Monster Energy Honda face the opening kilometres of the Atacama Desert
. By Bikeland Staff
A prologue of just four kilometres got the Atacama Rally off and running today with the Monster Energy Honda riders performing a notable special. The rally will have its first full stage tomorrow.
Ricky Brabec and Joan Barreda were the best of the Monster Energy Honda bunch in today’s short curtain-raiser in Tierra Amarilla. The four-kilometre special stage gave the squad a first taste of the Chilean desert. The American and Spanish rider both finished seven seconds off the eventual winner. Kevin Benavides was tenth with Nacho Cornejo coming home twelfth.
The results allow the first fifteen finishers to choose their place in the starting order for the first stage tomorrow. The riders will thus set out on the 270-kilometre stage from Copiapó back to Copiapó in the following order: fourth place José Ignacio Cornejo, sixth for Kevin Benavides, eleventh Joan Barreda and twelfth for Ricky Brabec.
Prologue results
Pos. Rider Num Nation Team Time/Gap
1
PRICE
Toby AUS Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team 2'34
2
SHORT
Andrew USA Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing +0'03
3
BENAVIDES
Luciano ARG KTM Factory Racing Team +0'06
4
BRABEC
Ricky USA Monster Energy Honda Team +0'07
5
BARREDA
Joan SPA Monster Energy Honda Team +0'07
6
QUINTANILLA
Pablo CHI Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing +0'09
7
SUNDERLAND
Sam GBR Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team +0'11
8
MARE
Aaron RSA Honda Racing +0'11
9
WALKNER
Matthias AUT Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team +0'13
10
BENAVIDES
Kevin