latest recruit Ignacio (Nacho) Cornejo. Additionally, they have a young test rider, Ramiro Barco from Peru, competing in the Rally 2 novice category at DR40.
In the first stage, Rally GP class riders Sebastian Buhler, Ross Branch, and Ignacio Cornejo crossed the finish line in the 4th, 5th and 10th positions respectively. Ramiro Barco who represents the team in the Rally 2 class, made it to the 9th position in his category.
Stage 1 was a 505 km loop around the host city of Cordoba, including 124 km of road sections and 381 km of special. The route took the competitors on rally tracks that the South American Dakars have traversed several times in the last decade. The route was pretty hard on the tyres as well, and the competitors had to wisely manage the possible outcomes, while going all in.
Meanwhile, during the Prologue stage, Rally GP class riders Branch, Buhler, and Cornejo had finished in the third, sixth and tenth places respectively whereas Ramiro Barco was the 5th fastest in the Rally 2 class.
The 12th edition of the Desafio Ruta 40 has been scheduled 3 months earlier than last year’s edition – landing the caravan in the heart of the harsh South American winter. The race will feature a total of 3,061 km, including 1,792 km of specials. Cordoba – the second-largest city in Argentina, and a well-known motorsports destination – plays host to this race for the first time. The Rally headquarters in Cordoba saw hundreds of motorsport fans and well-wishers flocking in to meet the athletes and teams over the past few days – a highly encouraging environment for the competitors, and the sport at large.
At the 4th round of the W2RC 2024, the Hero MotoSports team is united in their goal to defend the World Championship lead position in both the rider and manufacturer standings. Ross Branch, the W2RC leader currently has 21 and 23 points to spare over the 2nd and 3rd position holders. His teammates have the championship standings etched in their minds and are well prepared to assist Ross in this unique mission as well. If all goes well, it will be a phenomenal feat for the Indian team, and a game-changer for the sport to have a new manufacturer take the crown.
Moving on from Cordoba, Stage 2 will take the Rally westward to San Juan – the city of the Sun. The longest day of this edition of the race, competitors will ride a whopping 724 km in the day, of which 423 km are timed. For the next two days, the Rally will be stationed at San Juan, before heading to La Rioja.
“We finished Stage 1 successfully. It was a long, hard day out there; while navigation was not very tough, the route in itself was quite demanding. It was quite slippery but we managed to keep it upright, and I’m happy with how it went. Looking forward to the rest of the week!” said Hero MotoSports Team Rally rider Ross Branch.
“The first Stage here was a pretty fast one, and hard on the tyres. So after refuelling, we had to manage the tyres a bit cautiously. But overall it was a good stage, and I’m happy with the result. Now it’s time to tackle Day 2,” said Hero MotoSports Team Rally rider Sebastian Buhler.
“Happy to be here at the end of Stage 1. It was not the best day for me, as I struggled a bit to find the speed and rhythm. We knew this race was going to be a bit difficult to adapt, so we’re trying to find the right settings that I’m more comfortable with. We’re prepared to do our best day by day, and will get better stage by stage,” said Hero MotoSports Team Rally rider Nacho Cornejo.
“It was a long and exhausting stage today. Due to the quads in front of me, I couldn’t really see much all throughout the route. Anyway, my feeling on the bike is good, and we’ll keep pushing day by day for better results,” said Hero MotoSports Team Rally rider Ramiro Barco.
Provisional Rankings – Stage 1 (Rally GP Class)
Rider Team Time
1. Ricky Brabec Monster Energy Honda Team 3h 59m 37s
2. Toscha Schareina Monster Energy Honda Team + 1s
3. Adrien Van Beveren Monster Energy Honda Team + 44s
4. Sebastian Buhler Hero MotoSports Team Rally + 2m 06s
5. Ross Branch Hero MotoSports Team Rally + 2m 29s
10. Ignacio Cornejo Hero MotoSports Team Rally + 1m 37s
Provisional Overall Standings after Stage 1 (Rally GP Class):
Rider Team Time
1. Toscha Schareina Monster Energy Honda Team 4h 16m 23s
2. Ricky Brabec Monster Energy Honda Team + 1s
3. Adrien Van Beveren Monster Energy Honda Team + 1m 29s
4. Sebastian Buhler Hero MotoSports Team Rally + 2m 54s
5. Ross Branch Hero MotoSports Team Rally + 2m 56s
10. Ignacio Cornejo Hero MotoSports Team Rally + 20m 42s
Provisional Rankings – Stage 1 (Rally 2 Class)
Rider Team Time
1. Bradley Cox Bas World KTM Racing Team 4h 13m 32s
2. Romain Dumontier Team Honda + 1m 25s
3. Edgar Canet Ardevol Xraids Experience + 6m 08s
9. Ramiro Barco Hero MotoSports Team Rally + 29m 04s
Provisional Overall Standings after Stage 1 (Rally 2 Class):
Rider Team Time
1. Bradley Cox Bas World KTM Racing Team 4h 32m 18s
2. Romain Dumontier Team Honda + 1m 23s
3. Edgar Canet Ardevol Xraids Experience + 5m 06s
9. Ramiro Barco Hero MotoSports Team Rally + 29m 17s. (ANI)
Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed of ANI; only the image & headline may have been reworked by News Services Division of World News Network Inc Ltd and Palghar News and Pune News and World News
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