A very fast Joan Barreda has taken the top position during today’s Sardinia rally prologue

Joan ‘Bang Bang’ Barreda was very fast from the start during the first test of the fourth round of the Raids World Championship and has taken the first place during the Sardinia Rally Race prologue. Goncalves and Rodrigues will search for their race position during tomorrow’s stage.

The HRC Team has left the desert sand dunes of the Arabic peninsula where the first two races of the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship took place and has landed in the island of Sardinia where the fourth round of the Championship: the Sardinia Rally Race will take place.

This morning the HRC Team passed the mandatory administrative and technical scrutineering at Iscia Eldi of San Teodoro, allowing the team to take part in the prologue. The license and documents were checked first and was then followed by the sound control and sealing of the different parts of the three CRF450R bikes of the team.

The prologue took place in the afternoon at the Vena Fiorita Circuit, a track of less than two kilometers long, in which a very fast Joan Barreda has achieved the victory with a two second gap from the second fastest man of the day. He will be able to choose his starting place the first stage of the rally.

Paulo Gonçalves and Hélder Rodrigues finished in finished in ninth and eleventh place, with a gap from Joan Barreda of 5 and 6 seconds respectively.

Tomorrow’s Stage:

Stage 1 – San Teodoro-Arbatax

The first stage of the Sardinia Rally is a gentle introduction for the participants. The first special stage is not difficult, and also the need of map reading is postponed. A warm up stage and an opportunity to familiarise themselves, but not lose time.

Participants leave from the Hotel & Residence Liscia Eldi, direction Torpè, to reach the place of departure of the first special stage (SS) of the rally. The first test is short, open and scenic, with just a simple “introduction” to navigation. The end of SS is located at Sant’Anna di Lodè, and the next liaison point in La Caletta, mainly across asphalt roads, where there the Assistance point is based at the Marina.

Then a short liaison of about 11 km brings them to Special Stage 2, and gets to the heart of the Sardegna Rally 2014. The Special Stage is totally new. Very nice to ride, as long as you keep at least one eye glued to the road book, and one on the trail. It goes from very wide stretches to very narrow passages. Also from very fast sections to some more technical and slower. The scenario is breathtaking, from the mountain ridges to the undergrowth in the plains. In this special stage, there is no risk of getting bored!

The Final liaison is along the river Cedrino and passing near Oliena, Mamoiada, in addition to ” leapfrog ” Corre Boi, Monte Genziana, Talana, Donigala, Tortoli.