Stunning Stage 4 Podium for Tarrés at the Hellas Rally
The Yamaha Ténéré World Raid Team’s Pol Tarrés continued his fightback after producing a superb ride during Friday’s fourth stage in Greece that put him firmly in the fight for victory, finishing the special in second overall, and taking his second consecutive M6 class victory, to move up to second in the general classification.
Stage 4 at the Hellas Rally was the second part of the “Marathon” segment of the race and saw competitors take on the longest special of the event as they rode the 390km from the remote campsite in Lake Plastira back to the bivouac in Karpenisi.
Continuing his adaption to the different terrain, weather, and navigation techniques needed for the Hellas rally compared to racing in Africa, Tarrés has grown from strength to strength each day. After finishing the Prologue in 15th overall in the Moto category, he was seventh on the first stage before Stage 2 was cancelled for bad weather. He improved even more on the third stage, finishing on the overall podium for the first time in third and taking the M6 class victory (650cc-1300cc multi-cylinder motorbikes).
Thursday’s Stage 4 saw the 29-year-old go one better, battling at the front during the longest special of the rally with his rivals on 450cc single-cylinder machines, despite overnight rain making the conditions even more slippery and treacherous. After only being allowed limited assistance overnight from the team at the campsite, the Andorran pushed to the limit on his twin-cylinder GYTR-kitted Ténéré 700 World Raid and showed just what he and the machine are capable of, even in conditions that traditionally do not play to the bike’s strengths.
Battling at the front, Tarrés was leading the overall rally at times before completing the fourth stage second in the Moto category in five hours, 21 minutes, and 31.36 seconds, just 16 minutes and 11.96 seconds behind the eventual winner. This also saw him claim the M6 class victory for the second day in a row and means that he is now second overall in the general classification with a combined time of 16 hours, 25 minutes, and 59.32 seconds.
The former enduro rider’s fightback from a challenging start, in only his fourth competitive rally, has seen him close the gap to the overall leader of the rally to just seven minutes and 51.96s, with two stages and 270km left to go.
Saturday’s Stage 5 at the Hellas Rally sees the Ténéré World Raid Team take on a 250km loop special, starting and ending at the bivouac in Karpenisi via Gardiki.
Stage 4 Results
General Classification after Stage 4
Pol Tarrés – P2 (5h 21m 31.36s)
Ténéré World Raid Team
“Today was another amazing day; I can’t believe we are in second position in the general classification! To finish second overall on the stage was awesome, as I was leading and fighting at the front for most of the day, pushing as hard as I could and making no navigational errors, which was important as today’s route was difficult. I am trying to ride as intelligently as possible, which is hard because, at times, you want to push more, but you also have to look after the bike, so you need to find the right balance. I am surprised with myself and the bike as the conditions here do not suit us, but the team is doing an incredible job, and we will keep pushing for the last two stages.”
Marc Bourgeois
Ténéré World Raid Team – Team Manager
“Today was the second part of the marathon stage and was the most important day of the rally. It was the longest special today, which was made tougher with no assistance from the team at the remote campsite, plus the route was extremely challenging. Overnight there was also a lot of rain, which made the terrain even more treacherous, so I am very proud of how Pol managed the stage. He took care of the bike, pushed when he could, and his navigation was excellent, which is incredible when you think this is only the fourth rally in his career. We are now in a very strong position, with just two stages left, and we need to stay focused to ensure we can bring home the best result possible.”
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