Capitalising on their excellent navigational skills throughout the technical third stage at the 2021 Rallye du Maroc, Andrew Short and Adrien Van Beveren have both impressed to place third and fourth respectively. From the very start of the special, the duo were immediately on the pace and in contention for top-five results aboard their Yamaha WR450F Rally machines. Frustratingly for Ross Branch, a crash, and an error with his navigation cost yesterday’s star performer dearly, with the Botswana native ultimately crossing the finish line as the 18th fastest rider.
With the first two special stages at the Rallye du Maroc primarily taking riders across seemingly endless sand dunes, the third stage provided a considerable change in terrain. Laying out a technical stage made up of many rocky trails, the organisers put a strong emphasis on testing the riders’ roadbook skills with the conditions minimising the chance for riders to follow in the wheel tracks of those ahead. Therefore, pinpoint navigation was essential in order to record a fast time on stage three and one rider enjoying his best day at the event so far was Andrew Short.
The American racer had endured a challenging start to the Rallye du Maroc. Overcoming a crash on stage one and mediocre result on day two, Andrew put those difficult days behind him to secure a highly impressive third-place finish on stage three. With his improved speed and navigation, as well as his Yamaha WR450F Rally running perfectly, everything came together for Short on day three and with his excellent result, now moves into the overall provisional top 10.
Adrien Van Beveren was another Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Team rider on form on stage three to complete the technical special as the fourth fastest rider. Applying a clear strategy to minimise any mistakes, the Frenchman’s overall pace and superior navigational skills ensured he passed each waypoint as one of the leading riders. Van Beveren’s excellent result now moves him up to fifth in the overall provisional classification.
For Ross Branch, after his impressive third place finish yesterday, a couple of navigational errors and a crash proved costly, resulting in his 18th place finish. As always, Ross remains upbeat and now looks forward to completing the Rallye du Maroc with two solid stage results.
With just two days to go at the Rallye du Maroc, the team and riders are busy readying themselves for the longest special of the rally. Scheduled to cover just over 367 kilometres, stage four takes riders back into the sand dunes to the north-east of the bivouac and once completed, just one day of racing remains.
Andrew Short – Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Team
“Today was much better for me. After a difficult start to the rally, my speed and navigation was right where it needed to be today and I’m happy with my riding. My bike was working great all day and overall, everything went well, and this result is a real confidence booster. I’m excited for tomorrow and hope to be up front once again.”
Adrien Van Beveren – Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Team
“A really good day for me and I focused on my rhythm and navigation, and it paid off. My overall speed is good and I’m happy with my pace. I was able to complete the stage without any mistakes which I’m really happy with and where the navigation became tricky, I slowed down, took my time, and this meant that I went the right way each time. Towards the end I caught some riders and rode in their dust for maybe 30 kilometres but overall, I’m really happy with my performance today.”
Ross Branch – Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Team
“Another up and down day for today. I had a little crash early on and then made a couple mistakes with my navigation which cost me a lot of time. It’s frustrating but definitely a good lesson. The plan now is just to ride smart, keep learning, and enjoy the final two days.”
Rallye du Maroc 2021
Stage 3 Provisional Classification
- Ricky Brabec (Honda) 3:30:32
- Sebastian Buhler (Hero) 3:32:36 + 0:02:04
- Andrew Short (Yamaha) 3:35:56 + 0:05:24
- Adrien Van Beveren (Yamaha) 3:36:18 + 0:05:46
- Franco Caimi (Hero) 3:36:44 + 0:06:12
- Joan Barreda (Honda) 3:38:13 + 0:07:41
…
- Ross Branch (Yamaha) 3:50:52 + 0:20:20
Rallye du Maroc 2021
Overall Provisional Classification (after stage 3)
- Ricky Brabec (Honda) 10:43:43
- Joan Barreda (Honda) 10:53:25 + 0:09:42
- Pablo Quintanilla (Honda) 10:54:10 + 0:10:27
- Matthias Walkner (KTM) 10:55:52 + 0:12:09
- Adrien Van Beveren (Yamaha) 11:01:16 + 0:17:33
- Daniel Sanders (GASGAS) 11:02:14 + 0:18:31
…
- Andrew Short (Yamaha) 11:15:49 + 0:32:06
- Ross Branch (Yamaha) 11:50:35 + 1:06:52
