Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Official Team’s Adrien Van Beveren has topped the second Hail Baja, his final competitive outing ahead of the 2021 Dakar Rally. With participation proving to be highly productive for the Frenchman, the event’s challenging terrain and technical navigation provided one last chance for Van Beveren to finalise the set-up of his Yamaha WR450F Rally ahead of the Dakar Rally in January 2021.
With a race format similar to the opening Hail Baja, the second edition of the event again comprised of two stages, with a slightly shorter overall distance of 491km. Opening the stage on day one, Van Beveren quickly put his navigational skills to work. With the stage set entirely in the demanding sand dunes surrounding the town of Baqaa, he accurately navigated his way through each checkpoint, going on to complete the stage to finish a healthy 31-minutes ahead of the second placed finisher.
Stage two provided Adrien with much different desert conditions. Faced with the rockiest stage of the Hail Rally, it was a welcome challenge for the Frenchman to navigate through slow, technical sections aboard the Yamaha WR450F Rally. Remaining composed throughout and following another untroubled ride, Van Beveren reached the finish line unscathed to successfully complete his final race ahead of the Dakar Rally in January.
Now, with just over two weeks to go until the start of the 2021 Dakar Rally, Adrien will enjoy a short period of recovery before gearing up again to take on the challenge that lies ahead.
Adrien Van Beveren – Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Official Team
“It’s been a really great trip to these two races in Hail. It was a big effort to get here, so I’m thankful to the team that we were able to make it happen. My feeling on the bike is really good and I felt great in the desert. The second stage had very high speeds and I was completely comfortable, so this gives me a lot of confidence ahead of Dakar. I will now take some rest for a week before getting ready for the big race in January.”
Hail Baja 2 – 2020 Overall Provisional Classification (after stage 2)
- Adrien Van Beveren (Yamaha) 5:19:20
- Mishal Alghuneim (KTM) 6:12:25 + 0:53:05
- Anas Al Ruhayany (KTM) 6:12:35 + 0:53:15
- Konrad Dabrowski (KTM) 06:29:00 + 1:09:40
- Abdulmajeed Abdulaziz Aakhulaifi (Yamaha) 6:29:07 + 1:09:47
- Riyadh Saud Alshammari (Yamaha) 6:31:01 + 1:11:41
