Monster Energy Honda Team rider Kevin Benavides sees his name inscribed in the Silk Way Rally history books as he becomes the first leader in the maiden outing of the motorcycle category. Barreda, posting fourth, and Cornejo both avoided mishaps.
The Silk Way Rally got underway today, Sunday, with a 50-kilometre curtain-raising special stage on route from Irkutsk to Baykalsk, which featured mountain tracks and riverbeds in the surroundings of Lake Baikal. The rain yesterday, which continued overnight, led to a mud-drenched affair, punctuated with some hazardous puddles. Riders with an enduro background faired better, while others employed low-risk, damage limitation strategies to avoid falls.
The quickest over the short distance proved to be Monster Energy Honda Team’s Argentine rider Kevin Benavides, who finished the timed special in just over 30 minutes to become the first race leader, some 36 seconds ahead of his brother.
Spanish ace Joan Barreda was the first of the trio to take the start and acquitted himself well to take the day’s fourth fastest time, while conceding little. Meanwhile, José Ignacio Cornejo finished in thirdteen place after a cautious start to the rally.
The second stage of the Silk Way Rally will be held tomorrow, Monday. With the start in Baykalsk and the finish in Ulan Ude, riders can expect a 413.72-kilometre total trek including 207 km against the clock. The forest routes to be tackled will feature a fair dosage of small rocks.
Kevin Benavides
I couldn’t ask for anything more! To start the race with a nice stage victory is always pleasing. Also, it will really boost my self-confidence which I needed a little. We have worked hard before the race and the results are starting to show. This race promises to surprise us with some very lovely places, but we have to continue working and pushing hard because we have only tackled the first of what will be a lot of tough days that lie ahead.
Joan Barreda
It was a short 50-kilometre stage, but it was a difficult, or rather, a complicated one. At the beginning there were many flooded parts with puddles full of plenty of water which made for an insecure ride. We even had a few slight scares, which meant that we had to proceed with caution. It has been a good warm-up, a great way to get a feel for the terrain, as yet unknown to us.
Private: José Ignacio “Nacho” Cornejo
There was a lot of mud in the stage because of the rains that fell yesterday. I took things carefully not to make mistakes and avoid falling which would have affected my confidence. I am satisfied with what I have done out on a route that didn’t favour my riding style. It has not been a bad day and I hope to keep improving the pace a little as the race progresses.
Results Stage 1
| Pos. | Rider | Num | Nation | Team | Constructor | Time/Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Benavides Kevin | ARG | Monster Energy Honda HRC | Honda | 00:30'51 | |
| 2 | Benavides Luciano | ARG | KTM Factory Racing Team | KTM | +0'36 | |
| 3 | de Soultrait Xavier | FRA | Yamalube Yamaha Official Rally Team | Yamaha | +0'51 | |
| 4 | Barreda Joan | SPA | Monster Energy Honda HRC | Honda | +1'06 | |
| 5 | Sunderland Sam | GBR | Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team | KTM | +1'15 | |
| 6 | Goncalves Paulo | POR | Hero Motorsports Team Rally | Hero | +1'36 | |
| 7 | Van Beveren Adrien | FRA | Yamalube Yamaha Official Rally Team | Yamaha | +2'02 | |
| 8 | Caimi Franco | ARG | Yamalube Yamaha Official Rally Team | Yamaha | +2'51 | |
| 9 | Short Andrew | USA | Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing | Husqvarna | +3'01 | |
| 10 | Mena Oriol | SPA | Hero Motorsports Team Rally | Hero | +3'31 | |
| 11 | Tomiczek Adam | POL | Orlen Team | KTM | +4'15 | |
| 12 | Giemza Maciej | POL | Orlen Team | KTM | +4'47 | |
| 13 | Cornejo José Ignacio "Nacho" | CHI | Monster Energy Honda HRC | Honda | +6'10 |
Location Information
http://www.silkwayrally.com/en/main.html
