Riyadh: Hero MotoSports Team Rally continued its steady performance in the fifth stage of the Dakar Rally 2022. Both Joaquim Rodrigues and Aaron Mare rode well and are in the Top-20 position in overall RallyGP class rankings at the end of five stages with Aaron at the 17th and Rodrigues at the 20th place.
Rodrigues had a tough day suffering two crashes during the stage. He found it extremely difficult, yet the strong-willed rider managed to bring the bike to the finish, in good time. The heroic riding ensures that Rodrigues continues to be amongst the top positions.
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A navigation error earlier in the stage cost Aaron some time. Despite that he pushed through the last section of dunes to make up for lost time. Aaron had to make some changes to the suspension settings overnight, yet, overall, he had a comfortable day in the Hero Rally 450.
"Today was a really tough day for me. I suffered a big crash in the first part and hurt my back. I was struggling to keep moving, and then I crashed again. I'm in a bit of pain, but it's the Dakar - I'm going to recover tonight and prepare to ride again tomorrow. We still finished the stage well, I'm happy about that." said Joaquim Rodrigues.
Stage 5 which took the riders on a 345 Kms ride around the capital city of Riyadh, presented them with complex navigation in open spaces, fast and stony tracks, canyons and dunes. Even though the team lost some time today, they performed well to reach the finish line safe.
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"I felt a lot more comfortable on the bike today. We made a few changes in the suspension yesterday, and it definitely helped me. I was riding well till about 75 kms, where I ended up making a small navigation error. I then focused on getting to the finish without making any further mistakes, and made some time in the last 40kms of dunes. I'm happy that the bike and I are back in one piece, with a decent result as well," said Aaron Mare.
Completing the first week of racing, the rally will next take another loop in the desert west of Riyadh. The 430 km long timed special will be lined with fast sections with a web of intersections that are particularly difficult to navigate. Another sea of dunes awaits the riders, before they get a rest day on the 8th of January.
ANI
