Yamalube Yamaha Rally Set The Bar High For Second Week Of Dakar

2019-01-13 09:31
Enjoying a well-deserved break in Arequipa on Saturday, Yamalube Yamaha Rally team riders Adrien Van Beveren and Xavier de Soultrait are set to attack the second part of this year's Dakar Rally. Currently sitting fifth and eighth respectively in the provisional overall standings, the two WR450F Rally powered riders are determined to continue their fight for glory in the Peruvian countryside.

Overcoming the added pressure of the first few days, Adrien Van Beveren is now looking to show his full potential on the second week of the Dakar. Enjoying a mistake-free race, Adrien is now fifth overall and less than seven minutes behind the provisional overall leader.

Delivering Yamaha its first stage victory at this year's Dakar by winning stage three, Xavier de Soultrait is now eighth in the provisional overall. Physically and mentally strong, the rider from France is looking to take advantage of his acute navigational skills as the race enters it hardest part this coming week.

Racing a stock YXZ1000R machine in the UTV Open category of this Dakar, the 100% female team of Camelia Liparoti and co-driver Rosa Romero Font are still in the race for the finish. Battling through tough stages and lack of sleep, Camelia and Rosa have their eyes set on crossing the finish line in Lima on January 17.

Taking competitors back to Lima, the second week is expected to be long and demanding. The second part of the race commences on Saturday afternoon, when riders will head to the start of stage six. Scheduled for Sunday is a 336km long timed special.

Untitled Adrien Van Beveren - Yamalube Yamaha Rally rider
5th Overall
"Everything is working well for me at the moment. I'm very satisfied with my results from the first week and I'm looking forward to the second one. I've felt fatigued on the first few days, but that was mostly due to the pre-race stress. Once I got over that, I could start racing the way I know. This Dakar is different to any other in the past. The pace is really fast and in many stages we're racing alongside each other for pretty much most of the day. These are quite stressful conditions but I'm managing the pressure quite well. Physically I'm strong at the moment. For the second week, I want to retain that same momentum so that I can be able to fight for the big goal that is to win the Dakar. We all know that the second week will be even harder, but I am confident in my abilities."

Untitled Xavier de Soultrait - Yamalube Yamaha Rally rider
8th Overall
"So far I've won one stage and finished second in another one and I'm really happy about that. I might have lost some time on stage four, but this is part of the game. I feel I'm in a great place right now for the rest of the race. I'm doing quite well with my navigation and I think this is my strong point this year. During the second week, we're all expecting navigation to be even trickier and I want to turn this into my advantage. The race is intense and there are stages where it's hard to make passes. Fortunately, I've had zero issues so far. I'm strong physically and my bike is running great. If everything goes according to plan, I know I can fight for the overall victory and that's where my eyes are set."

Alexandre Kowalski - Yamalube Yamaha Rally Alexandre Kowalski – Yamalube Yamaha Rally Team Director
"We had a specific plan coming into this race and I'm happy to confirm we're following it to the last detail. Our first major target was to see our riders arrive at the Rest Day physically strong and with no issues on their bikes. It was unfortunate that we lost Franco and Rod during the first week, but we're now in a great position with Adrien and Xavier. During the rest day Adrien and Xavier got some well-needed rest. Our goal now as a team is to maintain the same level of focus and concentration going into the second week. The true race is starting now and each of the next four days will be crucial. We will approach each stage separately as we all continue giving our best until our riders cross the finish line."

Cameila Liparoti Camelia Liparoti – Yamaha YXZ1000R
"This Dakar is one tough challenge but we are a strong team with Rosa. Our stock YXZ1000R machine runs very well in these conditions and it's a real pleasure to race. This first week of the Dakar was challenging for everybody and we are happy we've made it to the Rest Day. The stages so far have been pretty long and we're sleeping an average of three hours per night. Luckily, we were able to catch up on some sleep today and we are ready for the second week. Our major goal this year is to show how a stock Yamaha YXZ1000R can be competitive in the hardest rally of the world and we will continue fighting until we reach the finish."

Dakar Rally 2019
Provisional Overall Classification [After Stage 5]
1. Ricky Brabec (USA), Honda, 16:51:34
2. Sam Sunderland (GBR), KTM, 16:52:33, +00:59
3. Pablo Quintanilla (CHL), Husqvarna, 16:54:26, +02:52
4. Toby Price (AUS), KTM, 16:54:55, +03:21
5. Adrien Van Beveren (FRA), Yamaha, 16:58:10, +09:01
6. Kevin Benavides (ARG), Honda, 17:00:35, +09:01
…
8. Xavier de Soultrait (FRA), 17:10:11, +18:37

Dakar Rally 2019
Race Schedule
Stage 1 | Jan 7 | Lima to Pisco | SS: 84km | Total: 331km
Stage 2 | Jan 8 | Pisco to San Juan de Marcona | SS: 342km | Total: 554km
Stage 3 | Jan 9 | San Juan de Marcona to Arequipa | SS: 331km | Total: 779km
Stage 4 | Jan 10 | Arequipa to Moquegua | SS: 352km | Total: 511km
Stage 5 | Jan 11 | Moquegua to Arequipa | SS: 345km | Total: 776km
Rest Day | Jan 12 | Arequipa
Stage 6 | Jan 13 | Arequipa to San Juan de Marcona | SS: 317km | Total: 839km
Stage 7 | Jan 14 | San Juan de Marcona to San Juan de Marcona | SS: 323km | Total: 387km
Stage 8 | Jan 15 | San Juan de Marcona to Pisco | SS: 361km | Total: 576km
Stage 9 | Jan 16 | Pisco to Pisco | SS: 313km | Total: 410km
Stage 10 | Jan 17 | Pisco to Lima | SS: 112km | Total: 358km

Source: Yamaha Motor Europe

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