Baja Portalegre 2024 image gallery available here
After a remarkable career on two wheels, Hélder Rodrigues (CAN-AM) has turned to SSVs to continue his career and, at this year's Baja Portalegre
500, the Lisbon native repeated last year's victory. “Yesterday didn't go very well. I was only fast in the prologue, but then I lost a lot of time. Today, the race was long and hard. I kept attacking, always concentrating and, in the end, I managed to win. It feels great to win again.”
Just 58.9 seconds behind was the Tiago Guerreiro/Carlos Paulino (Polaris) duo, with the driver saying: “I'm very happy. It's the sixth time I've done Portalegre and the first time I've finished. The car was always impeccable. At the end we passed some opponents and then we were passed again, I didn't understand. But we're very happy with this podium.”
After securing the final podium place, the André Carita/Nuno Abrantes (CAN-AM) duo confided: “We gave it our all and did everything we could to finish in front. In the final part, we weren't expecting such long straights and we don't have the car for more.”
Former national off-road champion Pedro Grancha (accompanied by Tomás Neves) was fourth, ahead of Nélson Caxias/Pedro Rodrigues (CAN-AM).
Automatic translation of the Portuguese version
Source: Baja Portalegre / ACP Motorsport
Photo: Rally-Raid Network / ImagensDesportivas.pt
Extra Information - Hélder Rodrigues took part in the SSV race of the National Cross-Country Championship, in accordance with the rules of the FMP - Federação de Motociclismo de Portugal. This category is different from the FIA SSVs in terms of regulations and vehicle specifications.
The Baja Portalegre race was also different. The first day had the prologue and SS1 just like the cars, but on the second day there was only one 300-kilometre sector to compete in, unlike the cars which had two 150-kilometre sectors on the program (before the changes caused by the rain).
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