Hero MotoSports Conclude Best Ever Dakar Campaign With 2 Stage Wins
Hero MotoSports concluded its most successful campaign at Dakar yet by seeing all of its riders finish in the top-15 at the finale stage of the Dakar 2023. Dakar 2023 saw Hero MotoCorp's motorsports team bag two stage wins, and multiple top 10 finishes. Hero MotoSports also bagged an overall top-10 finish at the the rally, with Franco Caimi bagging consistent results throughout the rally to finish the race in 10th position.
Franco Caimi was the star performer for Hero MotoSports for most of the time through the rally. Caimi bagged multiple top-10 stage finishes, which eventually helped him secure a top-10 finish in the overall standings. A crash in the last few days meant that the Argentine also had to ride through the closing stages of the rally in pain, but he pulled through regardless, showing the true spirit of Dakar. He wrapped the final stage in P13 in the Rally GP Class, making his first Dakar rally with Hero MotoSports a successful one
Franco Caimi finished the rally in 10th position overall.
Ross Branch also entered the Dakar rally with Hero MotoSports for the first time, and he had an extraordinary outing. Branch had multiple outstanding stages which would've guaranteed a top spot in the overall standings, but a fuel pump issue in stage 4 saw him lose multiple hours until he could get going again, which ended any hopes for a top result. Branch still walked away with two stage wins in the rally, and finished a commendable 16th in the overall standings.
Ross Branch bagged 2 stage wins in the rally, finishing 16th overall.
In his third Dakar appearance with Hero MotoSports, Sebastian Bühler managed to bag his first podium finish in a stage, finishing second in stage 2. Bühler also lost a few hours in stage 4 just like Branch, owing to the same issue, which also prohibited him from a top 10 overall finish. In the end, Bühler managed to finish 14th overall in the Rally GP class, thanks to multiple top-10 finishes and consistent pace.
Sebastian Bühler bagged his first stage podium at Dakar this year, finishing the rally in 14th place overall.
Joaquim Rodrigues, one of Hero MotoSports' first riders, finished two of the first three stages in top-10. The rider was showing great pace, until disaster stuck in stage 4 where he had a crash resulting in a broken femur. JRod has since undergone surgery, and is recovering in a hospital.
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