Dakar Rally 2021: Ashish Raorane Drops Out Of Dakar Following Crash In Stage 5

In a disappointing end to his maiden Dakar outing, privateer Ashish Raorane has crashed out of the rally following a nasty fall in Stage 5. The rider was thrown off the bike and hit his head in the process but managed to get back on, in an attempt to complete the stage. However, with just a few kilometres left for the finish line, the rider had to give in owing to safety reasons and decided to call for help, ending his Dakar dream. Raorane was the only Indian rider to participate in the Malle Moto class, renamed as 'Original by Motul' this year that sees the riders compete completely unassisted. He also becomes the second Indian rider to withdraw from the 2021 Dakar after Hero's CS Santosh crashed in Stage 4, which leaves Harith Noah as the only Indian competing in the remaining stages.

Also Read: Dakar Rally 2021: Hero MotoSports Riders Move Up Into Top 20; Harith Noah Drops Places In Stage 5

Ashish Raorane was competing in the Malle Moto Class, renamed to Original By Motul this year that sees rider compete completely unassisted

The fifth stage of the 2021 Dakar Rally posed a massive challenge for competitors with extremely difficult sections amidst sand dunes, rocky terrain, and navigation challenges. Ashish had a good start to the day with smooth navigation and progressed quickly through the difficult sections of the stage. He even managed to pass a few bikes along the way and moved up to P75 at Waypoint No. 8. However, it was in this section that the rider had a crash in the dunes and suffered an impact on his head.

Fortunately, Raorane was still conscious post the fall and managed to get back up in an attempt to continue riding till the finish line. However, with just one last waypoint left, the rider had developed a bad headache with ringing in his ears, and risked crashing into other vehicles, in case he loses consciousness. Given the risk involved, he had to make the decision to call for help, thus ending his 2021 Dakar journey.

Also Read: Dakar Rally 2021: CS Santosh In Medically Induced Coma & Stable, Confirms Hero MotoSports

This was Ashish Raorane's maiden outing in Dakar

The medical rescue team then tended to Ashish, who was shifted to the nearest hospital in Ha'il. Fortunately, the CT scan has come back clear as well and the 38-year-old is placed under observation though for the next 24-48 hours in the ICU to relieve him of the pain and help make a full recovery.