After a very complicated marathon stage, the Team HRC has been able to enjoy a new victory by Joan Barreda after overcoming the problems with the roadbook. Helder Rodrigues and Paulo Goncalves are well positioned to fight for the podium tomorrow.

Joan Barreda navigated the first part of today’s stage without being able to use the roadbook that had broke yesterday. He was able to follow the tracks of the riders ahead of him and reach the refueling point, where he had assistance and solved the problem. During the second Special ‘Bang Bang’ was back and won the SS7 and registered the best global time of the 115 kilometers completed today.

Hélder Rodrigues started in fourth place and has finished the second Special of the day in third, making him fifth in the overall. The Portuguese has gained a valuable position on the general standing and has the podium within reach, since he is only two minutes away from the rider that precedes him.

Paulo Gonçalves was forced to complete the first stage without the use of the front brakes, causing him to modify his position on the bike in order to be able to position the bike to brake, resulting in sever back pain for the Portuguese rider. Unable to change the front brake, he lost time during the first stage, preventing him from reaching fourth place in the overall standing.

The fourth stage of the Sardegna Rally Race has taken the riders back to San Teodoro, the starting point for tomorrow’s first special of 120 kilometers that will take the riders to Alà dei Sardi, where they will refuel. The second special will have the riders complete a total of 50 kilometers that will take them back to San Teodoro.

 

Tomorrow’s Stage:

Stage 5 – San Teodoro-San Teodoro

Closing “Ring” of the Sardegna Rally 2014, with two special stages traced to the north and west of San Teodoro. Breathtaking scenery, steps on the land of the mythical stages of the WRC, navigation and intense tactical duties hold until the last kilometre of the rally. Then, the “match” is completed, and suddenly the Podium of the seventh edition of the World Rally appears.

The last stage is not easy. The Competitors will pass through some of the flooded areas devastated during the severe stormy weather of last November. Some of these areas have been “quenched” thanks to the Ente Foreste, others are still largely ruined.

They depart from San Teodoro, then take the road to Padru, Trainu Moltu and reach the starting line of the Special Stage 8 at Punta S’Iscala. The Special Stage crosses the Forestry yard of Sorilis, terranova, Sa Conchedda, Monte Lerno, then returns to the wind farm of Buddusò and finally they reach the end at the Municipal stables of Alà dei Sardi.

The subsequent liaison is in the direction of Alà, and then towards Coi Luna, where the start of the special stage 9 is located. The last Selective Section of the Rally will cross the Forest yards of Coi Luna, Crastazza and Loelle. This Special Stage is short, but with a lot of navigation. The configuration is such that the last test will still be crucial for the evolution of the Competition. No one is allowed to feel safe from surprises, and the result will be revealed only after the end of the Special Stage No. 9, in Mamone. The final transfer of the Sardegna Rally 2014 is on a mixed path of asphalt and dirt roads, crossing Lodè, Torpé, Brunella, and leads the Competitors straight to the Podium of San Teodoro.

Joan Barreda

"Today has been a good day in the end for me. The first part was tough, still unable to use the roadbook. During refueling the mechanics were able to work on it and repair it, it was an electrical problem, a fuse. The second part of the day we had a good start, being able to trust the navigation in the difficult spots of the rout and crossing the finish line in first place. Given al the problems with had it was am important victory for us."

Helder Rodrigues

"Today for us was better than yesterday, everybody made better result. I try to push a lot to make it to the podium. In the first Special I take a bit the dust and not make the best result but in the second Special I push and catch Marc and finally arrived with him. It is a good result; I was able to stay in the fighting for the podium in this race. I was fifth today and I am forth in the overall standing. Tomorrow we will see but I will fight until the end. I also think about Paulo and Joan, Joan win today, Paulo make the best for him I think its positive for us for the team."

Paulo Goncalves

"Today was a hard day for me. During the first stage I was riding without front brakes because of the problems I had yesterday and as a result I have a pain on my shoulder. After the refueling before the second stage, I was able to repair my bike but I lost a little bit of time. Tomorrow is the last day of the Sardinia Rally and I need to push really hard to try to catch the podium for the overall results."

Private: Wolfgang Fischer

Team HRC Team Manager

"Today was a day to recover the lost time from the difficult situations that Joan and Paulo encountered yesterday, with the technical problems they faced. Still this morning during the first stage, because we could not help them prepare the bike in order to have the perfect setting for the race, still, both were able to keep their concentration and do a very good job to make the best out of the situation. Joan finish the first stage on third position and after the team serviced the bike to have a perfect base for the second half of the day, Joan was able to win the second stage. In the overall of the day, Paulo was not losing too much time and Hélder was again doing a very consistent day today, so overall we made the best out of the situation and are happy that we are still in a good position, not far from the podium. Tomorrow will be the last day and the last chance to make a good final attack to make the best possible result. Thank to the team."

2014 Cross Countries Rally
Stage Round 4 , 5   Sardinia

Results Session

Sunny
Pos. Rider Num Nation Team Constructor Time/Gap
1 Barreda Joan SPA Monster Energy Honda Team Honda 2:26'44
2 Botturi Alessandro ITA Yamaha Racing Yamaha +0'91
3 Faria Ruben POR Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team KTM +1'98
4 Mancini Andrea ITA Team Dirt Racing Beta Beta +2'87
5 Rodrigues Helder POR Team HRC Honda +3'07
6 Coma Marc SPA Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team KTM +4'93
7 Goncalves Paulo POR Team HRC Honda +5'61
10 Farres Gerard SPA Gas Gas Racing Gas Gas +7'68
2014 Cross Countries Rally
Stage Round 4 , 5   Sardinia

Provisional Standings after Stage 4

Pos. Rider Num Nation Team Constructor Time/Gap
1 Botturi Alessandro ITA Yamaha Racing Yamaha 12:19'52
2 Coma Marc SPA Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team KTM +10'06
3 Farres Gerard SPA Gas Gas Racing Gas Gas +17'57
4 Rodrigues Helder POR Team HRC Honda +20'02
5 Goncalves Paulo POR Team HRC Honda +21'29
6 Mancini Andrea ITA Team Dirt Racing Beta Beta +22'33
7 Barreda Joan SPA Monster Energy Honda Team Honda +25'32
8 Pain Olivier FRA Yamaha Racing Yamaha +31'29
9 Faria Ruben POR Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team KTM +36'22
10 Monleon Armand SPA KTM Marc Coma Junior Team KTM +37'07
Location Information

Since the beginning, Bike Village had set the ambitious goal to let Sardegna Rally Race be considered among the great rallies. On the eve of the seventh edition, this goal is perfectly reached. The fans of these fascinating races born in the desert have found in the Sardegna Rally Race… read more.

Budoni, Olbia-Tempio, Italia - View in Google Maps