Monster Energy Honda HRC’s Rally 2 riders continued their flawless run at the 13th edition of the Desafío Ruta 40, with Martim Ventura claiming yet another stage victory to maintain Honda’s unbeaten streak in the category.
Ventura, Bruno Crivilin and Preston Campbell once again guided their Honda CRF450RX RALLY machines through some of Argentina’s toughest terrain, tackling a punishing penultimate stage that featured dramatic elevation changes almost immediately after the 251 km liaison from the San Rafael bivouac. Set against the stunning backdrop of the snow-covered Andes, riders also had to contend with freezing temperatures that added another layer of difficulty to an already physically demanding rally.
Although Ventura won yesterday’s stage, the Portuguese rider admitted frustration over a couple of mistakes. On stage four, however, he responded in emphatic fashion, delivering a precise and controlled ride through the technical mountain climbs and overcame growing fatigue to secure his third stage win of the week. After 306 km against the clock, he crossed the line with a commanding 2’20” advantage over second place, extending his overall lead to four and a half minutes over teammate Bruno Crivilin.
Competing in his first-ever round of the Rally-Raid World Cup, Crivilin has continued to impress throughout the rally. After struggling in the dunes yesterday due to limited experience on the terrain, the Brazilian bounced back strongly on stage four to remain firmly in contention. His runner-up finish on the day keeps him second overall and Ventura’s closest challenger heading into the final stage.
Preston Campbell was hoping for a cleaner run after a malfunction of the roadbook switch his previous stage, but the American encountered more adversity early on when heavy dust contributed to a crash. Despite the setback, Campbell regrouped and pushed through to the finish, ending the day fifth in class, 7’48” behind Ventura. He has dropped to fourth overall, however, the gap to the podium is still only a minute and a half.
With the rally set to conclude in San Juan tomorrow, competitors still face a decisive 320 km timed stage on the final day. With Monster Energy Honda HRC riders currently occupying the top two positions in Rally 2, the fight for victory remains wide open.
Ruben Faria
General Manager
It was a really strong day for us. Martim took the win and opened up a solid gap to second place. At his first rally, Bruno delivered an excellent performance again today to finish in a strong second place.
At the beginning of the stage, Preston was caught in a lot of dust while riding behind another competitor and suffered a heavy crash. He has some pain in his leg, but fortunately nothing serious. After that, he focused on bringing the bike safely back to the bivouac without any further crashes and finished fifth.
Overall, we are very happy with the team’s performance today. Tomorrow is the final day, with 320 km around San Juan. I think it will be a fast stage, with no sand or dunes, so it should suit high-speed riding. We will keep pushing until the very end.
Bruno Crivilin 69
Stage: 2nd Overall: 2nd
Today was good, I liked this stage, riding in the mountains. The bike was working really well in these conditions. It was a very physical stage, but I’m happy. Martim won again so I’m happy for him and for the team. Today, was better for the navigation because it was similar to Brazil, not too many CAPs, so it was good. Let’s go for tomorrow, the last day, I will push again.
Martim Ventura 84
Stage: 1st Overall: 1st
It was a super super tough day. It was super difficult at high altitude, I felt super tired since the beginning but I tried to push myself a lot and I think my body responded well. The bike felt super good also, I made a few less mistakes, I tried to be calm and keep going. It was a good day, another win in the class and we keep going, so super happy.
Preston Campbell 85
Stage: 5th Overall: 4th
Today, was super fast in the mountains, big fast tracks and steep hills. It started off OK, I caught dust really early and was fighting the dust, had one pretty good crash at 109 km. From there I had to regather myself and get to the finish. Tomorrow’s the last day, looking forward to it, still a big stage. Hopefully, end it out on a positive note.
Source: Monster Enery Honda HRC
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