Cornejo crowned winner of the Atacama Race, with Balut and Barco battling for second place.

Cover photo: Nacho Cornejo kicked off the Chilean cross-country rally's "super month" of June by winning the Atacama Race.

The Atacama Race in the Atacama Region had a heart-stopping finish, driven by the complex navigation involved in the fifth and final stage, which concluded in Copiapó.

The grueling stage took its toll on everyone, including seasoned Dakar rider Nacho Cornejo, who lost several minutes after going off-course while searching for a waypoint; nevertheless, this did not prevent the Hero Motorsports rider from Iquique from finishing the event undefeated and securing a comfortable overall victory—a win that provides a major boost in motivation for upcoming challenges, starting with the *Desafío del Desierto* (Desert Challenge) scheduled for June 20, 21, and 22 in the Atacama Desert.

In the decisive stage, the 'Dragón Celeste' was closely followed by a precise and solid Ramiro Barco, whose strong performance in the second half of the race nearly catapulted him to second place in the overall standings—a spot that ultimately went to local favorite Gabo Balut, who narrowly avoided losing the position after a costly delay spent searching for a waypoint prior to the refueling zone.

Ultimately, Balut finished second and Barco third in the Rally1 standings, with Ruy Barbosa taking fourth place following a performance that improved as the race progressed in the Third Region. The former Youth Enduro World Champion put in a strong showing during the final stage and gained valuable mileage in areas requiring complex navigation, such as the routes of the Atacama.

John Guerra finished fourth overall in the rally—ahead of Barbosa—and first in the Rally2 class, delivering a superb performance in which he led from start to finish, establishing a wide margin over Giorgio Carboni (from the capital) and the Argentine Baltazar Frezze.

Unlike Rally1 and Rally2, surprises did occur in Rally3, which saw the late retirement of Alejandro Ventura, who had been leading the event. 'Jano's' unfortunate exit paved the way for the final victory of César Jara, who defeated Oscar Moreno.

In the four-wheel category, there were no surprises, with victories going to Brazilian Breno Ferreira (T3) and Oscar López (T4)—undisputed winners in the world's most arid desert.

Several key participants from the Atacama Race will now remain in the Third Region, as they will fire up their machines again next week for the Desafío del Desierto—an event celebrating its 24-year history—accompanied as always by comprehensive on-site coverage from *S Motos* magazine, which will provide up-to-the-minute information across all its digital platforms.

Voices from the Desert

José Ignacio Cornejo: “I got overconfident and lost my way significantly, ending up going in circles for a while. Fortunately, I had built up a solid lead over the other guys. It was an entertaining stage, with a lot of navigation, where you had to stay focused right to the end.”

Ramiro Barco (Peru): “We knew it wasn’t over yet. It was a stage with a lot of rocks; I made steady progress, hitting all the waypoints—several riders got lost—and I managed to finish the day with the bike in one piece.”

Ruy Barbosa: “A tough day—very complex for my liking. I got lost because I wasn't following anyone, but I’m happy nonetheless; I finished, and the bike made it to the end. It was crucial to have trained for five days in the (Atacama) desert, which presents a very high level of difficulty.”

Gabriel Balut: “We got lost before reaching the refueling point and lost a lot of time. From that point on, I had to really focus to avoid making any more mistakes and to reach the finish line. I finished in good shape and am now highly motivated to prepare for the Desafío del Desierto.”

STAGE 5 RESULTS

Rally1

Rally2

Rally3

SSV T3

SSV T4

FINAL STANDINGS

Rally1

Rally2

Rally3

SSV T3

SSV T4