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From San Juan to San Rafael and back again, the Red Bull KTM rider turns a brutal week in western Argentina Adventure Bikes Find Their Race Where the Sun Refuses to Leave Riding the 2026 Kawasaki KLE500 across Oregon, from Cascade pavement...
The 2026 Desafío Ruta 40 YPF ran from May 24 to 29 in western Argentina, across the dry, mountainous region of Cuyo. The rally started and finished in San Juan, about 700 miles (1,130 km) west of Buenos Aires, and reached south into San Rafael,...
The first timed taste came in Albardón, just north of San Juan, with a 5.6-mile (9 km) prologue for the motorcycle field. It was a brief run against the clock, but it carried the nervous energy of a proper rally start. The bikes were finally out of...
Stage 1 kept the rally in San Juan, with 211 timed miles (340 km) and another 106 miles (171 km) of liaison. The route moved through canyons under the Andes foothills, then opened into a fast salt flat where speed mattered, but clean navigation...
Stage 2 carried the rally from San Juan to San Rafael, Mendoza, with 79 timed miles (127 km) and a long 314-mile (505 km) liaison. On paper, the special was shorter than the day before. On the bike, it was a different story. The first miles hit...
Stage 3 started and finished in San Rafael, with 254 timed miles (409 km) inside a 357-mile (575 km) day. The dunes of El Nihuil were the headline, and they delivered exactly what riders expect from that corner of Mendoza: soft sand, broken...
