Dakar 2017: CS Santosh Gains Pace Again; Pedrero Drops To 31st In Stage 4
Sameer Contractor
1 min read
Jan 07, 2017, 01:06 AM
Key Highlights
- Hero's Joaquim Rodrigues finished 12th in the overall general standings
- CS Santosh built pace onae again after finishing 105th yesterday
- Pedrero dropped to 31st overall, having finished 16th yesterday
After a far from perfect Stage 3 in Dakar 2017, Indian teams Hero MotoSports and Sherco-TVS had a challenging day as Stage 4 wasn't any less forgiving. However, both teams managed to complete the day despite a few hiccups, posting good times and also growing on the championship standings.
The 521 km long Stage 4, of which 416 km was competitive distance ran from San Salvador de Jujuy to Tupiza in Bolivia. The first part of the special stage, with a mix of very soft sand and a deep layer of fine dust, made riding a challenge of skill and mental fortitude at an altitude of over 3000 metres.
Making his Dakar debut this year, Joaquim Rodrigues of Hero completed the stage in 5 hours 37 minute 48 seconds, putting him 32nd place for the day and 18th in the provisional overall general classification. However, the rider saw 27 minutes and 1 second being shaved off his total time that pushed his overall general classification to 12th place.
His teammate CS Santosh though wasn't as lucky and struggled with navigation issues today as well. The only Indian rider at this point, Santosh started Stage 4 at 105th place and had to fend off the dust trail left by the other riders. The extremely soft sandy sections in the first part of the special didn't make things any easier for him. Nevertheless, Santosh managed to make a healthy recovery through the day picking up pace, and completed the special stage in 6 hours 41 minute and 43 seconds putting him in the 64th place in the provisional general classification and 77th in the overall general classification, moving up 27 places.
As for Sherco TVS, both its riders Joan Pedrero and Adrien Metge had a mixed day, albeit while ensuring steady pace. While Aravind has retired from his maiden Dakar due to injuries, Pedrero continued to lead between other TVS riders but saw a dramatic drop in standings. The Spanish rider finished the day in 6 hours 40 minutes and 16 seconds with a 15-minute penalty that dropped him to 63rd in the provisional general classification. His overall general classification stands at 31st. Having finished 68th on Stage 3, Pedrero's teammate Adrien Metge finished 39th in 6 hours 6 minutes and 46 seconds, while finishing 54th in the overall general classification standings.
Another major update from Stage 4 was the retirement of Toby Price of KTM, one of the top contenders in the Dakar 2017 Moto Category. Price crashed at the 371 km mark fracturing his left femur and had to be evacuated by helicopter just over 10 minutes later. The organisers then announced that the KTM rider won't be able to participate in the race. This does make the prospects brighter for his teammate Matthias Walkner, as Honda's Joan Barreda continues to lead the rally.
The fifth stage from Tupiza to Oruro will take the participants on a run of 692 km, out of which the timed section is of 447 km. The special section is only going to test the endurance of the riders and their machines further with a wide variety of terrain and more than a handful of navigational challenges thrown in.
The 521 km long Stage 4, of which 416 km was competitive distance ran from San Salvador de Jujuy to Tupiza in Bolivia. The first part of the special stage, with a mix of very soft sand and a deep layer of fine dust, made riding a challenge of skill and mental fortitude at an altitude of over 3000 metres.
Making his Dakar debut this year, Joaquim Rodrigues of Hero completed the stage in 5 hours 37 minute 48 seconds, putting him 32nd place for the day and 18th in the provisional overall general classification. However, the rider saw 27 minutes and 1 second being shaved off his total time that pushed his overall general classification to 12th place.
Joaquim Rodrigues finished 12th in Stage 4
As for Sherco TVS, both its riders Joan Pedrero and Adrien Metge had a mixed day, albeit while ensuring steady pace. While Aravind has retired from his maiden Dakar due to injuries, Pedrero continued to lead between other TVS riders but saw a dramatic drop in standings. The Spanish rider finished the day in 6 hours 40 minutes and 16 seconds with a 15-minute penalty that dropped him to 63rd in the provisional general classification. His overall general classification stands at 31st. Having finished 68th on Stage 3, Pedrero's teammate Adrien Metge finished 39th in 6 hours 6 minutes and 46 seconds, while finishing 54th in the overall general classification standings.
Joan Pedrero dropped to 31st at the end of Stage 4
The fifth stage from Tupiza to Oruro will take the participants on a run of 692 km, out of which the timed section is of 447 km. The special section is only going to test the endurance of the riders and their machines further with a wide variety of terrain and more than a handful of navigational challenges thrown in.
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