Atacama Rally 2017

Monster Energy Honda Team come away from the Atacama Rally with a good final reckoning. The team lined up four factory riders to tackle a gruelling week in the Chilean desert with sights firmly set on the forthcoming Rally Dakar. The overall evaluation after last week’s Atacama Rally is an… read more.

Monster Energy Honda Team rider Joan Barreda claimed a final podium place at the end of the Atacama Rally after a second position finish in the final stage. The Atacama Rally drew to a close today with the dispute of the fifth and final stage. The third round of the… read more.

Joan Barreda finished the day as the top team rider with a third place finish at the end of the second leg of the marathon stage. Barreda himself and Kevin Benavides both retain podium aspirations as the rally heads into its final stage tomorrow (Saturday) in Copiapó. The second part… read more.

The third day of the Atacama Rally race has drawn to a close in Diego de Almagro, where the riders will spend the night in the temporary bivouac without the mechanical assistance of their teams. American Ricky Brabec performed well to claim the day’s second best time. The first part… read more.

A positive all-round day for Monster Energy Honda as the team clinched the day’s top two positions: the stage win and the overall leadership for Kevin Benavides and runner-up spot for Joan Barreda on the day. Today saw one of the longest stages of the rally with a total of… read more.

Kevin Benavides and Ricky Brabec performed well on the first stage of the Atacama Rally. Joan Barreda and Nacho Cornejo likewise got off to a swift start in the Chilean desert to complete a fine stage for the Monster Energy Honda squad. The first 270-kilometre special stage of the Atacama… read more.

Chile’s Atacama Desert, from Monday through to Saturday, will be the battleground for the third round of the FIM World Cross-Country Rally Championship, with Monster Energy Honda Team poised and ready to undertake the challenge. Kevin Benavides, Ricky Brabec, Joan Barreda and José Ignacio Cornejo have now made it through… read more.

Just a month and a half after finishing the Silk Way Rally, one of the season’s most gruelling races, the Monster Energy Honda Team engines are once again ready to roar into action for another FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship event: this time the Atacama Rally. An 18,000-kilometre distance separates… read more.

There will be little rest for the Monster Energy Honda Team who, after the successes achieved in the Atacama Rally, head off to Argentina to tackle the next great world championship challenge: the Desafío Ruta 40. Kevin Benavides stormed to a decisive and convincing victory this week in Chile, where… read more.

The Atacama Rally, on Chilean soil, turned out to be hugely successful for Monster Energy Honda Team’s Argentinean rider Kevin Benavides, who clinched overall victory and the leadership of the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship. The final day, on a 155-kilometre looping route, starting and finishing in Copiapó, was battled… read more.

In the penultimate stage of the Atacama Rally, Argentinean Monster Energy Honda Team rider Kevin Benavides retook the leadership in the overall standings as the rally arrives at the crunch final stage. The 371.39-kilometre fourth stage of the Atacama Rally ran a looping route which both started and finished in… read more.

After the dispute of the third stage of the Atacama Rally, featuring a 259.27-kilometre timed special, Monster Energy Honda Team rider Kevin Benavides, remains firmly in the podium zone with good prospects of an overall win. The Atacama Rally has reached its halfway point with the dispute of the third… read more.

The longest stage in the Atacama Rally, held today in Copiapó, turned out to be a great success for Kevin Benavides behind the bars of the Honda CRF450 RALLY. The Argentinean Monster Energy Honda Team rider set off this morning from first place and proved to be not only unreachable,… read more.

Monster Energy Honda Team got to grips today with the first full stage of the Atacama Rally, grabbing a decisive win for Kevin Benavides in the dunes of Copiapó. Joan Barreda suffered a heavy fall that saw him obliged to drop out of the race. Yesterday’s short afternoon prologue in… read more.

The Atacama Rally, third round of the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship, kicks off this Monday with the curtain-raiser – a short prologue stage that will determine the competitors’ starting order for the first full stage. A buoyant Monster Energy Honda Team is all set and poised to take up… read more.

The Atacama Rally sees the full Monster Energy Honda Team back in action for Round Three of the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship. There won’t be any beach or holidays for the riders this summer, but they can, however, look forward to plenty of sand at the races. Kevin Benavides,… read more.

Joan Barreda and Ricky Brabec in one part of the world, and Kevin Benavides and Paulo Gonçalves in another, were the stars of an action-packed weekend which concluded with victory in the United States and second and third place finishes in Chile. WATCH THE VIDEO HERE Monster Energy Honda Team… read more.

Monster Energy Honda Team succeeded in placing both of their duo of riders onto the podium at the end of the Atacama Rally – the third round of the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship. Kevin Benavides took runner-up spot overall and Paulo Gonçalves third. In spite of a tricky starting… read more.

Monster Energy Honda Team set out to keep all options open and succeeded in the longest stage of the Atacama Rally. Kevin Benavides took the stage victory and overall leadership while Paulo Gonçalves will go into the final stage well-positioned to fight for a spot on the rostrum. Monster Energy… read more.

The halfway point of the Atacama Rally saw Monster Energy Honda Team’s Portuguese rider narrowly miss out on victory in a long, arduous and danger-filled special. Kevin Benavides, with the disadvantage of having to open the track, finished fourth. The participants of the Atacama Rally now find themselves in the… read more.

The Atacama Rally heads north in Chile with a lightning-paced Kevin Benavides taking the triumph in the second stage. Paulo posted sixth spot. The Atacama Rally left Copiapó bound for the north in a second stage affected by an accident involving French rider Pela Renet who had to be airlifted… read more.

Kevin Benavides and Paulo Gonçalves posted second and third place on the looping circuit starting and finishing in Copiapó, as the first full stage of the 2017 Atacama Rally wraps up. Kevin Benavides pulled off an excellent first stage fight-back after starting out in tenth position this morning, before battling… read more.

After passing through pre-race scrutineering complication-free, Monster Energy Honda Team are now poised to tackle the seventh edition of the Atacama Rally, beginning in Copiapó, with the duo Paulo Gonçalves and Kevin Benavides. The final day before the bikes go into action in the Chilean desert for the 2017 Atacama… read more.

After the successes of the recent Baja Aragón, where the Monster Energy Honda Team clinched a noteworthy victory, the team now takes to the Chilean desert to tackle the third round of the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship – the Atacama Rally. The Monster Energy Honda Team’s next world championship… read more.

Team HRC travelled in August, but not on holiday. Now after the successes of the U.S. and Chilean rallies, the team and riders are preparing to face the forthcoming events. The Atacama Rally marks another step forward as Team HRC readies itself for the season’s greatest challenge: the Dakar Rally… read more.

The riders from Team HRC have finished an important rally in preparation for the Dakar Rally 2017 – the Atacama Rally – with Argentinean rider Kevin Benavides on the rostrum, runner-up in the final stage. Kevin Benavides was the best finisher among the components of Team HRC with a podium… read more.

Team HRC and Paulo Gonçalves took the top honours in the fourth stage of a fast and hazardous Atacama Rally. The team’s Argentinean rider Kevin Benavides fell while Ricky Brabec had a steady day in the saddle. The early morning mist once again wreaked havoc with the scheduling, not allowing… read more.

Argentinean Kevin Benavides today rode a fine stage in the Copiapó dunes. The demanding stage saw the Team HRC prodigy excel in navigation as he took second spot on the day and second in the general standings. It may not have been the longest yet, but the third stage and… read more.

Team HRC’s trio of riders Paulo Gonçalves, Kevin Benavides and Ricky Brabec continue to rub shoulders the leaders in the Atacama Rally in spite of suffering the severity of the rally’s longest stage. It was a long and tough stage today at the Atacama Rally around the spectacular ‘Hand of… read more.

Chile’s Atacama Rally kicked off today – the fourth round of the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship – with Team HRC performing well in stage one after dominating yesterday’s prologue. Team HRC faired well over the 230 kilometre first stage of the Atacama Rally and finished the day well-poised to… read more.

Team HRC is fully-booked over the next few days. While Joan Barreda and Michael Metge have been taking part and dominate the ‘Vegas to Reno’ race in the United States, the rest of the team – Paulo Gonçalves, Ricky Brabec and Kevin Benavides – are competing in Chile at the Atacama… read more.

The Atacama Rally has again highlighted Team HRC and Paulo Gonçalves’ knack of consistently turning out high-level performances and triumphs in a season about to culminate with the OiLibya Morocco Rally, last stop before the Dakar 2016. Video link here Team HRC dispatched the duo Paulo Goncalves and Jeremías Israel… read more.

Team HRC’s Portuguese ace collects his third special stage win as the Atacama Rally – the fifth date of the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship – comes to an end. It turned out to be a successful day all-round for Team HRC and, in particular, for Paulo Gonçalves, who stormed… read more.

The Atacama Rally is drawing to a close with some thrilling and picturesque stages that have required a high degree of riding dexterity. Team HRC’s Paulo Gonçalves opened the way for most of the fourth stage, coming home in the leading group. Not for the first time, the camanchaca –… read more.

Today turned out to be a rough day for everyone, not least for yesterday’s stage winner Paulo Gonçalves, who finished the third stage of the Atacama Rally with a respectable time. Team HRC were presented with a tough task today in a 240 kilometre Dakar-style desert trek in Atacama. The… read more.

Team HRC riders bounced back, after the misfortunes of yesterday, with a fierce attack on day two of the Atacama Rally, the fifth race of the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship. Paulo Gonçalves took victory on the day. After an unfavourable start to the Atacama Rally yesterday, Team HRC went… read more.

Paulo Gonçalves and Jeremías Israel got the fifth date of the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship underway in Chile. The first stage of the Atacama Rally proved to be a far-from-easy one, although the team remains firmly focused on their objectives. Torrential downpours over the last few weeks, which have… read more.

Team HRC kick off the fifth date of the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship today at Chile’s Atacama Rally. The team lines up Portuguese rider Paulo Goncalves alongside local boy Jeremias Israel. Monday sees the official start of the Atacama Rally with a short curtain-raising prologue. Prior to this, technical… read more.

For Team HRC, participating in the Atacama Rally offers a great chance for riders to further hone their skills as part of a training schedule that will eventually culminate in the Rally Dakar 2016. Team HRC will be present, from August 31st to September 5th, with Paulo Goncalves and Jeremias… read more.