Cycle News

Cycle News 1996 Issue 50 Jan 01

Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles

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Acerbis Italia Incas Rally 1996 (Left) The Incas Rally 1996 had quite a variety of racing, including this white-water rafting section complete with bikes. Kevin Hines, Fred Bramblett and guide take on the Urubamba River. (Below) .I.talian Arnoldo Nicolli blasts a test on hi~ Husqvarna. He and his teammate Jimmy Lewis finished first overall. though tills test was really tough, it was the best part of the race." Another unusual riding event took place at the jungle's airport. Since there is only one flight a day, the raUy staff were able to use the auport to layout a makeshift ro.ad-race course. Two riders at a lime raced in the single-elimffiation road test. It was no surprise that the fin(lJ pitted Yates against McDaniel, with Yates as the eventual winner. The event concluded at a beach-side resort. There was only one special test, which left" plenty of time for riders to enjoy the sun. and ride on. the mUes of deserted white sand. All of the riders agreed that the rally was a smashing success. "Even though tros wasn't as grueling as a Six Days or Dakar rally, it was a lot of fun and 1'd definitely do it again," {N Lewis concluded. . Acerbls Italia Incas Rally 1996 Cuzco, Peru Results: November 12-16, 1996 By Kimberly Jardine Photos by Joe Bonnello CUZCO, PERU, NOV. 12-19 hat were Jimmy Lewis, Kevin Hines, Chris Smith, (Aaron Yates and Mark McDamel also,Swapped theu road race machmes for dirt bikes) and ESPN's Jerry Bernardo doing in Peru wrote-water rafting, riding donkeys and getting downright dUty m the jungle? They were just a few of the rid. ers from around the world who competed in the Acerbis Italia Incas Rally 1996. Taking fust place m the rally were Lewis and Arnoldo Nicoli, who were one of the many two-man teams competing in the uruque event. The duo led from the first day and never looked back. "It was great th.at our points lead was such that we were able to have some fun," Lewis says about ills win. Srllith and Bernardo rode consistently the enfue five-day event and nabbed second overall. However, in somewhat of a surprise, it was the road racers turned dirt bikers, Yates and McDamel, wl~o claimed the final pollium position. "1 had a lot of doubt about coming to Peru, bu t now that 1've experienced it, I want to do it again," Yates smd. "Rally participants were treated to. th.e mystical Peruvian scenery, able to participate in some friendly competition and test their rilling and physical abilities in a relaxed atmosphere," '1)(plained BilJ Berroth, vice president of Acerbis USA and the rally's primary promoter. The ra1ly started outside Cuzco, Peru (which is more than 10,000 feet above sea level in the Andes), with a an 18.6rllile, three and a half-lap special test. "The first test was pretty basic," Hines smd. However, the second test of the day, the donkey race, would test the participants' patience. "Our donkey wasn't very stubborn," Lewis said-,ab;o ''his _ ·nni.ng_burro:~ Other riderS"weren} as hicky. Srllith and Bernardo's donkey decided that taking a nap would be more fun. The EBSCO Suzuki team of Yates and McDame! figured out their mule early on to clajrn second place. "If .we gently coaxed our donkey and rubbed its ears, he would cooperate," they explained. "Tills strategy helped us get through the course a lot faster." Racing resumed the next day with a silnilar 18.6-rllile special test in the morning, and again the afternoon presented another nontrallilional test - white-water rafting. Simple, right? "It would have been easy, but we had to load our motorcycles 'onto the raft with us," Hines pointed out. Luckily, all of the bikes made it down the . Urubamba River dry, sometillng that can't be smd about the riders, who had to load and unload their own macrunes. The world-famous Machu Picchu ruins were the backdrop for the next special test and Hines was crowned as the fastest racer to the top of the Andes a first in Peruvian history. Even though the awe-inspiring ruins captivated the riders, it was the jungle portion of the rally that was the most memorable. The three-hour mud-fest tested riding abilities, as well as, the riders' ability to work as a team. Not only did riders have to get theu mud-soaked motorcycles and bodies across tw·o bridges that were made from two or three logs each, but they had to ride their bikes up a vertical embankment that was slicker than ice. "I had to help so many guys get their bikes up the hill," Lewis smd. "If I didn't get their bikes out of the way, I couldn't get mme through. Ten. sions were definitely running high at the bridges." "It took at least three to nve riders to get just- one motorcycle up the slippery hillsides," McDamel said. "Plus, if you didn't help the other riders, no one would help you get your bike up. Even .- O/A: 1. Lewis/Nicoli; 2. Be'rnardo/Smith; 3. McDaniel/Yates; 4. DeCavardo/Levalle; 5. Bombana/ Pires; 6. Valentini/Oefraine; 7. Perezlrayo; 8. Bustamante/Davila; 9. Bellido/Bellido; 10. Hines/ Bramblett; 11. Luna/Barberis; U. Pillot/Pescheur; 13. Ramirez/Paolomino. (Right) Road racer Aaron Yates (pictured) and EBSCO Suzuki teammate Mark McDaniel had fun, rode well and finished third overall. (Below) The plane! The airport provided an excellent road race course for one of the tests.

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