Fourth Stage: Abatrax - Abatrax
Link section: 39 km – SS: 165 km – Link section: 26 km – Total: 230 km. Botturi found the right road fairly quickly but behind Olivier Pain (Beta), who took advantage of his mistake. “As we set off in the order of arrival after the neutralisation, Butturi told me to attack so as not to get in his way, so I did, but it wasn’t enough to catch up with Montleon.”
The magnificent bay of Abatrax was smooth as silk and bathed in sunlight this morning when the first motorcyclists collected their bikes from the parc fermé and set out for the fourth stage of the Sardegna Rally Race with its beautiful and varied terrain.
Today, they only had one special, cut in two by a neutralisation in order to allow the riders to refuel and make any necessary repairs for this second day of the marathon stage.
Juan Pedrero (Sherco) opened the trail and, this evening, won the stage ahead of Armand Montleon (Husqvarna), Adrien Van Beveren (Yamaha), Xavier de Soultrait (Yamaha), Kevin Benavides (Honda) and Olivier Pain (Beta). “When I could, I tried to ride in the grass so as not to leave any tracks”, says Pedrero. “I am happy because it’s not easy to win a special when you set out first, but I was focused and kept a cool head!”
Marathon means without assistance at the bivouac. Xavier de Soultrait (Yamaha), who arrived here with a broken Trip, set off with his Trip still not working right and went astray in the first Special, as did Rodrigues (Yamaha), who rode for 3 km on a wrong track, Benavides (Honda) and Botturi (Yamaha).
Back at the hotel in Abatrax, de Soultrait (Yamaha) and Benavides (Honda) both took 5' of penalties on the special for cutting the trail and missing five notes in the road book. “It’s not fair to penalise me”, says an indignant Xavier de Soultrait. “I am alone here without a mechanic. It’s tough and I lost time from going wrong, so why penalise me on top of that? This is my race. I’ve been ahead since the prologue!”
The two riders went to argue their case before the Race Direction and will have to appear before the FIM Jury this evening. We shall how have to await their decision.
Judith Tomaselli