It proved to be a satisfying day for the Team HRC riders in the second stage of the Qatar rally, that leaves the door open for a promising final result. Paulo Gonçalves finished in second, Hélder Rodrigues, fourth, and Joan Barreda in sixth place, a result that means all stand a chance of a final podium place.
What an arduous second stage the of the Sealine Cross-Country Rally turned out to be. The race is the longest of all the rally's stages in terms of kilometres, with some 396 km of route through Qatar's peninsula. The route was cluttered with many rocks, and the terrain was hard. Moreover, a very tricky day's navigation played an important role, and this meant note-reading right from the outset.
Paulo Gonçalves, who set out from behind after commiting an error yesterday, managed to claw his way back to second, and erase most of the time lost in the first stage. The Portuguese rider arrived alongside the stage winner Sam Sunderland, and now lies only 2’29” behind the race leader.
Hélder Rodrigues, likewise had a quiet stage, finishing in fourth place on the day and is sixth on the overall score-board.
Joan Barreda's stage went pretty much according to plan. The rider set off from the front with a lot of complicated navigation ahead, which allowed his adversaries to catch up with him, but finished in the leader's group. His sixth place on the day, leaves him in second overall.
Paulo Gonçalves: It was a really hard day today. Over 390 km of hard track and lots of rocks, as well as difficult navigation. I managed to make up for some of the time lost yesterday. We've got three days ahead, and I'll keep the objectives in mind, and will keep pushing.
