Team Bianchi Prata Honda shines at the Raid da Ferraria 2025. Race marked by heat, dust and overcoming confirms the team's dominance in the national TT

franciscoldfonseca
4 days ago
4 min read

Team Bianchi Prata Honda made a strong return to the National Cross-Country Championship last weekend, with a solid performance and outstanding results in the Raid da Ferraria 2025, the fourth stage of the season. The race, considered one of the most demanding on the calendar, took place over two days and covered more than 380 timed kilometers, crossing the municipalities of Abrantes, Gavião, Ferraria and Ponte de Sor.

With 16 riders at the start and 14 crossing the finish line, the Marco de Canaveses team once again showed why it is the largest structure in the national TT, combining talent, technical preparation and an unwavering passion for racing.

Blazing start with Gustavo Gaudêncio's prologue win

The weekend got off to a flying start with Gustavo Gaudêncio winning the prologue overall, a promising start for his Honda CRF250RX. Racing almost at home, the Ulme rider felt confident and was comfortably in the lead of TT1 and in 3rd place in the overall standings when, near the end, he suffered a fall that forced him to abandon. Touching a stake gave him a deep cut on one hand, thwarting what looked to be a display on the way to the overall podium.

“I was playing almost at home, in my favorite race of the year. The CRF250RX was at the highest level, I felt really good. It was a hard crash, but that's part of racing. Thanks to the team for their excellent work,” commented Gaudêncio.

New talents in the spotlight: João Duarte and Tomás Dias

With Gaudêncio's forced absence, it was up to the younger riders to shine. João Duarte, a rider from Alpiarça, put in an impeccable performance on his powerful Honda CRF490RX. He took 4th place overall, as well as 2nd place in the TT3 class and 2nd among the Juniors.

“This is one of my favorite races. On the first day I was more conservative, but on the second I attacked hard and felt in great shape. The bike was perfect,” said Duarte, thanking his parents and team for their support.

Another name on the rise was Tomás Dias, from Reguengos de Monsaraz. At the controls of his CRF450RX, he took 5th place overall, 3rd in TT2 and 3rd in Juniors, despite some difficulties with the dust on the first day.

Consistent results in the Veterans, Ladies and Mini Baja categories

The team also shone in the more experienced classes and in the women's and training categories. João Pires came 2nd in the Veterans class, while Daniela Mateus took another victory in the Ladies class, consolidating her excellent form.

“I'm enjoying the races more and more. Thank you to my father and the Bianchi Prata team, without them this wouldn't be possible,” said Daniela, who has shown great progress.

In the Mini Baja, young Tomás Silva came 7th in the Children's class, showing determination and concentration in a fast and demanding race.

Veterans firmly in the fight

In the Veterans class, the team also included João Miranda (4th), Renato Mendes (6th), Januário Barrocas (12th) and Nuno Mateus (10th), all of whom put in solid performances. Among the Hobbys, Sérgio Marcelino was 4th, while João Crespo finished 6th, both on Honda CRF250RX and CRF450RX bikes.

In TT1, Lagos rider David Xavier on his CRF250RX took fifth place in TT1 and consolidated his place in the Championship.

The rider Mariuxe Taranto, who returned from injury, was 2nd among the Ladies, in a display of personal achievement.

Harsh setback for Christophe Lajouanie

Not everything went to plan for the team, with the abandonment of Christophe Lajouanie, leader of the Veterans' Championship. An apparent fall after hitting a root resulted in a fractured arm and the inevitable withdrawal.

“It was going well, but this is what the TT is all about. Now I have to focus on recovering and coming back strong,” said the rider.

Excellent assistance also for guest riders

In addition to its official riders, Team Bianchi Prata provided assistance to several participants. Filipe Ferrão, in the Quads, was 11th overall and 4th in Promotion. After a breakdown on the first day, the team was able to repair his Honda TRX450 so that he could return to the race.

Words from the Team Manager

At the end of the race, Team Manager Pedro Bianchi Prata gave an emotional and honest assessment of the weekend:

“It was a weekend of ups and downs. We had some tough luck, like Gustavo and Christophe, but we also had some excellent results. João Duarte and Tomás Dias did very well, as did everyone else who gave their all. Thanks to our staff for their dedication and competence. Our bikes were impeccable from start to finish.”

Next challenge: Baja de Aragón

Team Bianchi Prata is now preparing to face a new challenge abroad. The next stop will be the mythical Baja de Aragón, on July 26 and 27, in Spain. An international stage where the Portuguese team hopes to continue to achieve good results and take the national flag even further.