The Hero MotoSports Team Rally continued its steady run in the Kazakhastan Rally 2021 with all three riders finishing in the top 10 at the end of Stage 4. Franco Caimi had a strong start to the stage in fourth place and maintained a steady pace through the special section and managed finish in ninth place at the end of the day. But it was Joaquim Rodrigues leading the charge moving up to sixth in the stage and 10th overall. Stage 4 was equally positive for Sebastian Buhler who finished in eighth place, and ninth overall.
Also Read: Hero MotoSports Kicks-Off The 2021 Kazakhstan Rally Campaign
Sebastian Buhler benefitted from the rains and managed to catch up with other riders in the absence of dust
Stage 4 saw the rain gods being rather generous, which did make the terrain a bit tricky. Nevertheless, it also meant Buhler wasn't disturbed by dust and managed to catch up with the riders.
Joaquim Rodrigues, Rider, Hero MotoSports, said, "Today was a better stage for me, it felt more like a Dakar stage. A lot of sandy and technical tracks, they were fast, but not like the last few days, so I was more comfortable. We got a lot of rain today, so I had to be careful at some slippery spots. It was a good stage for me overall, and we have got just one more to go."
Franco Caimi, Rider, Hero MotoSports, said, "Today was not a very easy stage with different conditions and terrain, made worse by the rain the entire day. I am not completely used to riding the bike in the sand, but I had fun. Overall, it was a nice stage and I'm looking forward to bringing the rally to a close tomorrow."
Sebastian Buhler, Rider, Hero MotoSports, said, "Today was a hard stage because we had a lot of rain throughout. Still, it was nice to be able to ride close to the other riders without having to worry about the dust. So, it was a very different stage, but I enjoyed it."
Franco Caimi maintained a steady pace and leads the pack for Hero MotoSports
The day saw the riders have an early start with a 100 km liaison to the start line. The stage ran for 308 km with an opening in a valley that led to difficult and narrow tracks. The next sections included open plains and tracks, following a wadi. The terrain changed again alternating between dunes and sandy tracks, before ending the special section with some well-defined tracks. The riders then made a final run of 160 km liaison to the bivouc at Aktau.
The rally now enters its final stage with 270 km to go for the finish line. This terrain will comprise stony deserts, wadi crossings, fast tracks, rocky ruts and some technical descents.
Provisional Stage 4 Rankings:
1. Skyler Howes Rockstar Energy Husqvarna - 3h26m48s
2. Matthias Walkner Red Bull KTM Factory Racing - +02m 13s
3. Daniel Sanders GasGas Factory Racing - +04m 06s
6. Joaquim Rodrigues Hero MotoSports Team Rally - +08m 35s
8. Sebastian Buhler Hero MotoSports Team Rally - +12m 28s
9. Franco Caimi Hero MotoSports Team Rally - +12m 44s
Provisional Overall rankings after Stage 4
1. Ross Branch Monster Energy Yamaha Rally - 13h18m04s
2. Matthias Walkner Red Bull KTM Factory Racing - +4m 05s
3. Adrien van Beveren Monster Energy Yamaha Rally - +9m 24s
8. Franco Caimi Hero MotoSports Team Rally - +7hr 43m 30s
9. Sebastian Buhler Hero MotoSports Team Rally - +7hr 46m 30s
10. Joaquim Rodrigues Hero MotoSports Team Rally - +7hr 47m 15s
