Cornejo, the best of the Monster Energy Honda Team, as the Desafio Inca gets underway

Monster Energy Honda Team’s Chilean rider, José Ignacio Cornejo, finished the opening stage of the Inca Challenge, held on Friday in Ica, Peru, in a promising third position. Benavides opened the track for much of the race but fell victim to an irregular waypoint.

 The first stage of the Desafio Inca, taking place in Peru, saw some riders’ performances hampered by certain navigational complications en route. As the race got underway with a mass start in the dunes of Ica, Kevin Benavides began to emerge from the group, and by kilometre 30, was opening the track. However at around kilometre 60, a dubious entry in the roadbook meant that much of the leading pack lost ground, with Benavides among them, in spite of the eagerness to win the stage. The net result saw Benavides posting ninth on the day, some twelve minutes behind the day’s eventual winner.

 The leading representative of the Monster Energy Honda Team proved to be José Ignacio Cornejo, who scored the third fastest time on the day. Behind were Paulo Gonçalves, sixth, and Ricky Brabec in ninth.

Tomorrow competitors can look forward to the second stage of this Desafio Inca which will be disputed, once again, around a double loop in Ica with another total of 350 kilometres of special stage.