The Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Team consisting of Ross Branch, Adrien Van Beveren, and Andrew Short, have all successfully completed the opening stage of the 2021 Silk Way Rally. With Ross claiming second and Adrien close behind in third, Andrew rounded out the team’s positive start to the event by bringing his Yamaha WR450F Rally home in a strong seventh place.
The opening stage of the Silk Way Rally eased riders into the 10-day event with a relatively short 87-kilometre special. Departing from Omsk, riders enjoyed bumpy gravel tracks, woodland, and grassy pastures before completing a long liaison, which brought them to the overnight bivouac in Novosibirsk.
Picking up from where he left off at round one of the FIM Cross-Country World Rallies Championship, Ross Branch was immediately on the pace at the Silk Way Rally. As the 10th rider to enter the opening stage of the event, Branch was able to follow in the wheel tracks of the riders ahead of him to remain in the top three through each waypoint. Going on to end the special as runner-up following a calculated and mistake-free ride aboard his Yamaha WR450F Rally, Ross now looks forward to tomorrow’s second stage.
Close behind Ross in third place was his Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Team teammate, Adrien Van Beveren. Thoroughly enjoying his time on his bike and the terrain that stage one offered, the Frenchman rode alone for the most part and relied on his navigational skills for much of the special. At the end of the 87-kilometre stage, Adrien was rewarded for his efforts with an impressive third-place finish.
Completing a strong start for the team at the Silk Way Rally, Andrew Short was the seventh fastest rider through the opening timed special of the event. As a podium finisher at the rally in 2019, the American is well-aware of the challenges he’ll face during the remaining nine days and opted for a cautious approach on day one in order to deliver a strong finish.
Tomorrow’s stage two provides all riders with a huge variety of terrain. The special opens with hardpack desert tracks before entering a forest where riders will need to proceed with caution through its muddy tracks. The terrain then changes to sand, before reaching a section of gravel towards the end of the special.
Ross Branch – Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Team
“It was a really good start to the rally for me and it’s so nice to be back on the bike and racing again. I started off quite steady today as it’s a long race, so I built my speed up as the stage progressed. It was actually quite a short stage, but I made no mistakes and made it to the end safely.”
Adrien Van Beveren – Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Team
“Overall, it has been a good first day. I was happy to make a strong start and felt great on my bike. The stage was quite short and for most of it I was able to ride on my own, relying on my navigation and I’m happy to have finished third. The focus is now on tomorrow, and I hope to maintain my rhythm and look forward to stage two.”
Andrew Short – Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Team
“It’s great to be back racing again and this rally is so unique. Riding through woods and fields is so different to what we’re used to with rally, so it’s nice to be competing at an event like this. The special was quite short followed by a long liaison, so quite a lot of time on the bike but it was the same for everybody. It’s a long race so I just focused on my navigation today and had a steady ride to finish seventh. I’m looking forward to tomorrow and seeing how this race develops for me over the remaining nine days.”
Silk Way Rally 2021
Stage 1 Provisional Classification
- Franco Caimi (Hero) 0:49:52
- Ross Branch (Yamaha) 0:50:55 + 0:01:03
- Adrien Van Beveren (Yamaha) 0:51:22 + 0:01:30
- Joaquim Rodrigues (Hero) 0:51:46 + 0:01:54
- Matthias Walkner (KTM) 0:52:25 + 0:02:33
- Sebastian Buhler (Hero) 0:53:07 + 0:03:15
…
- Andrew Short (Yamaha) 0:53:20 + 0:03:28
Silk Way Rally 2021
Overall Provisional Classification (after stage 1)
- Franco Caimi (Hero) 0:49:52
- Ross Branch (Yamaha) 0:50:55 + 0:01:03
- Adrien Van Beveren (Yamaha) 0:51:22 + 0:01:30
- Joaquim Rodrigues (Hero) 0:51:46 + 0:01:54
- Matthias Walkner (KTM) 0:52:25 + 0:02:33
- Sebastian Buhler (Hero) 0:53:07 + 0:03:15
…
- Andrew Short (Yamaha) 0:53:20 + 0:03:28
