Adrien Van Beveren Places Second Overall At Andalucia Rally

10-10-2020

Adrien Van Beveren Places Second Overall At Andalucia Rally

Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Official Team’s Adrien Van Beveren has claimed an impressive second place overall result at the Andalucia Rally 2020, aboard his WR450F Rally. His eighth-place finish on today’s fourth and final stage saw the Frenchman end the rally less than eight minutes behind the overall winner. Jamie McCanney enjoyed his best stage of the event by placing third, moving him up to seventh in the final classification with Franco Caimi just behind in eighth. Andrew Short and Ross Branch finished 13th and 16th overall respectively.

Hard work paid off for Adrien Van Beveren at the Andalucia Rally as he enjoyed a mistake-free week of racing to claim second overall. Consistent results on every stage signalled that the Frenchman has returned from injury and is back to his usual, competitive form. With his 2020 Dakar Rally crash and subsequent surgeries well behind him, Van Beveren’s runner-up finish puts him in a positive position for the 2021 rally season.

Jamie McCanney recorded a positive end to the Andalucia Rally, claiming third place on the fourth and final stage. At the head of the field for much of the day, McCanney frustratingly caught two riders and, without forcing the issue and risking a mistake due to the dust created in front of him, opted to bring home his WR450F Rally home safely. A great conclusion to the rally saw Jamie advance to seventh in the overall standings.

Placing eighth overall in the final classification, Franco Caimi delivered a solid week of racing in Spain. Overcoming a technical issue as the final stage came to a close, Franco was able to ride through it and ended the Andalucia Rally just behind his teammate, Jamie McCanney.

Andrew Short enjoyed his week with the team in Spain but couldn’t quite get comfortable on the hard and fast stages that formed the Andalucia Rally. Despite this, the American was able to claim 13th overall and looks forward to returning to the desert rallies that he’s more familiar with, starting with the Dakar Rally in January 2021.

Taking all the positives from his first week of racing for the Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Official Team, Ross Branch ended the Andalucia Rally in contention for another stage win. Placing fifth on the final day, the stage two winner was familiar with the tracks that were re-used from earlier in the rally and confidently attacked the course to end just two minutes down on the eventual stage winner.

The Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Official Team will now continue their preparations ahead of the 2021 Dakar Rally, which takes place in Saudi Arabia next January.

Adrien Van Beveren - Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Official Team

8th - Stage 4

“It’s been a really good rally for me. All week I have been consistent with no crashes, no navigation or speed zone issues, so it’s great to see that my training has paid off. I’m happy with the direction that I’m going in and will keep working hard towards the Dakar Rally. I’m so happy to be back to my old self and on the podium. A great result for myself and the team.”

Franco Caimi - Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Official Team

22nd - Stage 4

“I enjoyed the Andalucia Rally. With every stage I felt more comfortable on my bike and I felt strong so I leave here with a good feeling. I had a small issue with the bike in the last stage and lost around 14 minutes which was a big shame, but this is how racing goes sometimes. The important thing is that I’m healthy and the bike is working great so I’m really pleased with how this rally went for me.”

Jamie McCanney - Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Official Team

3rd - Stage 4

“I’m happy enough with the overall result. Today’s stage was good for me. I think I was leading for a lot of it, but then because I set off 20th – I’m not sure why as I didn’t finish 20th yesterday – I caught up to some riders towards the end and then sat in their dust for 30 or 40 kilometres. It was unfortunate but the safe option. Leaving here healthy and happy with my riding and my Yamaha puts us in good shape ahead of Dakar.”

Andrew Short - Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Official Team

14th - Stage 4

“This was a difficult rally for me. Not quite the desert rallies that I’m used to but it’s been positive to spend time with the team and learn how the bike works in a race environment. I struggled with the terrain but it was the same for everyone, it just wasn’t what I’m used to. I’m really looking forward to Dakar with the team and can’t wait to race again.”

Ross Branch - Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Official Team

5th - Stage 4

“It’s been a really good week for me. My first time racing the Yamaha and getting the stage win on Thursday was great, really positive for myself and the team. I was fifth on the stage today so that’s a solid result. The stage had a lot of the course from earlier in the week so there was less navigation so it was a bit easier and I could just focus on my riding. We’ve made some big steps forward and it’s great to be a part of this team.”

Alexandre Kowalski

Yamaha Europe Off-Road Racing Manager

“I can say that the overall results are good. In many ways it was not a normal rally, but all of the team are hugely thankful to everyone who made the event happen – after everything this year, to have at least one event is something that we should be very pleased about. Adrien’s result, his performances, his spirit throughout the rally has been very encouraging. The end of last year and Dakar 2020 was not at all easy for him, so to see him riding well, enjoying his rally riding, it’s super important. Franco also showed some very good speed, but unfortunately a small mistake this morning derailed his hopes of a top-five finish. But he showed that he was fighting with the top riders. Jamie’s third place result today is very encouraging. He is young and not so experienced at rally so to see him taking some positive steps forward is really good. Also, very importantly, to see our two new guys – Ross and Andrew – both settling into the team so well, and riding well, is great. Ross’s stage win is obviously a highlight of the event for us and also for him, and I know he will be focused on building on that performance. Andrew didn’t find this special kind of rally easy but gave 100 percent and now heads to Dakar fully focused. We have a lot of positive energy inside the team, regarding the riders and our bikes. After some rest everyone will continue working hard ahead of Dakar 2021.”

Andalucia Rally 2020

Stage 4 Provisional Classification

1. Daniel Sanders (KTM) 2:12:13
2. Toby Price (KTM) 2:12:20 + 0:00:07
3. Jamie McCanney (Yamaha) 2:13:36 + 0:01:23
4. Matthias Walkner (KTM) 2:13:54 + 0:01:41
5. Ross Branch (Yamaha) 2:14:13 + 0:02:00
6. Lorenzo Santolino (Sherco) 2:14:59 + 0:02:46
…
8. Adrien Van Beveren (Yamaha) 2:15:33 + 0:03:20
14. Andrew Short (Yamaha) 2:19:11 + 0:06:58
22. Franco Caimi (Yamaha) 2:26:35 + 0:14:22

Andalucia Rally 2020

Overall Provisional Classification (after stage 4)

1. Kevin Benavides (Honda) 10:30:51
2. Adrien Van Beveren (Yamaha) 10:38:33 + 0:07:42
3. Lorenzo Santolino (Sherco) 10:38:45 + 0:07:54
4. Toby Price (KTM) 10:43:13 + 0:12:22
5. Joan Barreda (Honda) 10:51:30 + 0:20:39
6. Matthias Walkner (KTM) 10:54:20 + 0:23:29
…
7. Jamie McCanney (Yamaha) 10:55:04 + 0:24:13
8. Franco Caimi (Yamaha) 10:55:36 + 0:24:45
13. Andrew Short (Yamaha) 11:04:39 + 0:33:48
16. Ross Branch (Yamaha) 11:10:55 + 0:40:04