In Portugal, it is all about the SxS!

May 28 ^th 2018 - 15:32

Last Friday the Dakar Tour stopped in Portugal, where the passion for the event dates back to the turn of the Century. The riders of the day, most notably Ruben Faria and Hélder Rodrigues, are now eyeing the lightweight Side by Side buggy category that continues to attract more and more candidates.

The Reguengos Baja is the event that brings together all of Portugal’s rally-raid enthusiasts, during the national off-road championship. Obviously, the Dakar is discussed and there are many subjects to talk about. Last year’s edition was a difficult one for Portuguese concerns with the last minute withdrawal of one of the title contenders, Paulo Gonçalves, then Carlos Sousa who threw the towel on the marathon stage, while the enthusiasm aroused by the first participation of football coach André Villas-Boas subsided in the first Peruvian stages. But in the venue that welcomed the Dakar Tour, everyone was looking ahead to the 2019 edition and its sand laden programme, which ideally corresponds to the characteristics of the Side by Sides, which is now the most popular category in Portugal with 70 vehicles entered in the Baja. Among them, the candidates for a first Dakar were many, including the local star in the class, Ricardo Porem, as well as one of his most consistent adversaries, two-time Portuguese champion, Bruno Martins. Above all, the category should welcome new prestigious competitors, who began their Dakar careers during the time when Lisbon hosted the start of the rally. Since those days, Ruben Faria has been a fixture on the rally-raid scene and even finished runner-up in the bike category, behind his team leader Cyril Despres in 2013, and competed in the SxS on the recent Afriquia Merzouga Rally. He could be among the favourites for the victory next January, as could his partner in crime during the African era Hélder Rodrigues, who has also finished on the podium in the bike category and is tempted by the SxS adventure.