Campbell holds Rally2 lead after demanding stage seven
After an impressive opening week, Monster Energy Honda HRC Rally2 riders Martim Ventura and Preston Campbell used the rest day to recharge before returning to action aboard their Honda CRF450RX RALLY machines for stage seven.
Campbell headed into the weekend as the overall Rally2 leader, an outstanding achievement for a Dakar rookie. His objective for the second week is clear: defend the top spot all the way to the rally’s return to Yanbu on 17th January.
Starting from the Saudi capital of Riyadh, stage seven was fast and demanding, sending riders across striking dunes, rocky tracks and off-piste sections. The 459 km special stage eventually led the field to Wadi ad-Dawasir, a city nestled in the Dawasir Valley.
Drawing on his experience in the California desert, Campbell once again adapted well to the varied terrain and clearly enjoyed the stage. He briefly rode through the dunes alongside teammate Ventura after the Portuguese rider caught him on the course and he went on to finish fifth, 10’25” behind stage winner Michael Docherty. While his overall lead has been reduced to 11 minutes, he remains firmly in control and will aim to stay within striking distance of the stage podium each day to protect his position.
Ventura made a strong start, flying out of the gate and sitting second at the 58 km time check, just 14 seconds behind Rally GP rider Luciano Benavides. Enjoying time on the stage with his teammate, the Portuguese rider maintained a solid pace throughout. A minor bike issue in the latter part of the stage was resolved quickly, allowing him to finish just two minutes behind Campbell. Still seventh overall, Ventura is now closing in on the battle for fourth place, providing extra motivation as the rally enters its decisive phase.
With six days remaining, tomorrow’s loop stage from Wadi ad-Dawasir will feature the longest special of this year’s Dakar at 481 km. As fatigue begins to set in, it will be a crucial test of focus and endurance for both Monster Energy Honda HRC Rally2 riders.
Ruben Faria
It was a big fast stage for the riders, Martim was in the top three of all the riders at the first waypoint which was amazing. After that he made some small navigation mistakes and in the end he had to slow down a little bit and finished in a strong sixth position in Rally2. Preston is leading overall and we asked him to manage the bike, not miss any road book notes, navigate well and try to bring the bike back in good condition. He has a good margin which he can control. Tomorrow, is another day and they will have a good position to start in. Let’s see tomorrow how it all pans out.
Martim Ventura 84
It was good getting back into the rhythm, my body and bike felt super good. I got into a good rhythm, was riding with Preston and loved riding with him, it was good to see the two Hondas going through the dunes together. It was a super fast stage, I couldn’t do anymore, I just did my best. Towards the end I had a mechanical issue, I got it fixed quite fast but I lost a lot of time. It was a good start to the stage, but then ended up not so good. But, I’m super happy with how much more I’ve learnt.
Preston Campbell 85
The day was super fast, a lot of big valleys and fast pistes across the desert, so it was super fun. We got a little bit of dunes and overall it was a fast pace. Martim caught me and we got to ride together a little on the sand dunes, which was super fun.
Rally2 Result - Stage 7
| Pos. | Rider | Num | Nation | Team | Constructor | Time/Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Docherty Michael | 14 | RSA | BAS World KTM Racing Team | KTM | 04:08:34 |
| 2 | Mulec Toni | 16 | SLO | BAS World KTM Racing Team | KTM | + 04:50 |
| 3 | Theric Neels | 66 | FRA | Kove Factory Racing | Kove | + 05:04 |
| 4 | Dabrowski Konrad | 26 | POL | Duust Rally Team | KTM | + 08:22 |
| 5 | Campbell Preston | 85 | USA | Honda HRC | Honda | + 10:25 |
| 6 | Ventura Martim | 84 | POR | Honda HRC | Honda | + 12:03 |
| 7 | Barbosa Ruy | 41 | CHI | HT Rally Raid | Honda | + 18:42 |
| 8 | Drdaj Dusan | 18 | CZE | Cajdasrot | KTM | + 19:30 |
| 9 | Pedró Josep | 44 | SPA | Pedrega Team | Husqvarna | + 20:23 |
| 10 | Engel Milan | 21 | CZE | Moto Racing Group - MRG | KTM | + 20:36 |
Rally2 Provisional Standings After Stage 7
| Pos. | Rider | Num | Nation | Team | Constructor | Time/Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Campbell Preston | 85 | USA | Honda HRC | Honda | 30:31:03 |
| 2 | Mulec Toni | 16 | SLO | BAS World KTM Racing Team | KTM | + 11:07 |
| 3 | Dabrowski Konrad | 26 | POL | Duust Rally Team | KTM | + 21:26 |
| 4 | Barbosa Ruy | 41 | CHI | HT Rally Raid | Honda | + 01:28:18 |
| 5 | Jucius Nerimantas | 28 | LTU | HT Rally Raid | Honda | + 01:29:01 |
| 6 | Erdenebileg Khaliunbold | 57 | MNG | BAS World KTM Racing Team | KTM | + 01:29:47 |
| 7 | Ventura Martim | 84 | POR | Honda HRC | Honda | + 01:40:40 |
| 8 | Santos Bruno | 35 | POR | BS FRUTAS PATRICIA PILAR | Husqvarna | + 02:06:00 |
| 9 | Lledó Arnau | SPA | Pedrega Team | KTM | + 02:35:20 | |
| 10 | Engel Milan | 21 | CZE | Moto Racing Group - MRG | KTM | + 02:45:54 |
Location Information
The greatest and toughest rally in the world, the Dakar’s history has been written in the heart of some of the world’s most stunning deserts and belongs to the world of the greatest sporting challenges of our time. Both a motor race and an orienteering challenge, the Dakar Rally pits… read more.
