Adrien Van Beveren
Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Official Team’s Adrien Van Beveren has just won the Hail Baja following victory on both stages of the two-day event. Hail Baja is the first of two bajas forming a part of the Hail Rally. The race serves as preparation for the upcoming Dakar Rally. The Frenchman has certainly enjoyed a trouble-free run through the competition with the tricky navigation throughout both stages.
The first Hail Baja provided plenty of positive training for Adrien with 692km. Van Beveren welcomed the challenge that lay ahead, and very much using the event to further familiarise himself with true desert terrain. He was the first rider to set off into the sand dunes surrounding Radifah on the opening stage. Relying solely on his roadbook skills, Adrien confidently tackled the tricky navigation. With his pre-race training clearly paying dividends, the Frenchman delivered a mistake-free ride to claim the stage win.
Heading into the desert surrounding the city of Jubbah for day two, the 29-year-old initially navigated his way through a number of rocky sections. Then, he safely reached the day’s sand dunes that formed a large part of the 347km stage. Going on to cross the finish line with a comfortable advantage, he secured the event’s overall victory and rounded out two days of enjoyable and constructive racing in style.
Confident with both his riding and the set-up of his Yamaha WR450F Rally, Van Beveren is now looking ahead to December 15 and the second leg of the Hail Rally. With a similar race format on offer, it will be his final competitive outing in desert conditions ahead of the Dakar Rally in January.
“This race was such great training for the Dakar Rally. Despite being called a Baja, this was just the name for the event. It was a true rally, with tricky navigation. I’m really pleased with my decision to race as the terrain and navigation were just like what is expected at the Dakar. It was cold starting early in the mornings, close to zero. But I really enjoyed both stages once I got into them. I’m here for training and I felt great on my bike, so I’m really happy. I’m now looking forwards to Tuesday for the second rally here and to continue with my preparation ahead of Dakar.”