Red Bull KTM Factory Racing riders Sam Sunderland and Luciano Benavides have touched down Chile to take part in the 2019 Atacama Rally. The duo will be joined by teammates Toby Price and Matthias Walkner as they make their comeback to the championship after sustaining injuries earlier this year.
Currently first and third in the FIM Cross-Country rallies World Championship, both Sunderland and Benavides are prepared to score as many championship points as possible. They will also try to improve the set-up of their KTM 450 Rally bikes.
The Atacama Rally will be kicking off at Copiapó on Monday with a Prologue then last for five full days before a winner is crowned.
Photo credits: KTM Factory Racing
“I’m hoping for a good run in Chile this year. I clipped my foot on a rock last year on day four, so that wasn’t too good. Hopefully, I’ll have a bit more luck this time. I’m coming into round three with a nice little lead. So the plan is to get through the rally safely and make the most of the time on the bike. There are a lot of Chilean guys who ride really well and there is a certain amount of home advantage as a lot of the tracks we cover are the same every year,” says Sunderland as quoted from KTM Factory Racing.
Navigation at the Atacama can be tough too/ The roadbook is sometimes not as detailed as it could be. If you know the terrain you can ride quite well by feeling, which is a huge benefit to the locals. Training has been going well. I jumped straight back into it after Silk Way. Also, I spent some time in Spain recently working on my road book skills, too. I need to stay focused but as always the goal is to get through the rally safely and hopefully pick up some good points for the championship.”
Photo credits: KTM Factory Racing
“Since the Silk Way Rally, I have been training a lot. I have been working on my navigation and trying to find a good rhythm on the bike. I’m feeling really good in myself and I’m looking forward to the race in Chile. We’re past the halfway point of the season now and so this is a really important race in terms of the championship.”
“We know the Atacama can be a very demanding race and often the navigation is tough with a lot of sections that can catch you out, so the plan is to get through it safely, hopefully with a strong result. We made some changes to the bike before the Silk Way Rally, mostly to my suspension settings. They seemed to work out really well and so I’m hoping we have a good base for the Atacama. The goal this year has always been to win the Junior class of the World Championship and so far, it’s going well. I’m leading on points with two races left to go and a good race in Chile will really help my chances.”
Photo credits: KTM Factory Racing
“I’m looking forward to being back on the bike and setting up for the Atacama Rally, it’s been a few months since my last race at Dakar. We’re getting prepped and organised for the event now and I’m really excited. I’m not expecting too much from the race or myself. It’s just good to get some time on the bike and do some roadbook stuff and training. If we come back safe and I have no issues with the wrist then we can start to push for the last round in Morocco. Hopefully, good times ahead and I’m looking forward to it!”
Photo credits: KTM Factory Racing
“I’m feeling really good right now. I was able to start training on the rally bike recently and it went very well – I immediately felt comfortable. My ankle is still not 100 per cent. I still get some pain now and again, but I’m ready for the Atacama. I’ve missed a lot of hours on the bike compared to some of the others. However, I feel in good shape. I just need to clock up some miles in Chile and later on in Morocco in preparation for next year’s Dakar.”
“The Atacama Rally is one of my favourite races – I have some good memories from there. Navigation is often tough but the terrain is really nice with some cool sand-pistes, big dunes and some rocky sections. It’s a good mix and perfect training for Dakar. It’s difficult to know what to expect from the event. After so long off the bike I imagine it will take some time to get back up to speed. The goal is to finish the race, support my teammates and get some good hours on the bike.”
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