Husqvarna Rallye Team by Speedbrain makes a fine start to Morocco Rally

Husqvarna Rally Team by Speedbrain put in a fine performance in the opening stage of the Morocco rally with Joan Barreda and Paulo Goncalves taking fourth and fifth place in the overall standings and Matt Fish seventeenth,
in a high speed, navigation-filled 313 km (195 mile) race featuring 271 km of special test.

It could have been even better had Barreda and Goncalves not made some directional errors that added some extra mileage and lost them valuable time. A good debut by Matt Fish too in his first outing on the Husqvarna TE449 by Speedbrain. The entourage rolls on to Erg Chebbi with a transfer of 44 km (27 miles) and 315 km (194 miles) of special test, the longest in this rally.

"I was a bit disappointed with today. I got away well and was leading a third of the way into the special test. Then I misread some stretches and ended up adding on a few kilometres that made me lose ten or so minutes. As far as the rest is concerned, it went well. The bike's going really well, and here what counts is being consistent and not making mistakes," said Joan Barreda.

Paulo Goncalves said, "I'm fairly happy with my first day. Shame about the directional error, but that's the way rallies go. It's only the first stage and we still have time to make it up. Today was my first day on the new bike and I’m really happy with the team effort."

Wolfgang Fischer, Team Manager said, "It's a shame about that mistake in the first part of the special, for everything else I'm satisfied with the first day of the race. Joan and Paulo have shown that they are quick and able to keep up among the leading group. It's crucial for us in this rally to finish developing the bike and test the team ahead of the next Dakar. I’m glad also for Matt on his first day with our bike. He got into it right away."

Standings after the first stage
1. Rodrigues (Honda)
2. Coma (KTM) at 1’12”
3. Despres (KTM) at 2’2”
4. Barreda (Husqvarna Rally Team by Speedbrain) at 10’41”
5. Goncalves (Husqvarna Rally Team by Speedbrain) at 13’36”...17 Fish (Husqvarna Rally Team by Speedbrain ) a 41’50”

Posted in: Bike,Husqvarna,Husqvarna Rallye Team,Husqvarna TE449 by Speedbrain,International,Joan Barreda,Morocco,Morocco Rally,Motor Sports,Paulo Goncalves,Speedbrain,Two-Wheeler,Wolfgang Fischer