– Ross Branch finishes 4th overall
Hero MotoSports Team Rally, the motorsport team of the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles and scooters – Hero MotoCorp, successfully concluded their campaign at the 2023 edition of Desafio Ruta 40, with team rider Ross Branch finishing in the overall top-5. In the last and 5th Stage of the rally, Ross Branch earned a Stage podium, crossing the finish line in the 2nd fastest time – just 58 seconds behind the winner of the Stage – and also earning a 4th place overall finish in the rally.
Showcasing a consistent top performance since the start of the rally last Sunday, Ross was a top contender for an overall podium position until the very last minute. On Friday, after an extremely tight contest over 5 days and around 3000 kms later, he finished 4th – a close shave of just 5 minutes from the 3rd place winner.
However, Ross Branch earned an overall podium position in the premier FIM World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) rankings for this race – as Tosha Schareina, the winner of DR40 2023 is not a championship contestant. This positions the Botswanan at the 4th overall rank in the 2023 World Championship, and also fetches some points to Hero’s team tally.
The Desafío Ruta 40 – the toughest rally in South America – was inducted into the FIM World Rally Raid Championship (W2RC) for the first time, in 2023. It was also a grand return for this once glorious rally, after a 5-year hiatus. Three major Argentinian provinces – La Rioja, Catamarca, and Salta – hosted the 11th edition of the DR40, taking the competitors through some of the iconic locations traversed by the Latin American Dakars until 2018.
The week-long race had a wide range of breathtaking, yet highly demanding terrains on offer – off-track pistes, stony riverbeds, long sandy stretches, salt flats, towering dunes and much more. With around 35 degrees’ temperature difference between the coldest and warmest points in a single stage, riding through the clouds at 3000 meters above sea level, wading through rios, and carefully navigating through mountains and canyons – this race indeed hit different extremes on each day.
Even though Team Hero MotoSports has raced in Argentina in their first two Dakar appearances (2017 & 2018), this was a step into the unknown for their current riders Ross Branch and Sebastian Buhler. However, the confident duo adapted very quickly, caught up with their competitors, and put up a strong fight till the end.
The time gaps between the top Rally GP contestants were minimal in this tightly contested race, and a confident Ross showcased a consistent performance all through the week, pushing his way into the overall Top-5. Sebastian Buhler too, made unwavering efforts to move up the leaderboard through each stage. He was consistently within the Top-10 up until the end of 4th stage – where he faced an unfortunate mechanical issue, and had to exit from the rally.
Team Hero MotoSports will now continue with their ongoing preparations for the Dakar Rally 2024. Next up in their calendar is the Rallye Du Maroc in October, which will also be the last race of the W2RC 2023 season.
Wolfgang Fischer, Team Manager: « It was quite exciting to be back in Argentina. It was a really tough race, and we’ve seen some of these challenging stages in the past Dakar editions. With so many extremes in terrain and climatic conditions in just 5 days – finishing the DR40 is indeed a testament of what our men and machines are capable of achieving, especially for our boys Ross and Buhler, who were riding here for the very first time.
« On the bike front, we could really see the improvements we’ve been making in the last few months playing out well in this race. Even though Ross missed the podium by a very small margin, we’re really happy with the great performance he put up through the week. Unfortunately, due to a slight mechanical failure Basti could not finish the race in Stage 4.
« Anyhow, we take even the smallest of setbacks as learnings to improve ourselves in our preparations for the Dakar. We will come back stronger at the Maroc Rally, and our Dakar preparations are continuing in full swing. Thanks to all our teams, partners and fans for their continued support and motivation. »
Ross Branch: « It’s my first time here in Argentina, and what a fantastic experience it has been! All the new landscapes, the altitudes, the temperatures were all crazy – but I really enjoyed it. It was a really tough 5 days of testing our limits, but I’m happy to reach the finish line in one piece. My Hero 450 Rally ran amazingly well through the week, and I extend my hearty thanks to the team for their tireless efforts. I’m looking forward to race in Morocco in a month’s time – see you soon! »
Sebastian Buhler: « Overall, it was a really nice experience to race here in Argentina – a new country for me. I enjoyed the landscape and the variety of terrains quite a lot. The race went really well until the second-last stage, where my bike faced a minor technical issue in the dunes, and I had to discontinue the race. The pace was really high and the time gaps were really close among the competitors, and I am happy with my riding and performance. We will now continue working towards reaching the Dakar in the best rhythm. »
Final Rankings – Stage 5 (Rally GP Class)
1. Adrien Van Beveren, Monster Energy Honda Team, 2h 39m 44s
2. Ross Branch, Hero MotoSports Team Rally, + 0m 58s
3. Ricky Brabec, Monster Energy Honda Team, + 1m 39s
4. Toby Price, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, + 2m 59s
5. Tosha Schareina, Honda Team, + 3m 36s…
Overall Rankings after Stage 5 (Rally GP Class)
1. Tosha Schareina, Honda Team, 15h 58m 46s
2. Luciano Benavides, Husqvarna Factory Racing, + 11m 36s
3. Ricky Brabec, Monster Energy Honda Team, + 21m 16s
4. Ross Branch, Hero MotoSports Team Rally, + 26m 45s
5. Adrien Van Beveren, Monster Energy Honda Team, + 28m 52s…
2023 FIM World Rally-Raid Championship Standings (After Round 4)
1. Luciano Benavides, Husqvarna Factory Racing, 80 points
2. Toby Price, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, 71 points
3. Adrien Van Beveren, Monster Energy Honda Team, 66 points
4. Ross Branch, Hero MotoSports Team Rally, 45 points
5. Kevin Benavides, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, 43 points…