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Paulo Goncalves at the Cross-Country Rally of Abu Dhabi
NEWS

Monster Energy Honda emerge from Abu Dhabi with valuable world championship stock

Apr 062017

They say a man can lose his mind in the desert. Among the heat and exertion and with the technique required to gun a factory CRF Rally through some of the trickiest and most technical rally conditions…then it takes something extreme not to lose much more. This week Paulo m and Kevin Benavides were among the protagonists of the first of five rounds in the 2017 FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship. The Portuguese Monster Energy Honda Rally star scored fourth position overall after five stages while the Argentine – winner of stage four and on the comeback trail after the arm and wrist injury that caused him to sit out this year’s Dakar - classified in seventh place.

Paulo Goncalves at the Cross-Country Rally of Abu Dhabi
The rolling sandy landscape of Abu Dhabi was the scene for the opening fixture of the series that will also visit Qatar, Chile, Argentina and Libya. Road book navigation was at a premium for the leaders at the beginning of each stage while the nearest pursuers were able to make ground by following tracks and trails. The race involved a degree of strategy and times were tight.
Paulo Goncalves at the Cross-Country Rally of Abu Dhabi
Goncalves had pushed to the top of the standings by the end of day four for what was the factory team’s debut in the FIM competition but the final outing in the Liwa sand saw #9 finish fourth and take the same spot overall to earn 13 points.

“After what happened in the prologue I knew I had little chance of winning,” the veteran admitted. “Yesterday, I was ahead as the leader, but today the other riders passed me as had been expected and I finished fourth overall. We knew this could happen in a race made up entirely of dunes. I could have got a better result in a four-day rally like this… but that’s racing for you. The bike ran really well and the team has worked well together. In a few days we begin in Qatar, where we will have to set the pace right from the prologue.”

Paulo Goncalves at the Cross-Country Rally of Abu Dhabi
Benavides earned his stripes with the stage 4 victory – and was the second notable result in a two week period for the crew with Ricky Brabec scoring the win in the Sonora Rally in Mexico – but was just as pleased to end his maiden outing for HRC and without any repercussions from his injury.

“I knew that navigating in the sand would mean that I lost a bit of time, but I was enjoying myself all the same,” #4 commented. “I have finished the rally well with a lot more confidence. I finished very relaxed on the bike with some good sensations.”

 

More challenges await the duo and the Barcelona-based works crew with the Qatar Cross Country Rally kicking off on the 17th of this month.

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