Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Team riders Adrien Van Beveren and Andrew Short have successfully completed the 2021 Silk Way Rally. Encountering a heavily revised racing schedule together with varied terrain, both riders overcame minor mistakes to enjoy the challenges of the Russian event on their Yamaha WR450F Rally machines. Following five days of action, Adrien claimed sixth overall with Andrew close behind in eighth.
The fifth and final day of racing at the Silk Way Rally was a re-run of the second stage that featured a mild revision to shorten the overall length to 110km. The special included the same mixture of terrain with hardpack dirt roads, sand, mud, and a forest section that required razor sharp focus in order to remain on track and in contention for a strong stage finish.
Bringing his time at the Silk Way Rally to a positive end, Adrien Van Beveren finished stage five as the seventh fastest rider through the shortened special. Completing the stage just over one minute adrift of the third-place rider, it was a strong performance from Adrien despite the terrain not quite being to the Frenchman’s liking. Overall, Van Beveren placed sixth in the final classification.
For Andrew Short, he also completed stage five in the top-10 with a ninth-place finish. Enjoying the enduro-style nature of the stage, just as he did on day two, Andrew rode confidently throughout the special to end the rally with a strong result. With the American losing a lot of time earlier in the week following a mistake while crossing a river, Andrew ended the rally in eighth overall.
The Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Team will next be in action at the Rallye du Maroc in a few months’ time. The five-day event takes place in October with the team entering the race as part of its final preparations ahead of the 2022 Dakar Rally.
Adrien Van Beveren – Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Team – 7th Stage 5, 6th Overall : « I enjoyed today’s stage, both with the terrain and also my riding. There wasn’t so much navigation today and it was something different to be riding fast through the woods. It was fun and I felt relaxed on the bike, which is something that I’ve been searching for this week. It’s been good to end with a positive ride. Because of the change to the schedule we didn’t go to Mongolia which is unfortunate, however, for me it was good to challenge myself on terrain that I’m not so comfortable on. This will make me a better rally rider so even if the result was not my best, I learned a lot this week with my riding and also the bike. Overall, it has been a positive experience for me at the Silk Way, it was great to be racing again, and I’m happy to have completed this rally. »
Andrew Short – Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Team – 9th Stage 5, 8th Overall : « Today’s stage was the same as stage two so it was familiar, but the organisers had been around with a bulldozer to smooth it out, which was good as the trucks create some gnarly ruts that aren’t so much fun on a rally bike. It was little bit like a motocross track in places, which really suited me and then some enduro-style sections too, so it was cool to ride something a bit different during this rally. It was a shame that the race was shortened, and we didn’t get to ride in the desert in Mongolia, but I think the organisers did a great job to keep us racing and it was a good test for me and the bike. I have a few small things to work on now before we race again in Morocco and I’m really looking forward to that one. It’ll be in the desert and great preparation for the Dakar next January. »
Alexandre Kowalski – Yamaha Europe Off-Road Racing Manager : « Overall, it was good for the team to race the Silk Way Rally. Obviously, it was disappointing for everyone that the event schedule was revised as the stages in Mongolia looked to be true rally with dunes and the need for strong navigation. But we fully understand the situation and it was great that the event could still happen. For the Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Team, it was good for everyone to be involved in a race so soon after Rally Kazakhstan. There is no substitute for competing and even though the race was shortened, it was good for bike set-up and for the team to be working together. It was unfortunate that Ross’ race ended when it did on day three as he was on the pace and riding really well. For Adrien and Andrew, I know both riders were looking forward to the stages in Mongolia and even though the race took place on terrain not really suited to them, finishing the race was important and the time on the bike was really valuable. We will now focus on the Rallye du Maroc later this year and by then we will have developed the bike further in preparation for the 2022 Dakar Rally. »
Stage 5 Provisional Classification
1. Daniel Sanders (GASGAS) 1:04:05
2. Matthias Walkner (KTM) 1:05:21 + 0:01:16
3. Franco Caimi (Hero) 1:06:11 + 0:02:06
4. Skyler Howes (Husqvarna) 1:06:54 + 0:02:49
5. Sebastian Buhler (Hero) 1:06:54 + 0:02:49
6. Joaquim Rodrigues (Hero) 1:07:08 + 0:03:03
7. Adrien Van Beveren (Yamaha) 1:07:13 + 0:03:08…
9. Andrew Short (Yamaha) 1:08:18 + 0:04:13…
Overall Provisional Classification
1. Matthias Walkner (KTM) 6:19:18
2. Skyler Howes (Husqvarna) 6:25:38 + 0:06:20
3. Franco Caimi (Hero) 6:25:44 + 0:06:26
4. Daniel Sanders (GASGAS) 6:26:37 + 0:07:19
5. Sebastian Buhler (Hero) 6:29:36 + 0:10:18
6. Adrien Van Beveren (Yamaha) 6:36:57 + 0:17:39…
8. Andrew Short (Yamaha) 7:08:42 + 0:49:24…