Botturi Remains In The Fight For Final Podium Finish After Sardinia Rally's Penultimate Stage

2016-06-05 15:18
Battling his way through the event's longest day of racing so far, Yamalube Yamaha Official Rally Team rider Alessandro Botturi rode a smart and well-calculated stage three to remain in contention for an end-of-rally podium result. Third in the provisional standings with two stages to go the Italian rider will keep fighting to wrap up his week-long adventure in Sardinia in the best possible way.

With rain coming into play and two long special stages being contested, stage three of the Sardinia Rally proved to be the most challenging so far. After his stage win the day before, Yamalube Yamaha Official Team rider Alessandro Botturi was assigned with the demanding task of opening the tracks ahead of all riders in both tests. Living up to the challenge the Italian went on to post the fifth fastest time in both special stages to wrap up the day in fifth position.

Stage three of the rally proved to be challenging for both of Alessandro's teammates. Looking to continue his strong run in the event, Adrien Van Beveren suffered a minor mechanical issue that dropped him to 15th position in special stage one. Able to fix the problem in the assistance zone the Frenchman went on the attack in the last special and managed to post the second fastest time.

Starting the day from a good position, Helder Rodrigues looked set to battle for a top result in stage three. Posting the seventh fastest time in the opening special stage, the Portuguese rider struggled with pain in his back and had to settle for 13th in special two. Helder is currently seventh in the overall standings, with his teammate Adrien following in eighth.

Stage four will be the second part of the two-day-long marathon stage and will see competitors race a total distance of 266 km starting and ending in the city of Arbatax.

Alessandro Botturi - Yamalube Yamaha Official Rally Team Alessandro Botturi - Yamalube Yamaha Official Rally Team rider
5th Stage 3 - 3rd Overall

"After my stage win from yesterday I had to start first today and it was difficult to open the tracks. Nevertheless, I managed to finish fifth in both tests and fifth overall for the day. It's really important that I'm starting stage four tomorrow in fifth position. It will help a lot to earn back the time I lost today while opening the tracks. From the beginning of this race my goal was to get a good overall result and I'm happy everything is still going according to plan. I'm third now in the overall standings and I think today I will be able to push for something even better. I feel great on my bike now so it'll all go down to these last two stages and I'm looking forward to them."
Adrien Van Beveren - Yamalube Yamaha Official Rally Team Adrien Van Beveren - Yamalube Yamaha Official Rally Team rider
10th Stage 3 - 8th Overall

"It was a long and difficult day. I had a small technical issue in the first special stage and I lost almost seven minutes to fix it. Then in the second special stage I rode pretty well. I managed to pass a lot of riders who started before me so I ended up posting the second fastest time. This rally has been a huge learning experience for me. Despite loosing time today nothing is lost. I'm still in the run to the finish and I'll keep doing my best to make the most out of my time here in Sardinia."
Jordi Arcarons - Yamalube Yamaha Official Rally Team's sports manager Jordi Arcarons - Yamalube Yamaha Official Rally Team sport manager
"It's been the longest and probably the toughest stage of the event so far and all three of our riders made it to the finish without any problems. Alex opened the tracks for most part of the day. He was fast and consistent in both special stages today. He's third now in the overall standings and will keep fighting for the overall podium. Adrien had a small electrical problem in the opening special but we managed to fix it and he gained some time in the second test. Helder struggled with back pain so couldn't push for a good result. Today's stage is part of the two-day marathon stage so our riders have to prepare their motorcycles for tomorrow all by themselves. They all did a great job and now their bikes are in the parc ferme and ready for tomorrow."
Sardinia Rally 2016 - Stage 3 Classification
1. Juan Pedrero (ESP), Sherco, 3:14:37.22
2. Xavier de Soultrait (FRA), Yamaha, 3:15:06.18
3. Kevin Benavides (ARG), Honda, 3:17:08.05
4. Armand Monleon (ESP), Husqvarna, 3:18:29.65
5. Alessandro Botturi (ITA), Yamaha, 3:18:42.76
6. Olivier Pain (FRA), Beta, 3:19:54.45
...
8. Helder Rodrigues (POR), Yamaha, 3:21:14.33
10. Adrien Van Beveren (FRA), Yamaha, 3:23:35.66

Sardinia Rally 2016 - Overall Classification After Stage 4
1. Xavier de Soultrait (FRA), Yamaha, 8:12:22.04
2. Juan Pedrero (ESP), Sherco, 8:16:00.17, +3:38.12
3. Alessandro Botturi (ITA), Yamaha, 8:16:54.13, +4:32.09
4. Kevin Benavides (ARG), Honda, 8:17:51.35, +5:29.30
5. Armand Monleon (ESP), Husqvarna, 8:17:58.01, +5:35.96
6. Olivier Pain (FRA), Beta, 8:19:08.35, +6:46.31
7. Helder Rodrigues (POR), Yamaha, 8:21:52.41, +9:30.36
8. Adrien Van Beveren (FRA), Yamaha, 8:24:00.26, +11:38.21

Source: Yamaha Motor Europe N.V.

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