The Dakar 2017 has a large Spanish presence and in
with regard to the categories of cars and quads, a total of fifteen ‘riders’
will represent our country in the raid more hard of the world. Fourteen of them
will be in the bike category, while only one will seek to complete the
Dakar on a quadricycle. The presence of these fifteen intrepid pilots
there is that sum of Christian Spain, a pilot that competes with the license of andorra,
although in some way form part of a ‘Spanish armada’ that has
seen as its members have been reduced by 25% with respect to 2016.
Bikes
Despite the reduction of registered participants, the high level of the
‘riders’ Spanish allows several of them to be able to fight for positions
privilege and to defend the colors of factory equipment. One of them is Gerard
Farrés. The pilot native of Manresa will be the spearhead of the Himoinsa Racing Team, the private team stronger and with the facing your
tenth Dakar. With race #10 will compete Armand Monleón, pilot who is under
the watchful eye of KTM, as one of their pilots of the future. For his part, Joan
Barreda is without a doubt the biggest bet of Honda to break the hegemony of KTM after the injury of Kevin Benavides.
With race #12 will compete Joan Pedrero in which will be his
eighth Dakar. The pilot of Canet de Mar will seek to remove the thorn of his two
recent retirements and will be at the controls of one of the Sherco RTR 450
official team of the manufacturer. It will also feature a moto official the Catalan
Laia Sanz, that travels to the Dakar as one of the eight women who will take the
output in Asuncion, and has the firm intention of finishing among the fifteen
first. For his part, Ivan Cervantes and Antonio Gimeno look with the
colors of the Himoinsa Racing Team.
Marc Sole played his second Dakar at the controls of a
Yamaha WR450 after its positive debut in the test, besides counting with the support
Yamaha Spain, in what is supposedly a touch more on the good relationship that has
our country with the signature of the fingerboard and that is evident in the role of Jordi Arcarons in the official training. For his part, Rosa Romero, Dani Oliveras and
Antonio Ramos rounding out the team Himoinsa, while Julián José García
facing his second Dakar in the category ‘Marathon’. Oscar Romero and Sergio
Anguiano are the two ‘rookies’ complete the ‘Spanish armada’ with the
permission of the above-mentioned Cristian España.
Quads
The list of Spanish riders on quads is reduced to a
participant, Jose Luis Espinosa. The driver from madrid, known as the ‘The
Black knight‘, is facing his third Dakar with a quad that has been approved in
Germany from a KTM Rally 690. After dropping their first two
appearances in the Dakar, once a lack of understanding with the assistance
in a helicopter and the other by a mechanical failure, the great aim of the pilot
Spanish is to be able to reach the final in Buenos Aires and to do so with a performance
at the height of the top riders of the category.
With regard to the edition of 2016, the Spanish presence has been
been significantly reduced. However, a year ago took the output of the
test the marriage formed by Covadonga Fernández and Eduardo Marcos, two
Spanish adventurers settled in Venezuela, however, not repeated in the
raid more hard of the world. Neither will attend this year’s Alberto Prieto, pilot
madrid, which debuted last year at the controls of a Yamaha Raptor 700 with
goal of being the first participant to finish the Dakar with only one arm,
goal which failed to achieve after dropping out in the ninth stage.
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