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Monster Energy Honda Team Share 2017 Rally Plans

The Monster Energy Honda Team, almost in its entirety, will kick off the 2017 campaign with the same strategy used last season: while one part of the team is in action in Mexico, the other riders will be simultaneously competing in the World Championship in the Middle East.
Monster Energy Honda Rally Team 1 photo
Photo: Monster Energy Honda
Monster Energy Honda Team’s American rider Ricky Brabec participated in the Sonora Rally in México, a four-day event where riders tackle nearly 1000 kilometres of racing. The Californian currently leads the American Hare & Hound competition after having completed the event’s first two rounds. Brabec, the current champion, faced the Sonora well-armed with the Honda CRF450 RALLY and accompanying roadbook.

Team-mate Joan Barreda was also scheduled to line up for the event, but the Spaniard was injured while training before the race, requiring surgery to his right collarbone and will now miss the action. Barreda should be back in competition in less than a month.

“It is time for the Monster Energy Honda team to get back into racing after the Dakar 2017,” Monster Energy Honda General Manager Martino Bianchi said. “We are very sorry about Joan Barreda’s injury and we all wish him a quick and easy recovery in order to be back on the bike soon."

“The Sonora Rally in Mexico will be quite important to continue our program of testing and the heavy sand and dunes of the course will be quite demanding and interesting for all participants,” he added.

Argentine Kevin Benavides is all set to start the season. The rider from Salta had an accident in Chile a fortnight before the 2017 Dakar Rally and missed the event. After two months recovering in a cast, Kevin began rehabilitation and physiotherapy in an attempt to regain full movement of the joints.

Early in March, Benavides was back in the saddle of the Honda CRF450 RALLY and back in training for what will be his first shot at the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, which takes place from 1st to 7th of April.

Alongside Kevin Benavides in the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge will be Portuguese rider Paulo Gonçalves – sixth place overall finisher in the Dakar 2017 – who will also participate in each round of the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship.
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