Dakar 2018, Stage 3: CS Santosh Drops To 56th; Aravind KP Finishes 29th

The third stage of the 2018 Dakar Rally was held from Pisco to San Juan de Marcona in Peru with riders subjected to windy and dusty conditions through the 296 km special stage and a 208 km liaison section. However, Indian contingent CS Santosh had a tough end to Stage 3, dropping down to 56th. The rider had a good start to the day but loss an hour of time due to a loose fuel cap. This led to Santosh stopping 30 km before the finish line and had to borrow fuel from some of the slower riders coming at the back. The incident saw Santosh closing Stage 3 at the 101st place, a big drop for the day while his overall position stands at 57th.

(The rear fuel tank cap on CS Santosh's bike wasn't closed properly, which cost him an hour)

A disappointed CS Santosh said, "I started with a good rhythm today, then went on with the flow in the second part of the stage. I had no issues with the navigation as well. Unlucky for me, the rear tank cap was not closed properly after re-fuelling and I lost my rear tank fuel before I realized it. Finally, I ran out of fuel 30 km short of the finish and had to wait and ask for fuel from some of the slower riders coming at the back. In the process, I lost over an hour's time today. It was not the best day, but I take the positive that I am still in the race and that's what counts."

(Oriol Mena has impressed everyone in his debut season of the Dakar Rally)

But Stage 3 yielded impressive results for Oriol Mena as he broke into the top 20 finishing the stage at the 13th place, finishing 19th overall. Making his Dakar debut, the young rider averaged good speeds and even stopped for a few minutes during the stage to help a fellow rider who had crashed in front of him. Mena will get a time refund for the gesture, which should improve his rankings further.

Speaking about his run in Stage 3, Oriol Mena said, "This was the first really difficult stage with tough navigation. I stopped for a few minutes at 50 km to help No. 17 who got knocked out due to a crash in front of me. After that, I managed to get my concentration again and made up good speed to arrive home in quick time. I am quite happy with my day and enjoying my experience out there."

(Aravind KP showed consistent performance through days moving up in ranks)

Meanwhile, things remained largely positive at team Sherco TVS. Aravind KP finished in the 29th place (stage and overall) completing the stage in 3hr4901s. Teammate Joan Pedrero, on the other hand, made excellent progress in Stage 3 finishing in 17th place and now sits behind Mena in overall standings at 20th. KTM rider Sam Sunderland continues to lead the moto category of 2018 Dakar and is about 13 minutes faster than Mena and Pedrero.

(Sherco TVS' Joan Pedrero Sherco currently stands at 20th place overall, right behind Mena)

The 2018 Dakar Rally will camp in San Juan De Marcona for Stage 4 as well and will be traversing some of the most sandy-stretches in the rally. Stage 4 will see participants ride through the 444 km trip including the liaison.