Xavier De Soultrait Wins Stage Two Of Merzouga Rally 2017

2017-05-08 09:31
Putting in a dominant performance in the dunes of Morocco, Xavier de Soultrait claimed an impressive victory on stage two of the Afriquia Merzouga Rally 2017 to extend his lead in the provisional overall standings of the rally. With two out of six stages now completed, the Yamalube Yamaha Official Rally Team rider holds a 7-minute lead over his closest rivals.

Assigned with the demanding task of opening the tracks for the greatest part of the 181km-long special stage, de Soultrait combined raw speed with experience to post the best time and win the stage. Enjoying a perfect run to the event so far, the Frenchman will keep on pushing hard with the goal to become the third Yamaha mounted rider to claim victory at the Merzouga Rally.

Stage two brought some mixed fortunes to Xavier's Yamalube Yamaha Official Rally Team partner Franco Caimi. Demonstrating good speed, the Argentinean got off to a very strong start in the special stage. Getting the provisional stage lead Franco was racing towards victory but suffered a navigational mistake that forced him to settle for seventh at the finish. Currently fifth overall, Franco will continue battling to improve his results in the provisional overall rankings.

For former Merzouga Rally winner Alessandro Botturi stage two was another demonstration of the Italian rider's maturity as a racer. Avoiding costly mistakes, the Yamaha Italy supported racer posted the third fastest time in today's special stage and is currently third in the rally's provisional overall standings.

For a second consecutive day, tomorrow's stage three will see competitors race a circular route around the city of Erfoud. With final details yet to be announced, it is expected to be one more test of the riders' navigational skills and stamina.

Xavier de Soultrait - Yamalube Yamaha Official Rally Team Xavier de Soultrait - Yamalube Yamaha Official Team rider
1st Stage 2 / 1st Overall

"I'm a bit over the moon with my result from today's stage. In the morning, I felt under pressure as I had to open the tracks for the most part of the special stage. With no other rider having ridden the stage before us, there were no marks so I had to create my own tracks in the sand. It was difficult but I managed to come out on top, posting the fastest time of the day. Franco caught up with me midway through the stage and we helped each other for the next few kilometres. I managed to open up a decent lead in the overall standings and my goal now is to maintain this gap during the next few stages. The feeling on my bike is amazing so I can't wait for the rest of the race."
Franco Caimi - Yamalube Yamaha Official Rally Team Franco Caimi - Yamalube Yamaha Official Team rider
7th Stage 2 / 5th Overall

"The day started in the best possible way for me. I had a great feeling on the bike so decided to push from the start of the special stage. Everything was going great so at some point I caught Xavier and we were racing together for quite a while. Almost 15km before the end of the stage and while I was holding the provisional lead, I made a navigational mistake losing almost 15 minutes. This is part of the game and the race still has a long way to go. Today I showed the speed is there and I'm happy I could keep up such a great pace throughout most of the special stage. The bike is great and I'm getting more used to it. My focus for tomorrow will be on my navigation. If I manage to minimise mistakes I know we can battle for a good result at this event."
José Leloir - Yamalube Yamaha Official Rally Team manager José Leloir- Yamalube Yamaha Official Rally Team manager
"Two stages into this rally and we're more than happy with the progress made. Xavier has been in dominant form during these first two days and Franco has impressed up with his speed aboard the WR450F Rally machine. Today's stage started with dunes and also included lots of gravel roads. We were really happy to see our riders leading the stage from start to finish. So far everything has been going according to plan. Our bikes are running great and our riders are feeling more and more comfortable on them as the race goes on. As we're waiting for race organisers to announce the final details for tomorrow's stage three - it's going to be a long stage with lots of navigation. We'll do our best to assist Xavier maintain his lead in the overall and also help Franco regain some positions in the overall."
Merzouga Rally 2017 - Stage 2 - Provisional Classification
1. Xavier de Soultrait (FRA), Yamaha, 03:31:12
2. Gerard Farrés (ESP), KTM, 03:35:12, +04:00
3. Alessandro Botturi (ITA), Yamaha, 03:38:15, +07:03
4. Juan Pedrero (ESP), Sherco, 03:38:21, +07:09
5. Ivan Cervantes (ESP), KTM, 03:40:05, +08:53
6. Adam Tomiczek (POL), KTM, 03:41:33, + 10:21
7. Franco Caimi (ARG), Yamaha, 03:41:49, +10:37

Merzouga Rally 2017 - Overall Classification [After Stage 2]
1. Xavier de Soultrait (FRA), Yamaha, 04:01:06
2. Gerard Farres (ESP), KTM, 04:09:04, +07:56
3. Alessandro Botturi (ITA), Yamaha, 04:11:31, +10:23
4. Juan Pedrero (ESP), Sherco, 04:13:51, +12:43
5. Franco Caimi (ARG), Yamaha, 04:13:54, +12:46
6. Ivan Cervantes (ESP), KTM, 04::14:52, +13:44

Source: Yamaha Motor Europe N.V.

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