Destination Morocco: last big test for Team HRC prior to the Dakar

This is a very important rally before the 2016 Dakar and we continue working on the bike’s development and also on the final technical specifications. Hopefully everything will go well for all the riders, the bikes, as well as for all the members of Team HRC.

As usual the Morocco race is a very important one as it is the last “team practice” before the Dakar. We have made some last minute changes in our rider format here in Morocco as Ricky Brabec is still recuperating from his injury of June and will only be able to be 100% fit for the end of October. Also, Michael Metge suffered a last minute injury before setting off for Morocco and broke his elbow. So we have given the chance to Argentinean Kevin Benavides of Honda Argentina and to the Brazilian Jean Azevedo to race here. Thanks to our great collaboration with Honda South America, we can offer these riders the chance to get more experience in an international rally such is Morocco Oilibya. I am also happy to welcome the Italian rider Paolo Ceci to Team HRC, who has a long experience on the rally scene and will give us an important help in order to achieve our target.

Team HRC arrived well here in Morocco for the last round of the 2015 World Championship. It is a good preparation and is always the last race before the Dakar, to bring all the team together, to check all the last specifications of the bikes, to do a good training session and a set-up check for all the functions and all the staff. For us the world championship is not so important anymore as we lost valuable points before, but now we have a good new combination of riders which we are happy about and we are also giving the chance to some riders from Honda South America with Jean Azevedo and Kevin Benavides joining our team for this race. All in all, we are positive about having a good and efficient group of people together here and are looking forward to a good race and keep making preparations for the Dakar. Also, we’d like to welcome one new team member, Paulo Ceci. He will be our fifth rider in Dakar 2016 giving us a strong backup.