2023 Abu Dhabi Desert Problem • Whole Bike

THIRD PLACE RESULT FOR SKYLER HOWES ON ADDC STAGE THREE
SECOND CONSECUTIVE TOP-THREE STAGE RESULT FOR THE AMERICAN RIDER AS EVENT PASSES HALFWAY POINT

Husqvarna Manufacturing unit Racing’s Skyler Howes has put in one other robust trip on the 2023 Abu Dhabi Desert Problem to safe his second consecutive third-place end on the powerful FIM World Rally-Raid Championship occasion. Battling by means of the rougher, extra bodily demanding terrain of stage three, Howes accomplished at present’s particular simply 19 seconds down on the winner. Opening a lot of the stage, Luciano Benavides did an distinctive job along with his navigation to complete in eighth place, lower than 4 minutes down on Howes.

It was a tricky day within the desert at present for all riders, with a 266-kilometre timed particular delivering a extra motocross-like expertise because of the harder-going floor and tracks of the looped stage. Fortunately temperatures have been decrease on account of constant cloud cowl, however with the day marking the second half of the occasion’s marathon stage, opponents have been examined to their limits each mentally and bodily.

Regardless of the gruelling circumstances, Skyler Howes delivered one other constant trip to finish the stage in third. The American, who set off third into the particular, held his personal whereas racing up close to the entrance of the pack, and after gathering simply over two minutes in bonuses, secured a top-three end result for the second stage in a row, narrowly lacking out on the stage win by simply 19 seconds. The end result strikes Skyler from eighth to fifth within the provisional total standings.

Following on from his day two win, Luciano was first into at present’s stage and led out a lot of the particular. After being caught by Jose Ignacio Cornejo at round kilometre eighty, the 2 rivals raced head-to-head on the lead of the group, preventing to assert the all-important time bonuses for opening the stage. As such, the tempo on the entrance was excessive, with Benavides finally ending in eighth place and shedding below 4 minutes to the eventual stage winner. The Argentinian at the moment lies in seventh total however will take pleasure in a powerful begin place for Thursday’s stage 4 – the penultimate day of the race.

Skyler Howes: “That was a very powerful stage at present, I’m positively feeling the fatigue to my entire physique. It was additionally overcast with plenty of cloud cowl and that makes visibility within the dunes actually unhealthy, so it’s tough to see any dune cuts, or a lot of something for that matter. I caught up with the blokes in entrance simply earlier than the refuelling, however it was positively Luciano and Nacho (Cornejo) that took the reins opening the stage and did a very good job protecting the tempo excessive. I’m truly fairly proud of the day, however man it was bodily demanding for certain. I’m wanting ahead to getting a little bit of relaxation now forward of the ultimate two days.”

Luciano Benavides: “For me, the climate was so much higher at present because it was cloudy, and the temperature was so much decrease. It was a very powerful day within the desert, with the stage at present being extra motocross type with much less bigger dunes. I opened half of the stage, kind of, with me and Nacho (Cornejo) swapping positions on the entrance. Because the time bonuses are larger for whoever is main at every waypoint, we actually have been racing onerous to every of them, which was good for the general tempo. So yeah, it was full gasoline all day, I believe I did a great job opening, and now I’ve a great begin place for tomorrow, so I’ll attempt to make up a while.”

2023 Abu Dhabi Desert Problem – Stage 3 Provisional Classification

1. Toby Worth (KTM) 3:43:29
2. Pablo Quintanilla (Honda) 3:43:45
3. Skyler Howes (Husqvarna) 3:43:48
4. Jose Ignacio Cornejo (Honda) 3:44:04
5. Adrien Van Beveren (Honda) 3:44:32
6. Ross Department (Hero) 3:46:32
…
8. Luciano Benavides (Husqvarna) 3:47:25

2023 Abu Dhabi Desert Problem – Provisional General Classification [After Stage 3]

1. Adrien Van Beveren (Honda) 10:55:02
2. Pablo Quintanilla (Honda) 10:55:45
3. Toby Worth (KTM) 10:57:58
4. Jose Ignacio Cornejo (Honda) 10:58:02
5. Skyler Howes (Husqvarna) 11:00:07
6. Ross Department (Hero) 11:00:56
…
7. Luciano Benavides (Husqvarna) 11:01:22