Photo: dakar.com
It's full-season for the transfers in the Dakar factory teams, and we're experiencing quite a dynamic rider market. Several important names have switched liveries, and we might get to see interesting developments at the top of the cross-country rally scene.
For starters, Helder Rodrigues decided to call it quits with Honda and went back to Yamaha. Rumors have it that Rodrigues' move was catalyzed by certain development issues over and HRC. At the same time, he and Yamaha are believed to be working on a new Iwata bike with better chances of winning more stages next year, and even get a place on the podium. Yamaha Motor France, who has very tight ties with Iwata directly, is dead-silent about what's to come, at least up to this moment.
Rodrigues' departure from Honda took place pretty much in the same moment when Laia Sanz, the most successful woman ever to take on the hardships of the Dakar Rally announced that she was leaving, too.
Sanz, however, chose to go orange, and will ride a KTM next year and the year after that. Her contract with Mattighofen also includes the 2016 and 2017 Dakar rallies, the 2015, 2016 and 2017 World Women's Enduro championships and the X-Games. Moreover, KTM will provide full support to Sanz in several rounds of the World Rally Championship.
Honda had only two bikes in top ten, with Goncalves second on the podium, while Laia Sanz was the other HRC machine, finishing 9th overall and first in the women's class.
As opposed to Honda, Yamaha had only one bike inside top ten, with Olivier Pain some 45 minutes behind Sanz. However, Pain felt a bit disappointed with the performance of the factory Yamaha and decided to enter his own privateer team in the Dakar.
Olivier Pain will race a KTM 450 Rally under the flag of the Nomad Racing Team, with support from KTM France and CAP Moto 25. His outspoken goal, if a very ambitious one for a private team, is to finish in the top five.
While the local authorities are working to improve the conditions for a return in 2017, the 2016 Dakar will reach Peru, with the start in the capital Lima.
Rodrigues' departure from Honda took place pretty much in the same moment when Laia Sanz, the most successful woman ever to take on the hardships of the Dakar Rally announced that she was leaving, too.
Sanz, however, chose to go orange, and will ride a KTM next year and the year after that. Her contract with Mattighofen also includes the 2016 and 2017 Dakar rallies, the 2015, 2016 and 2017 World Women's Enduro championships and the X-Games. Moreover, KTM will provide full support to Sanz in several rounds of the World Rally Championship.
Two Yamaha riders choose Honda and KTM
French rider Mickael Metge is free of contract after his deal with Yamaha expired and was co-opted in the HRC factory team. He will thus become a teammate of Joan Barreda, Paulo Goncalves and Jeremy Israel. We can only hope that HRC delivers better machines in 2016 than the ones that started from Buenos Aires this year.Honda had only two bikes in top ten, with Goncalves second on the podium, while Laia Sanz was the other HRC machine, finishing 9th overall and first in the women's class.
As opposed to Honda, Yamaha had only one bike inside top ten, with Olivier Pain some 45 minutes behind Sanz. However, Pain felt a bit disappointed with the performance of the factory Yamaha and decided to enter his own privateer team in the Dakar.
Olivier Pain will race a KTM 450 Rally under the flag of the Nomad Racing Team, with support from KTM France and CAP Moto 25. His outspoken goal, if a very ambitious one for a private team, is to finish in the top five.
No Dakar in Chile in 2016
The Dakar Rally will no longer reach Chile next year, as the Chilean government and rally officials admitted that organizing the local stages would be too difficult a task. Chile was heavily affected by natural disasters and floods made the northern areas of the country impractical for hosting the events.While the local authorities are working to improve the conditions for a return in 2017, the 2016 Dakar will reach Peru, with the start in the capital Lima.
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