Yamalube Yamaha rally riders battle through challenging Stage Eight of Dakar
By Team TMX on 16th Jan 19
Battling through a physically demanding stage eight of the Dakar Rally, both Yamalube Yamaha Rally team riders have reached the Pisco bivouac and now look ahead to the last two days of racing in the Peruvian countryside. With Adrien Van Beveren currently sitting fifth overall, Xavier de Soultrait has moved up two spots and is now placed eighth in the provisional overall rankings.
Starting Tuesday's special stage among the first wave of competitors, Adrien Van Beveren launched an attack with the goal of moving even higher in the provisional overall rankings. Pushing hard from start to finish, he struggled with the stage's demanding navigation and ended up losing some time to his main rivals.
Posting the sixth best time for the day, Van Beveren is currently placed fifth in the event's provisional overall standings. Determined to keep the battle going, Adrien is now less than 10 minutes behind the provisional overall leader with two stages still to be contested.
Enjoying a great feeling aboard his WR450F Rally machine since the start of the event, Xavier de Soultrait entered stage eight looking for another good result. Battling through the stage's technical terrain and demanding navigation Xavier claimed a 10th place result for the day.
Moving up to eighth in the provisional overall standings, the Frenchman remains optimistic that he can climb even higher in the overall results to bring his gruelling adventure in Peru to a successful close.
Featuring a loop around the Pisco bivouac, Wednesday's penultimate stage will again see riders start in big waves. The stage includes a 313km timed special with the total distance to be covered tomorrow is 409km.
Adrien Van Beveren (6th Stage 8 / 5th Overall): "Today I decided to attack more than any of the previous stages and it didn't work to my advantage. The race is very intense and I knew that if I didn't attack my chances for the win would be possibly less. Navigation was tricky and I lost time trying to find some waypoints. At the end of the day, I lost a little bit more than 10 minutes to the leaders. It's not exactly the result I was looking for, but we're not done yet. My day might not have been so good, but we still have two stages to go. I will continue giving my best until we cross the finish line in Lima."
Xavier de Soultrait (10th Stage 8 / 8th Overall): "It was another long and difficult day in the fesh-fesh and the sand. My bike has been running great since the start of this rally and this gives me extra confidence to push. My results from these last couple of stages have made it harder for me to battle for the podium in Lima. Nevertheless, I will continue my battle until the end. We still have two long stages to race and my goal is to get as high as possible in the overall. I remain calm and I'm ready for the penultimate stage tomorrow. This Dakar has been a great experience for all and we will keep working hard until we reach Lima."
