Gonçalves keeps his hopes up for the Sertões International Rally title. Foto: Marcelo Machado/WebventureWith information from Isabela Rios, straight from Diamantina (MG)
The 22nd edition of the Sertões International Rally carried out its penultimate stage on Friday (29). In a shorter special, with 178 kilometers, leaving Diamantina (MG) and returning to the same city, the motorbikes didnt face so many problems this stage. The winner was the rider
Of the Honda Team HRC, Paulo Gonçalves, with the time of 2h24min25, but to stop the Spaniard, Marc Coma from winning the title, will be no easy task on the last day.
Today was a shorter secial. I started in a good position and rode strong. In the middle of the special, I caught up to Jean (Azevedo), but it was very difficult to overtake him. With the dust, I couldnt get near him. I ended up coming at his rhythm. I think it was a good special, assures the Portuguese rider, who is in second place in the accumulated time, with four minutes and 36 seconds of disadvantage to the leader in the overall.
Marc has na advantage of a few minutes, but the rally only ends tomorrow, on the last kilometer. So we are going to try to ride hard, he analyzes. (Gaining advantage) in speed is going to be difficult. It is not easy to take four and a half minutes off a rider like Marc. However, if it were guaranteed, we wouldnt even start tomorrow. So lets see what will happen, said a hopeful Gonçalves. Im going to fight to the end.
Marc Coma, Champion in 2010, is close to another title. Foto: Ricardo Leizer/WebventureThe Brazilian, Jean Azevedo, from the Honda Mobil de Rally team , once again rode hard and was the second best in the day, with 2h26min08. It was a short special, but very pleasurable, curvy, with much navigation. A beautiful region at the beginning where there were the train tracks, he describes. Now I just have to finish and try to maintain the third place, because to get ahead will be difficult, explains the competitor, about the accumulated result in the motorbikes. He is 13min29 behind Coma.
Now, the Spaniard of the KTM Red Bull Factory Team closed the special with the third best time, recognizably administrating the advantage that he has over Gonçalves in the overall time of the competition. Today was important to control the touch, have a more conservative strategy, knowing that we would lose some time, but it was good. It was not an easy stage, with a stretch of trial, with mountains. A complete stage. Tomorrow there are still many kilometers to go, I am going to keep focus and control until the very last kilometer, assures Marc Coma.
Last stage
On the seventh and last day of the competition, the Sertões International Rally will arrive to the capital of the State of Minas Gerais. There will be 125 kilometers of timed stretch, which can be too few for Gonçalves to recuperate the minutes that Coma has of advantage.
“We will have an initial liaison of 54 kilometers on na Earth road. The special begins with fast on gravel ground and the crossing of a river. It gets fast with shale roads and many humps and cattle grids. The race continues on a trial stretch, climbing and descending a mountain. The final part is faster, however, very curvy until the end. The final liaison is on asphalt until arriving in Belo Horisonte, describes Eduardo Sachs, Technical Director of the Sertões International Rally.
30/08 7th stage – Diamantina (MG)/Belo Horizonte (MG)
Initial liaison: 54,38 km
Special stretch: 125,88 km
Final liaison: 151,96 km
Days total : 336,96 km
12h00 to 18h00: Arrival of the competitors
21h00: Prize giving ceremony and party.
Este texto foi escrito por: Marcos Souza
Last modified: agosto 29, 2014
