Goncalves leads Hero Moto Sports charge at Silkway Rally

PUNE: Former world cross country champion and the 2015 Dakar Runner-up, Paulo Goncalves, led the charge for Hero MotoSports Team Rally with a sixth place finish in the first stage making an impressive debut at the ninth Silkway Rally run around the shores of Lake Baïkal at Baykalsk in Russia.

Closely following him was the Team’s second rider, ‘Best Rookie of Dakar 2018’ and two time Dakar Rally Top-10 finisher, Oriol Mena, who finished the stage in 10th position.

The Hero MotoSports Team Rally is participating in the Silkway Rally on the back of a solid training program and strong performances in the new season, including podium finishes at the Mezouga Rally in Morocco and Desert Storm Rally in India.

The rally riders covered a total stage distance of 255 km including the two-liaison stage making up the 201 kms. Stage 2 will give the first taste of the rally to the competitors with a long day of riding covering 413 kms from Baykalsk to the Ulan Ude bivouac.

The Silkway Rally 2019, touted as one of the most large-scale cross-country rallies in the world and the largest in the FIM calendar of events, opened its doors to the bike category for the very first time and also became one of the key rounds of FIM Cross Country Rally World Championship.

“The piste was full muddy and slushy with water holes and some stones as well. It’s just the start of the rally so I did not want to take any risks. I am happy for myself and Paulo that we made a good start for the team today,” Mena said.

His teammate Goncalves added: we have made and how the team has bonded so well during the training sessions and feel there’s a great positive energy within the team. I got a good feeling.”

PROVISIONAL RANKINGS
After Stage 1: 1. Kevin Benavides (Monster Energy Honda) 30m 51s; 2. Luciano Benavides (Red Bull KTM) +36s; 3. Xavier De Soultrait (Yamaha Rally Team) +51s; 6. Paulo Goncalves (Hero MotoSports) +01m 36s; 10. Oriol Mena (Hero MotoSports) +03m 31s.