The experienced Algarve rider Ruben Faria, vice-champion in motorcycles in 2013, returns to compete in the Dakar, which starts this Saturday, January 2, in Buenos Aires (Argentina), but this time driving a Husqvarna 450 FR.
The Portuguese is official driver of the Husqvarna Factory Laglisse Racing team, alongside Frenchman Pierre-Alexandre (Pela) Renet and Chilean Pablo Quinatilla.
This year, Ruben Faria switched from KTM to the brand sister Husqvarna, approaching the next Dakar Rally with the intention of getting a good result, promising to attack the top positions.
In 2015, Ruben Faria was 6th, having his best result achieved in 2013, when he finished the great South American adventure in 2nd position.
“I may be in a new structure, but the goals remain the same. I want to have a good Dakar and fight for the final podium. The plan is to reach the rest day in a good position and attack in the second week”, assumes the pilot from Olhão.
Despite having changed brands, the Algarve, in the end, hardly changed bikes, as Husqvarna is based on a machine similar to the one used by KTM, which owns the former Swedish brand. This means that Ruben has a weapon quite identical to those of Jordi Villadoms, David Casteu, Toby Price or Stefan Sivtko.
As the other would say, predictions only at the end of the game, or before the race. But if Ruben Faria can be considered one of the favorites for the final victory in this 38th edition of the mythical all-terrain Dakar rally, the eighth on South American soil, among the Portuguese there are two strongest candidates for the highest place on the podium – Paulo Gonçalves , Honda team leader, vice-champion in 2015, and Helder Rodrigues, from the official Yamaha team, who intends to improve his two third places, achieved in 2011 and 2013.
The biggest chances, in fact, go to Paulo Gonçalves (Honda), runner-up, who is looking to become the first Portuguese to win the competition.
The two bikers who shared dominance of the race over the last decade are now out of motorcycle competition: Spaniard Marc Coma has retired and is now director of the Dakar, while Frenchman Cyril Despres has moved into cars.
“In this edition, the goal is victory. I know it will be very difficult as it is never easy to win a Dakar. It's something I really want, the team is cohesive and we worked a lot. I hope it's our year. It's the only victory I'm missing after many years of competing,” said Paulo Gonçalves, world champion off-road in 2013, before leaving for South America.
With Gonçalves as team leader and also with the experience of the Spaniard Joan Barreda, Honda has this year an excellent opportunity to end a 14-year domination of KTM, which is pinning its hopes on Australian Toby Price, 3rd in the last edition, in the British Sam Sunderland and in the Spanish Jordi Viladoms.
Hélder Rodrigues (Yamaha), who is already on his 10th consecutive participation in the Dakar, hopes to have a say in the fight for victory and arrives in the South American desert with two third places, achieved in 2011 and 2013.
“I'm happy with all the work we've done so far. I will fight to get good results and I believe I can achieve a good classification in this Dakar”, said the 36-year-old driver.
In motorcycles, in addition to Ruben Faria (Husqvarna), complete the Portuguese participation Mário Patrão (KTM) and Pedro Bianchi Prata (Honda).
In cars, Carlos Sousa, in Mitsubishi, is once again the only Portuguese driver, in what will be his 15th participation, having reached a 4th place, in 2003, and two fifth places, in 2001 and 2002.
Winner of the last edition, Nasser Al-Attiyah (Mini) returns to the top of the list of favorites, but the South African Giniel De Villiers (Toyota), champion in 2009, the French Stephane Peterhansel (Peugeot), five times winner, the Spaniard Carlos Sainz (Peugeot), winner in 2010, and fellow Spaniard Nani Roma (Mini), winner in 2014, also promise to fight for the triumph.
One of the attractions of the 2016 Dakar will be the presence of French driver Sébastien Loeb, holder of nine world rally titles, who debuts in the premier off-road race at the wheel of a Peugeot buggy, who returned in 2015 after 25 years of racing. absence.
The 2016 Dakar departs from Buenos Aires, on January 2nd, covering a total of 9.300 kilometers – of which 4.700 to 4.800 timed -, until arriving in Rosário, on the 16th.
This year, Chile abdicated from passing the race, as a result of floods that caused great damage in the north of the country, while Peru, which would return to host the Dakar after two years of absence, gave up shortly afterwards to concentrate on managing the risk motivated by the El Niño weather phenomenon.
The 2016 Dakar will visit Bolivia for the third time, where the caravan will have to pass through the Uyuni salt flat, the largest salt desert in the world, at an altitude of over 3.500 meters, in the most extensive stage of the competition, with nearly 550 kilometers .
Argentina, the only country that was present in all eight editions of this South American Dakar, will still be dominant in 2016, receiving the prologue, the day of rest, on January 10th, in Salta, and missing only one stage in its entirety, the sixth, precisely, in the Salar de Uyuni.
After the prologue in Buenos Aires, on Saturday, January 2nd, the first stage, on the 3rd, will connect Rosário and Villa Carlos Paz, totaling 662 kilometers for cars, 258 in particular, and 632 kilometers for motorcycles, 227 timed.
In total, 354 riders are enrolled, 143 on motorcycles, 110 on cars, 55 on trucks and 46 on quads.
Program:
31/12 and 01/01: Administrative and technical checks
02/01: Departure Ceremony in Buenos Aires / Prologue / Link to the camp “0″near Rosario
03/01: Buenos Aires – Villa Carlos Paz
04/01: Villa Carlos Paz – Termas de Río Hondo
05/01: Termas de Río Hondo – Jujuy
06/01: Jujuy - Jujuy
07/01: Jujuy – Uyuni
08/01: Uyuni – Uyuni
09/01: Uyuni – Salta
10/01: Rest day in Salta
11/01: Salta – Belén
12/01: Belen – Belen
13/01: Belen – La Rioja
14/01: La Rioja – San Juan
15/01: San Juan – Villa Carlos Paz
16/01: Villa Carlos Paz – Rosario
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