The Paraguayan Puma Energy National Cross Country Rally Championship had its big party to close the season with the third and last event, the Desafío de Ñeembucú, which marked the end of the exciting 2021 season.

The winners of this last event were, in the main class, trucks, Blas Zapag (overall and T1 gasoline class winner), Héctor Giubi (T1 4x2), Nery González (Group 1), Thomas Willms (T1 diesel) and Juan Montiel (T2 diesel).

In motorcycles, the best riders were Guido Krahm (Motorcycle Class), Carlos Zarca (Senior), Atilio Casaccia (Open), and Blas García Group N; in quads, the Argentinean Edwin Montaño won; while in UTVs, Oscar Santos (Turbo) and Lua Weiler (Group N) were the winners.

In the main class, the pickup truck class, Blas Zapag-Juan José Sánchez won again with the Toyota Hilux, brilliantly winning the three dates held this year and the title of national champion.

In second place overall and winner of the T1 diesel category was the Thomas Willms-Caroline Willms duo with a Toyota Tacoma.

In third place overall and second in their class, the T1 gasoline, and closing a great performance, Andrea Lafarja in the company of the Argentine Eugenio "Pachu" Arrieta with a Toyota Hilux.

There were two very hard stages where the competitors had to cover 285 kilometers in the first part of Saturday and another 205 this Sunday to reach the finish line.

At the end of the Desafío Ñeembucú, the awarding of the outstanding of this last event of the calendar took place, while the distinction to the best of the Paraguayan will be made soon once the results of the 2021 season are confirmed, both in drivers and co-drivers.

Automatic translation from the official press release
Source: Campeonato Paraguayo Rally Cross Country

With the presence of the Municipal Mayor Flor Destefanis, the President of the HCD Débora Quiroga, the Director of Sports Guillermo Ledesma, Juan Pablo Cisterna General Director of the Rally Raid 2021 Championship, Hugo Balada Director of the Mendocino Cross Country Rally Championship, the official presentation of the most popular Rally Raid meeting in eastern Mendoza took place and will be held in Santa Rosa.

The Race

The competition will take place from October 29 to 31 in the Eastern Region of Argentina,  and Santa Rosa will host the Bivouac of the competition that will have participants from Mendoza, San Luis, Córdoba and Buenos Aires. Some foreigner competitors from Chile and Uruguay are also expected to attend, as long as the provisions related to the opening of the borders allow it.
It will be the first time that this race will take place in the Eastern zone, as the previous events were held in Las Heras, San Rafael, General Alvear and now in the department of Santa Rosa. The best teams of Argentina and possibly from Chile and Uruguay, which will give it an international character, will be in the east of Mendoza. There will be around 1,500 people who will be involved in the event during those days.

The Route

The bivouac will be located in the district of Las Catitas and the race will take place throughout the department, being the Tunuyán River the main circuit and axis of the competition.
On Friday 29th, the symbolic start will take place on Eulalia Calderón Avenue in the district of Las Catitas, so that people can have a close look at the machines and pilots that will take part in the competition.
The race is scheduled to start on Friday at the circuit of Las Catitas, on Saturday the start will take place in La Dormida with arrival at Villa Cabecera. One stage will run through the north of the department and then return to the route of the Tunuyan River in Las Catitas. While on Sunday the race will be run along the whole river, round trip to the border with the department of La Paz.

Automatic translation from the official press release - Available here

The third round of the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship took place in Brazil on a route between Tamandaré and Tibau do Sul and offered a beautiful and diverse challenge over stony and sandy terrain, rolling tracks and magnificent landscapes.

It was also a difficult route because of the location. Unfortunately, because of logistical issues created by the ongoing Covid-19 crisis, few riders were able to participate and the last stage was cancelled af**ter torrential rain inundated the region.

Adrien Metge (Yamaha) led the motorcycle category from the Prologue to the end of the rally. However, the Frenchman experienced GPS issues on the first stage and over-speeding cost him a 16-minute time penalty and he finished the section in ninth. The Yamaha rider then went on to win all the stages, with the exception of the last one, that fell to Gregorio Caselani (Honda).

On SS6, however, Metge almost didn’t finish when his engine gave signs of weakness and gave in at the end of the special. Fortunately, team-mate Tulio Malta – who had started far behind after experiencing a problem on stage five – was able to tow him to the bivouac.

Jean de Azevedo (Honda), for his part, made a comeback at the handlebars of a Honda and demonstrated that he had lost none of his ability to finish second overall, ahead of Bissinho Zavatti (Honda), Tulio Malta (Yamaha) and Gregorio Caselani (Honda).

Ricardo Martins (Yamaha) fell on the fourth stage and was forced to retire with fractured ribs.
With all the aforementioned riders registered in Rally2, Metge thus won Rallye dos Sertões and the Rally2 category, while the victory in RallyeGP went to Caselani.

In the quad category, Argentina’s Manuel Andujar (Yamaha) had championship points in his sights and kept his only opponent, Rafal Sonik (Yamaha), at a safe distance. In the seventh stage, leader Marcelo Madeiros fell and could not finish the special. The Argentinean therefore took the lead and claimed the laurels, with Sonik finishing second.

In the SSV section, Leandro Torres, navigated by Joao Arena, won the FIM SSV category at the wheel of a Polaris, ahead of his son Thiago Torres, co-driven by Eduardo Shiga.

Source FIM
Photos Victor Euleuterio

With the cancellation of Sertoes Rally's final special stage due to rain, competitors will move from Arapiraca (AL) to Tamandaré (PE), where the winners of the 2021 edition will be confirmed.  Saturday's stage, the penultimate of the rally,  caused a turnaround in the classification of the cars in the final timed section of this year's Sertões Rally.

Nine days after hitting the road to face a 3,615km challenge through seven northeastern states, the Sertões 2021 returns to the coast. If the biggest rally of the Americas started in Pipa (RN), the end happens in another paradisiacal point: Praia dos Carneiros, in Tamandaré (PE). The ideal scenario to consecrate the champions of the 2021 edition, virtually defined this Saturday, in the eighth stage, which took the caravan from Delmiro Gouveia to Arapiraca, in Alagoas.  Sunday's special was canceled due to the effects of the rains in the region where the race will pass, and so Saturday's stage had become the final competitive stage of Sertoes 2021. It was still necessary, however, to get the vehicles moving until the end of the off-road marathon.

The 'Alagoas' stage summed up what this edition of the Sertões was all about: variety of surfaces, trial stretches, rocks, mountain crossings, and a lot of navigation. For those who were ahead in motorcycles, quads, and UTVs, with a comfortable advantage, the challenge was to maintain concentration and avoid unnecessary risks, which worked out well. With this, the competitors who had a wide advantage the day before: Frenchman Adrien Metge on two wheels; Argentinean Manuel Andujar (quad) and the duo Denísio Casarini/Ivo Mayer (Can-Am) practically put both hands on the trophy.

As for the Cars, the eighth stage caused a turnaround in the duel between the Baumgart brothers, with Toyota Hilux. Marcos (with Kleber Cincea) led the first week of the race, followed closely by Cristian/Beco Andreotti, who attacked in the last 152.2 km of the race and ended up favored by a problem in the transmission of Marcos' pickup truck to take the lead at the most important moment, and won the day.

In the quad bikes, Marcelo Medeiros showed he is fully recovered from the accident the day before (as well as his machine) to be the fastest, followed by Andujar. Gregório Caselani put Honda ahead in the bikes, with virtual champion Metge in second.

Among the SSVs, Portuguese Alexandre Miguel/Fausto Mota (Can-Am) became the seventh different winner in eight stages. They beat Cristiano Batista/Robledo Nicoletti (Can-Am) and Fábio Pirondi/Marcelo Ritter (Can-Am).

The displacement of this last day of the rally will be 320km long, with a maximum time of six hours to be completed by the competitors. At the end, the consecration on the arrival ramp with the delivery of medals to all who completed one of the most technical and beautiful Sertões in 29 years of history.

WHAT THEY SAID
Gregório Caselani (Motorcycles)

"Today's special was a lot of fun, with a lot of gravel, the bike from one side to the other. Some very nice trail sections. Happy to be the fastest of the day."

Marcelo Medeiros (Quads)

"It was good to get here, it was one of the most difficult rallies I've participated in, with long specials, sections with a high degree of difficulty, but I'm happy to have completed it and to know that we are competitive."

CLASSIFICAÇÃO GERAL
MOTOS
1) #4 Adrien Metge, (1)MT1, Yamaha WR450F, 30h06min12
2) #3 Jean Azevedo, (2)MT1, Honda CRF450RX, 30h22min40
3) #6 Bissinho Zavatti, (1)MT2, Honda CRF450RX, 30h40min06
4) #5 Túlio Malta, (2)MT2, Yamaha WR450F, 30h55min55
5) #7 Gregório Caselani, (3)MT2, Honda CRF450RX, 28h09min28

QUADS
1) #107 Manuel Andujar, Yamaha Raptor 700, 29h46min16
2) #101 Rafal Sonik, Yamaha Raptor, 31h54min42
3) #100 Marcelo Medeiros, Yamaha YFM700R, 37h03min53

SSV
1) #201 Denísio Casarini/Ivo Meyer, (1)UT1, Can-Am Maverick X3, 30h36min29
2) #250 André Hort/Matheus Mazzei, (2)UT1, Can-Am Maverick X3, 30h52min40
3) #202 Rodrigo Luppi/Maykel Justo, (3)UT1, Can-Am Maverick X3, 30h55min15
4) #267 João Monteiro/Victor Melo, (4)UT1, Can-Am Maverick X3, 30h58min5
5) #211 Gabriel Cestari/Jhonatan Ardigo, (1)UT2, Can-Am Maverick X3, 31h11min13

CARS
1) #302 Cristian Baumgart/Beco Andreotti, (1)T1 FIA, Toyota Hilux IMA 2021, 28h55min21
1) #301 Marcos Baumgart/Kleber Cincea, (2)T1FIA, Toyota Hilux IMA 2021, 29h03min39
3) #315 Sylvio de Barros/Rafael Capoani, (3)T1 FIA, Toyota Hilux IMA 2021, 29h42min46
4) #368 Julio Capua/Emerson Cavassin, (4)T1FIA, Toyota Hilux V8, 30h25min15
5) #373 Marcelo Gastaldi/Cadu Sachs, (5)T1 FIA, Buggy Century CR-6, 30h29min57

Sources
Automatic translation from Sertoes Rally's official press release
Photo:  X-Rally / Marcelo M de Melo

• Caminhos do Seridó challenged pilots and co-pilots this Saturday. Caselani (Motorcycles), Medeiros (Quads), Reinaldo Varela/Dums (UTVs) and Marcos Baumgart/Cincea (Cars) dominated the day. But it's just beginning. Tomorrow the caravan arrives in Pernambuco.

The first day was behind us. And it was hard, demanding and hot. It couldn't be any different in the Seridó hinterland, stage of the 1st stage of the Sertões 2021, which took pilots and navigators from Tibau do Sul (RN) to Patos (PB). This Sunday, the challenge in the biggest rally of the Americas will be a 249-kilometer special that will take the race from the Paraíba city to Araripina (PE). It is very close to Juazeiro do Norte, main point of devotion to Padre Cícero Romão Batista. The 'Padim Ciço', who is the honoured of the day, will bless the caravan through paths that promise to demand as much as the ones of the day before.

Saturday's special confirmed that this year's Sertões would be challenging from the very first kilometre. There were 235 kilometres of an extremely technical and winding race: gravel and stones; passing through mountains; a trial section and many curves. All under a strong sun that punished machines and men. The low average speeds of the winners help to summarize what was the day - 55.04km/h for the cars.

In the motorbikes, Gregório Caselani (Honda) inherited the stage victory and the rally leadership with the punishment applied to the Frenchman Adrien Metge (Yamaha), fastest of the special stage, for speeding in a radar zone and for driving in the opposite direction of the race to validate a lost waypoint. Jean Azevedo guaranteed the double of Honda, followed by the reigning champion Ricardo Martins (Yamaha).

Among the UTVs, the experience of Reinaldo Varela (Can-Am) made the difference. The three-time world champion and navigator Gunnar Dums dealt well with the conditions of the day to arrive in Patos as the fastest and first leaders of the Sertões 2021 in the most hotly contested category. They were ahead of defending champions Deninho Casarini/Ivo Mayer, who were forced to endure a stage of overcoming the competition. With the rollover in the prologue, they were the 37th duo to start, which required numerous overtakings and a strong rhythm from the beginning. In an edition with a record number of participants, João Valentim/Henrique Correia (Can-Am Maverick X3) finished third.

The expected fierce duel between the Baumgart brothers and the Toyota Hilux V8 IMA set the tone among the cars. And the most recent champion among them took the lead. Marcos (navigated by Kleber Cincea) was 55s faster than Cristian/Beco Andreotti. With another example of the Japanese pick-up, Sylvio de Barros/Rafael Capoani finished third. Another sensation in the category, the South African Century CR6 buggy of Marcelo Gastaldi/Cadu Sachs forced the duo to change a front shock absorber.

WHAT THEY SAID

Gregório Caselani (Motorcycles)

"I'm very happy. The special was very hard as we expected, but I had a lot of fun on the bike today. I started the rally being the target, but it's good to lead. It's an important result for the team and we will try to take it to the end.

Marcos Baumgart (Cars)

"It was a special worthy of the Sertões, very cool. A stage like this measures a lot of driver, navigator, equipment and team, and I like this type of race. We kept a constant rhythm, Cristian attacked and came into the fight; there's no point throwing all the chips in one day because there's still a lot of rally ahead".

Reinaldo Varela (UTV)

"I honestly didn't expect to make this storm. The special was very technical, always left and right, no straights, with stones and a big risk of tyre punctures. We passed well, we came without any scares and I'm happy to start at the front. As we did well in this first stage and the second promises to be similar, we have everything to do well again, although many people come with everything".

Marcelo Medeiros (Quads)

"It was a very tough day. Many stones on the way and a lot of attention in the piloting. Another point that made it difficult was the heat. The important thing is that our quad finished in one piece, without any problems and ready for the next challenges.

RESULTS

1ª. Stage – Saturday 14/08 – Tibau do Sul (RN) – Patos (PB)
235km cronometrados

MOTOS
1) #7 Gregório Caselani (2)MT1, Honda CRF450RX, 4h26min07
2) #3 Jean Azevedo (2)MT1, Honda CRF450RX, 4h27min59
3) #2 Ricardo Martins (3)MT1, Yamaha WR450F, 4h28min09
4) #31 Gabriel Bruning, (1)MT3, 4h31min19
5) #6 Júlio Zavatti, (1)MT2, 4h32min59

QUADS
1) #100 Marcelo Medeiros, Yamaha YFM700R, 4h29min20
2) #107 Manuel Andujar, Yamaha Raptor 700, 4h37min43
3) #101 Rafal Sonik, Yamaha Raptor, 4h50min14

UTVs
1) #204 Reinaldo Varela/Gunnar Dums, (1)UOP, Can-Am Maverick X3, 4h19min24
2) #201 Denísio Casarini/Ivo Meyer, 1(UT1), Can-Am Maverick X3, 4h22min36
3) #229 João Valentim/Henrique Correia, 2(UT1), Can-Am Maverick X3, 4h23min56
4) #218 Guilherme Benchimol/Daniel Spolidorio, 1(UT2), Can-Am Maverick X3, 4h24min08
5) #220 João Pedro Franciosi/César Valandro, 2(UT2), Can-Am Maverick X3, 4h24min17

AUTO
1) #301 Marcos Baumgart/Kleber Cincea, 1(T1FIA), Toyota Hilux IMA 2021, 4h16min11
2) #303 Cristian Baumgart/Beco Andreotti 2(T1 FIA), Toyota Hilux IMA 2021, 4h17min06
3) #315 Sylvio de Barros/Rafael Capoani, 3(T1 FIA), Toyota Hilux IMA 2021, 4h22min31
3) #348 Carlos Ambrosio/Luiz Afonso Poli, 1(OP), Buggy Giaffone V8, 4h23min03
5) #359 Dan Nacif/Marco Túlio Lana, 2(OP), Buggy Giaffone V8, 4h27min43

Automatic translation from the official press release
Photo: Victor Eleuterio

The Baumgart brothers repeat the duel that marked last year's edition but gains rivals with equipment to match to win the race, which starts on Friday, from Praia da Pipa, in Rio Grande do Norte.)

They are the fastest of the three categories that compete in the Sertões and will devour the 3,615 km of the racecourse (2,202 of them timed) driven by a mixture of engine power and high technology. This year's race between the cars brings once again a variety of machines and the perspective of a family duel, with equal weapons.  The Baumgart brothers have won four of the last five editions and, as in the previous one, dominated by Marcos (and Kléber Cincea), they count on the most modern equipment for cross-country rallies: the Toyota Hilux pickups V8 T1 FIA of the X Rally Team. Prototypes thought in every detail to fly through the dirt roads of the seven northeastern states crossed by the caravan, which starts in Pipa (RN) next 13th and ends the challenge on 22nd in Tamandaré (PE).

Cristian, who dominated the race from 2016 to 2018 alongside navigator Beco Andreotti, sets off to regain the hegemony - the duo is one of the longest-running in Sertões. Motivated by the first triumph last year, his brother promises to repeat the exciting dispute defined by a few minutes of 2020. This time, however, they will not be the only ones to count on the model. Sylvio de Barros, third place last year, and Júlio Capua, will also lead the Hilux in the fastest category among cars. The Japanese pickups promise to put on a show especially in the first part of the Marathon stage, with over 200 kilometers of sand - their natural habitat.

The quartet will have a worthy adversary in Marcelo Gastaldi. Together with Cadu Sachs, he competes with the Buggy Century CR6, the same model he drove this year in his debut in the Dakar when he was constantly among the top 20. Developed in South Africa with a Chevrolet V8 engine, the 'buggy' has recently won the Silk Road Rally, in Russia.

The Giaffone V8 buggies are once again present, especially the 'Javaloko', the version prepared for Zé Hélio Rodrigues, five-times champion in motorbikes and one of the most traditional names in Sertões. Tradition, by the way, is not lacking in the Mitsubishi prototype pick-up truck of the duo José Jorge de Barros Sawaya/Eduardo Lara Gouvea: the ages of both add up to 134 years - 68 for the pilot and 66 for the navigator.

Another attraction is the proposal of Luiz Carqueijo and Igor Quirrenbach, who are driving a Mitsubishi L200 Triton Sport R pickup truck. The duo faced the challenge of taking part in the biggest rally of the Americas with a budget of R$ 100 thousand, including the vehicle. And to complete the Sertões 2021.

What they said

Marcos Baumgart

"Last year's victory was sensational, with a high-level grid, I battled for a long time to make this dream come true. We race because we want the challenge, and the bigger it is, the better the result is. And the dream continues this year".

Cristian Baumgart

"I'm looking forward to it and I think it will be very special because we will go through the heart of the Northeast. It is the kind of terrain I like to ride the most, with the most beautiful landscapes. It has everything to be one of the best editions in history."

Shakedown

On Thursday the competitors of the Sertões 2021 have the chance to accelerate their vehicles for the first time, in one of the novelties of the race this year: the shakedown. A 'warm-up' in a closed stretch of 4 km serves for the last checks and adjustments before the prologue on Friday, which opens the dispute. The number of passes is free within the time reserved for each category, with one detail: those who want to ride again enter at the end of the queue.

Automatic translation from Sertões Rally's official press release
Photo: Sertoes Rally / Marcelo Maragni

Bruno Varela was already on his way to the starting point, scheduled for next Friday

In what is perhaps the most competitive year of the Sertões Rally in the UTV category, the strongest of the competition, the Monster Energy Can-Am team suffered an early loss. Leaving his base in São Paulo and already on his way to the start of the 2021 edition, to be held in Praia da Pipa (RN), driver Bruno Varela felt ill and was rushed to hospital in the city of Rio de Janeiro.

Diagnosed with acute appendicitis, Bruno underwent surgery on Tuesday (10) and is now recovering while his brothers and also pilots Gabriel and Rodrigo, and their father Reinaldo Varela, are already in Praia da Pipa, 85km from Natal, to compete in the Sertões Rally. Currently 25 years old, Bruno was the youngest champion in the history of the Sertões. In 2017, he won the race in the general classification of the UTV category.

"We are preparing to enter the hinterland and, fortunately, the problem happened where there are resources for quick assistance,"

said three-time world champion Reinaldo Varela, who will contest the race alongside navigator Gunnar Dums.

"I was accompanying Bruno on a trip to Natal when he started to feel bad. When we noticed that the pains were very strong, we went straight to a hospital and the diagnosis was to have surgery as soon as possible. Fortunately, everything went well and my brother is fine now. The team will miss Bruno a lot. He and navigator Gustavo Bortolanza were candidates for the Sertões title. But we will fight for this victory and, if everything goes well, we will celebrate together when we come back",

added Gabriel Varela, who will have Filipe Bianchini as navigator. Rodrigo Varela will have as co-driver the Portuguese Filipe Palmeiro.

The team should announce soon a new pilot to form a duo with navigator Gustavo Bortolanza. The 29th edition of the Rally dos Sertões will be held between 13 and 22 August, over a course of 3,615km (2,202 timed) across seven states in the Northeast, from Praia da Pipa (RN) to Tamandaré (PE). The Varela Monster Can-Am team is supported by Norton, Arisun Pneus, Techbond, Motul and Blindarte.

Automatic translation from Monster Energy Can-Am Team's official press release

Fernando Rosset/Marcelo Haseyama, Michel Terpins/Fabrício Bianchini, Mauro Guedes/Edu Bampi and Pedro Padro/Patrick Prado are looking for a clean ride and to avoid problems

Starts this Friday (13) another edition of Sertões, the largest rally of the Americas and one of the largest in the world. The race, which is 2021 will go through only Northeastern states, starts in Praia da Pipa, in Rio Grande do Norte, and ends in Tamandaré, in Pernambuco, also going through the states of Piauí, Bahia, and Alagoas, in a total of almost 3,500 kilometers.

Among the classes in dispute in the car category, an octet of already experienced pilots and navigators seeks to improve their marks in this year's race. They form the Off Road Rally Team, a team formed by the duos Fernando Rosset/Marcelo Haseyama, Michel Terpins/Fabrício Bianchini, Mauro Guedes/Edu Bampi and Pedro Padro/Patrick Prado. The team uses the structure of the multi-champion X Rally Team.

Among the four duos, Rosset/Haseyama will compete in T1 FIA, the fastest in the competition; Terpins/Bianchini, Guedes/Bampi, and Prado/Prado will run in T1 FIA Brazil.

For Fernando Rosset, this will be his third Sertões. After completing the race in 2019, in his first participation, the pilot did not manage to get past half of the race last year. Now, he moves up a category with the X Rally Ranger, but keeps his feet on the ground when talking about his goals.

"I spent the year doing a lot of intensive training and piloting for the Sertões. The idea is to complete the rally and see how it goes like we did in 2019; in 2020 I already wanted to push a bit harder and we got by the wayside. The first objective is to finish the race, and even more now moving up the category, from T1 Brazil to T1 FIA, the car is very different and we'll get to know it better in the Sertões, even. The anxiety is great, and at least this time we don't have to wait a year between the last edition and the next one",

said Fefo, referring to the fact that in 2020, because of the pandemic, the race took place in November.

Mauro Guedes comes with a new navigator. After a successful partnership with Filipe Bianchini, which yielded a vice-championship in T1 Brazil in 2019, Mauro will now have the company of the also experienced navigator Eduardo Bampi.

"We always think about the best possible. We are well prepared. This year I'm going with Eduardo Bampi, a top navigator, experienced. The car comes with a new engine, and physically we are also working hard. The team has an excellent structure and we will always try our best. In the end, we talk about results", said the driver from Brasilia.

Pedro Prado goes to his eighth Sertões. After having won the Prototypes T1 class title in 2016 alongside Joá Bicudo, Pedro is going for his second Sertões having his son, and chef, Patrick as navigator. Last year, the duo suffered a terminal engine problem and did not go beyond the second day of the race.

Now, however, the duo exchanges the X10 prototype for the X Rally Ranger in the T1 FIA Brazil class. "

This year I will be with a new and completely different car for me. My main goal is to finish the rally because last year I had my son Patrick for the first time navigating for me and unfortunately we couldn't complete the race," he says, before detailing his goals. "The plan of action is to have a steady race, at a good pace, without going crazy, but keeping fast and focused on navigation with Patrick, who has shown plenty of ability. So, we are very motivated to do a clean Sertões and bring a good result home", he adds.

Michel Terpins returns to the Sertões after missing out in 2020. Aboard the X Rally Ranger, he will make his 12th Sertões and will have the experience of navigator Fabrício Bianchini, who is going to the race for the 22nd time.

"I haven't raced for a year and a half, so I'm a bit out of rhythm. Anyway, I trained a lot physically and also with the car. But I think after the first day the rhythm comes back, and it's a long race. If we ride reasonably well in the initial days, it may be that we can do something nice until the end, "said Terpins.

The race begins on Friday (13) with a prologue of 11 kilometers that will define the starting order for the first special of the race, on Saturday (14), which will have 235 kilometers of a total of 410, adding the displacements.

Automatic translation from Off Road Rally Team's official press release

Winners of four of the last five editions, the team defends last year's title with Marcos Baumgart/Kleber Cincea with Toyota Hilux. But the three-time champions Cristian Baumgart/Beco Andreotti seek to regain the reign

The moment every off-road enthusiast has been waiting for has arrived: the 29th edition of the Sertões Rally, one of the biggest in the world, will start at the weekend. The race will be around 3.5 thousand kilometres and will cross only the Northeastern states in 2021, which does not change the size of the challenge for teams, pilots and navigators. The X Rally Team, the most successful in recent years in the race, bets on the continuity with Toyota Hilux prepared by the Belgian company Overdrive to maintain its reign in the Sertões.

In 2020, the victory went to the duo formed by Marcos Baumgart and Kleber Cincea, who fought an epic dispute for seconds against the three-time champion duo formed by Cristian Baumgart - Marcos' older brother - and Beco Andreotti.

"It's a challenging and different edition for being totally in the Northeast and also for being more compact in terms of distances for the teams. This is very positive because everyone rests more and better with the shorter displacements", says navigator Kleber Cincea who, like Marcos, is defending a Sertões title for the first time. "Every edition is special. Since 1999 we have fed this passion with the same intensity, and the team has always been growing, bringing new competitors. The fact that I won last year makes this year's edition even more challenging, and I feel motivated to defend the title," adds Marcos.

"It's going to be nice to start and arrive in different places than we're used to and covering only the Northeast. It's the kind of terrain I most like to ride, with the most beautiful landscapes. We've never had a similar route," comments Cristian Baumgart, winner of the race in 2016, 2017, and 2018. "The displacements for the teams will be smaller than last year, and this is also very positive for all employees because everyone gains time and work yields better. I'm looking forward to it and I think it's going to be very special, especially as we're going through the heart of the North East, without passing through any capital cities. It has everything to be one of the best in history", concludes Beco Andreotti.

The X Rally Team will have one of the biggest structures of the Brazilian rally in the competition. There will be 10 competition vehicles and 90 people working among mechanics, engineers, chefs, drivers, physiotherapists, and other collaborators.

There will be three Toyota Hilux, those of Marcos/Kleber, Cristian/Beco, and Sylvio de Barros/Rafael Capoani. The team will have five more X Rally Rangers with Adroaldo Weisheimer/Fred Budtikevitz, Mauro Guedes/Eduardo Bampi, Pedro Padro/Patrick Prado, Michel Terpins/Fabrício Bianchini, and Fernando Rosset/Marcelo Haseyama; the team will also bring the prototype X10 with Zeca Sawaia/Eduardo Lara and a UTV with Gunter Hinkelman/Neurivan Calado.

Source: X Rally Team official press release
Automatic translation from the official press release 

The entry list of the fastest-growing category in the international rally-raid has a total of 90 participants, with representatives from four countries. The expectation is that we will assist exciting disputes for victory.

The category that grows more in the international rally-raid scene comes to Sertões 2021 with a record entry list. No less than 90 SSVs will face the largest rally-raid of the Americas, scheduled for August 13 to 22, on a course of 3,615 km (2,202 timed) across seven states in the Northeast, from Praia da Pipa (RN) to Tamandaré (PE).

A quantity that is synonymous with quality and a very high technical level. In addition to the main Brazilian names, the race will feature duos from three other countries: the United States, Portugal, and Paraguay; all international stars. Starting with the Americans Casey Currie and Sean Berriman, winners of the Dakar 2020. With the official Polaris team, they speed up to try to end Can-Am's hegemony. The five Portuguese crews bring the experience of the very strong national off-road championship.

The local representation comes strong and more than equal to the foreign rivals. In action, two other Dakar winners: the patriarch of the 'Dust Family' Reinaldo Varela, also three times world champion; and Leandro Torres. And three Sertões champions willing to repeat the feat: the current one, Deninho Casarini; Denísio do Nascimento (2019), and Bruno Varela (2017). The Varela family still has Gabriel and Rodrigo, all of Can-Am. Highlight also to Rodrigo Luppi, vice in 2020; and one of the biggest winners in the history of the race: Edu Piano, with achievements also in trucks (category no longer disputed) and cars.

After participating in the first four stages last year, Nelsinho Piquet is back to do the whole rally. And Kaíque Bentivoglio, winner as a navigator in the cars in 2019 alongside Lucas Moraes - this time will drive. With so many machines on the entry list, everything indicates that the definition of the Sertões winner will be as or more exciting than in the last edition when the fight went on until the last kilometer.

Hybrid

The expectation is on the debut of the two hybrid SSVs - Exo Nb models - developed and manufactured in Brazil by Giaffone Racing, in partnership with CBMM. On Sunday (08/08), 15 km from the Sertões Village, in Tibau do Sul (RN), the Giaffone Racing team's truck suffered an accident, which caused damage to the vehicles. Fortunately, there were no injuries. Giaffone is evaluating the damages to put the cars on the grid.

The Exo Nb UTVs have chassis reinforced with niobium technology that increases the resistance and reduces in up to 10% the vehicles' weight. Another novelty is hybrid propulsion. An electric set regenerates the energy dissipated during braking and reacceleration and transforms it into extra power. And, most importantly, it reduces fuel consumption and the emission of waste in the atmosphere. The first step on a path that foresees, by 2025, that all vehicles in the Sertões count on fuels of non-fossil origin.

What they said:

Deninho Casarini

"We have prepared very strongly and the goal is to win once again. It's a different rally this year, with a different type of specials, but our team showed last year what it's capable of. It won't be easy, as at least 10 UTVs can be considered strong contenders for victory."

Reinaldo Varela

"The Sertões is an incredible experience. Besides all the adrenaline and desire to win, the championship allows you to experience the local culture with all the safety standards that the moment demands. The competition will be fierce, but we are very confident in our performance as a team".

Edu Piano

"The Sertões has been part of my life for 26 years, I don't know how else to start a season without having the race in my planning. We love to accelerate, but that's not all, there's a lot of strategies involved. It is essential to have a good navigator, well-prepared equipment, and a team that meets all the needs, we work for this".

Automatic translation from the official press release 
Photo: Sertões Rally / Marcelo Maragni

Sertões promises intense dispute in Motorcycles and Quads. The event is again valid for the World Cup

• The largest rally of the Americas is once again part of the FIM World Cup calendar - the main Cross Country rally championship on the planet, an added incentive for the pilots. The start date is August 13.

As the largest rally of the Americas, the Sertões Rally is in itself a unique challenge for those who race it, due to the distances, variety of terrains, and high technical level required. For motorbikes and quadricycles, the 2021 edition of the race, from 13 to 22 August, brings an extra spice: it is once again valid for the FIM Cross-Country Rally World Championship after seven years. Therefore, winning it will be synonymous with triumph in a stage of the main championship of the modality. On the 3,615km route through seven states in the Northeast, the promise is of an intense and very technical race, demanding navigation and equipment. In total, there are 65 Motorcycles and three Quads in contention.

If there are several candidates for victory, the favoritism cannot escape the 2020 winner. Ricardo Martins (Yamaha IMS Rally Team) from Santa Catarina showed to be a complete pilot in an edition where rain and mud brought complicated conditions for the caravan. This time, however, he will have a rival to match also in his team. Quite experienced with outstanding results in the main cross-country rally races, Frenchman Adrien Metge saw his participation last year frustrated by the positive diagnosis of Covid-19. This time he's pushing hard to become another foreigner to win the race (the fourth after Cyril Despres, Marc Coma, and Paulo Gonçalves).

The main opposition to the blue bikes comes from Honda's red machines. The team lines up three names capable of taking the overall, starting with the biggest winner in the history of the Sertões, Jean Azevedo (seven titles). Gaucho Gregório Caselani, best in 2016, is back after an injury took him out of the 2020 edition. And the Paulista Júlio Zavatti, Bissinho, showed in his first chance with a bike of the main category to be ready to fight for the top of the podium (vice-champion last year).

Speaking of name that wins space in the dispute, also from São Paulo, Vítor Siqueira is back. Last year, in his debut, he was the revelation, with a consistent rhythm and without mistakes. He went well beyond the first goal, which was to win in Marathon class (which does not allow the exchange of engine and other components), and concluded the challenge as the third-best overall.

Self by Motul

Once again the Self by Motul category will be an attraction apart. In it, the 11 entrants are solely responsible for the maintenance of the machines, in an atmosphere where the camaraderie is as great as the rivalry. Best in 2020, the Mineiro Marco Antônio Pereira returns to seek the biennium, but will not have easy.

Three women line up in the peloton. Moara Sacilotti starts for her 22nd participation. Laura Lopes, from French Guiana, is back, after completing the ride last year. And Janaína Fagundes de Souza is entered on Self by Motul.

Quads

In quads, Marcelo Medeiros, current champion and owner of four Sertões titles will face two of the biggest names in the sport, which promises an exciting rally. Winner of the race in 2010 (when it was also valid for the World Cup), Polish Rafal Sonik is back. And the Dakar 2021 champion is also joining the caravan. Argentine Manuel Andujar leaves Pipa in search of a victory that would make his season even more impressive.

What they said:

Ricardo Martins

"I'm very well physically, the bike quite adjusted and the team prepared. We are in a good rhythm, we raced other races in the season. This year's Sertões will be different, with a different kind of terrain because it will be held in the Northeast, but there is no easy Sertões. I will battle for victory once again. Let's go up!"

Júlio Zavatti, Bissinho

"The race will be hard and difficult. I am very happy and prepared to face this challenge again. I've spent a lot of time training and I arrive very focused and full of desire to win".

Jean Azevedo

"The stages this year will not be so long, but the days promise to be intense and disputed. The key stage will be the first day of the Marathon, arriving in Xique Xique, where we will have a lot of sand. We are training hard to be well prepared for this race, which is the main one of the season".

Marcelo Medeiros

"Every year is a different rally. The logistics were very good with shorter displacements and in a region where I like to ride, more sandy and very technical. I can't wait to be racing!"

Automatic translation from the official press release 
Photo: Sertoes Rally / Marcelo Machado de Melo

The second date of the Paraguain Cross Country Rally Championship, the Desafío Paraguarí "La Revancha", sponsored by Puma Energy,  raced in the past weekend was a great success and ended this Sunday after two days of pure adrenaline.

Several drivers confirmed the victories of the first day of racing, by winning their respective categories in the event organized by the Sports Commission of the Central Association of Off-Road Motors (ACMT) with the supervision of the Paraguayan Touring and Automobile Club (TACPy).  

Blás Zapag-Juanjo Sánchez won a second consecutive victory in the T1 category (gasoline-powered trucks with a Toyota Hilux). Juan Montiel-Alfredo Méndez with a Mitsubishi Tritón also repeated their victory in the Group N category.

In the motorbike category, Rolando Martínez, with KTM 450 Factory and Carlos Zarca, with Benelli TRK-502X in the Senior category, repeated the victory of the first date.

In UTV Turbo, Denes Tomboly also climbed to the top of the podium for the second time in a row, this time accompanied by Alveroni Doerksen on Cam Am Maverick X3.

OTHER WINNERS
Lua Weiler, who after many years returned to motorsport with a UTV Teryx KRX 1000 was first in Group N and Javier and Jorge Pardo, with Yamaha YXZ 1000 became the fastest in the UTV Aspirated.
In the quad category, Marcelo Cristaldo with his Yamaha Raptor 660 was the best classified.

Automatic translation from the official press release