26.08.2017

Sunderland makes a great start to the Desafio Ruta 40 Rally

4th Rd. Rally 2017 – Desafio Ruta 40 (ARG)
Sam Sunderland - KTM 450 RALLY - Desafio Ruta 40 2017 © RallyZone / E.Bauer, C.Barni - KTM Media Library

This press release has: 3 Images
Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Racing’s Sam Sunderland put in a superb performance on the short, fast, opening prologue stage of the 2017 Desafio Ruta 40 rally to post the second fastest time. Team-mate Matthias Walkner, despite being very fast on the special stage, unfortunately made a couple of errors and incurred a penalty. KTM Rally Factory Racing rider Luciano Benavides, competing in his first ever cross-country rally for the team, rode a strong Prologue to finish 10th.
Coming into round four of the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship leading the standings by six points from Pablo Quintanilla, Sam Sunderland still needs good results to maintain his overall advantage. The Brit has shown he means business at the Desafio Ruta 40 by finishing second on a very short 5.6km Prologue stage. With the special stage being so short, times at the top were very tight - completing the timed stage in just three minutes and 38 seconds Sunderland was only three seconds behind the leader.

Confident going into the rally proper today, Sunderland feels he can definitely challenge for the win.

Sunderland’s Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Racing team-mate, Matthias Walkner did not fare so well on the Prologue stage. The Austrian showed some impressive speed but unfortunately gained a penalty due to missing a couple of waypoints along the course. It’s a frustrating set-back, but Walkner knows his pace is good and hopes to claw his way back to the leaders over the following five days.

Relative rally rookie, Luciano Benavides put in a great performance on his KTM 450 RALLY to finish 10th and place just 14 seconds off the prologue winner. Pleased with how he rode and enjoying the start of his home event, Benavides now looks forward to the rest of the rally. The Argentinian will be using the time on his bike to gain as much experience and knowledge as he can.

Stage one of the Desafio Ruta 40 will see competitors leave San Juan and travel north towards Villa Unión in the heart of the Berjamo Valley. The special stage is a long 321.9km with riders covering a total distance of over 500km during the day.

Results Prologue Stage Desafio Ruta 40

1. Adrien Van Beveren (FRA), Yamaha, 3.35
2. Sam Sunderland, (GBR), KTM, 3.38 +3 seconds
3. Paolo Goncalves (POR), Honda, 3.39 +4
3. = Kevin Benavides (ARG), Honda, 3.39 +4
5. Xavier de Soultrait (FRA), Yamaha, 3.40 +5
5. = Michael Metge (FRA), Honda, 3.40 +5
10. Daniel Nosiglia (BOL), KTM, 3.49 +14
10. = Luciano Benavides (ARG), KTM, 3.49 +14
32. Matthias Walkner (AUT), KTM, 43.33 +39.58

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Images (3)

Sam Sunderland - KTM 450 RALLY - Desafio Ruta 40 2017
3 000 x 1 997 © RallyZone / E.Bauer, C.Barni - KTM Media Library
Matthias Walkner - KTM 450 RALLY - Desafio Ruta 40 2017
3 000 x 1 997 © RallyZone / E.Bauer, C.Barni - KTM Media Library
Luciano Benavides - KTM 450 RALLY - Desafio Ruta 40 2017
3 000 x 1 997 © RallyZone / E.Bauer, C.Barni - KTM Media Library


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