Hero MotoSports Team Rally continued its steady run in the 2020 Andalucia Rally at the end of Stage 3. All three riders completed the stage with Joaquim Rodrigues making substanital progress and ended the day in 18th place, after he was relegated to the back of the standings at the end of Stage 2. CS Santosh rode with confidence to finish the stage in 20th place while Sebastian Buhler faced bike troubles that dropped his pace, but he recovered to finish the stage in 24th place.
Also Read: 2020 Andalucia Rally: Hero MotoSports' Buhler & Santosh Gain Positions At The End Of Stage 2
The third stage of the 2020 Andalucia Rally saw the competitors complete 378 km that included the 233 km special section that started near the town Arahal, Southeast of Seville in Spain. The stage was different from the previous stages so far and included faster tracks with lesser vegetation. J-Rod started at the back of the standings after a technical snag did not allow him to finish Stage 2 and showed impressive pace to take 18th. He now sits 27th in the overall standings.
CS Santosh survived a small crash escaping unhurt and completed the day to hold 21st in the overall standings
Joaquim Rodrigues, Rider, Hero MotoSports said, "It was a good day for me. I decided to ride in a calm manner and support my team mates. I helped Sebastian fix his bike and then followed him to the finish line. It has been a very useful race so far for the team with all the learnings and testing we have been able to do here."
India's CS Santosh had a small crash but managed to keep momentum, escaping the incident unhurt. It was also for the first time that the rider deployed his airbag protecting him from major injuries. The rider continues to hold on to the 21st place in the overall standings. Lastly, Sebastian Buhler lost time due to a bike issue finishing the day in 24th place, but is still ahead of the other Hero riders sitting 18th in the overall standings.
CS Santosh, Rider, Hero MotoSports said, "Today's stage was really fast and eventful. I felt good and better than the past two days. I had a little crash and deployed my Air-Bag for the first time. I can vouch that it is a very good introduction to the gear for enhancing rider safety. It has been a good rally so far with lots of learnings. Looking forward to one last stage here tomorrow."
Sebastian Buhler sits on top of the three Hero riders in the overall standings at 18th place
Sebastian Buhler, Rider, Hero MotoSports, "Today's stage was very fast as we had many open tracks to go full throttle. In the beginning, I had an issue with my bike but I managed to fix it with the help of Joaquim and got back to riding. I lost some time there and yet it was a good result as I managed to solve the problem and bring the bike to the finish line."
Joan Barreda Bort of Monster Energy Honda Team won Stage 3, ahead of Matthias Walkner of RedBull KTM Factory Team and Kevin Benavides of Monster Energy Honda Team. Benavides though leads the overall rankings, ahead of Adrien Van Beveren of Monster Energy Yamaha Rally and Lorenzo Santolino of Team Sherco Rallye. The fourth and final stage of the 2020 Andalucia Rally will see the competitors complete a run of 220 km that includes a shorter 178 km special stage.
