Dakar Rally 2023: Hero MotoSports Team Rally continues steady run

Ha'il [Saudi Arabia], January 5 : Hero MotoSports Team Rally continued their consistent run at the Dakar 2023. Joaquim Rodrigues finished Stage 3 in the 9th position, followed by Ross Branch in the 14th, Franco Caimi in the 16th, and Sebastian Buhler in the 21st place in the Rally GP Class.
Stage 3 was also long like the previous stage, but it was a far easier day for the competitors thanks to the absence of rocks in the terrain. The terrain was mostly sandy, with beautiful canyons that painted a picturesque landscape for the riders to look on. Towards the end of the day, rains started posing trouble for the competitors and the stage was halted at the third Checkpoint (377 km). However, Hero MotoSports riders finished the stage before the weather turned nasty.
Joaquim Rodrigues enjoyed the long sand-packed sections of the stage and finished within the top-10. He moves one place up to the 16th place in the overall Rally GP class standings. Ross too found the terrain favourable to push through. His steady run in the Rally places him in the overall top-10, at the 10th place.
Franco was not feeling entirely comfortable with the bike today, yet he still managed to finish in good time and moved two places up to the 14th position in the overall Rally GP class standings.
A podium finish meant Sebastian Buhler was the 2nd rider to start the tough Stage 3. However, he rode well for most parts, but an unfortunate crash 50 kilometres before the finish line cost him quite some minutes. After Stage 3, Buhler now holds the 13th overall Rally GP class rank.
Stage 4 of the Dakar 2023 will be a 574 km loop around Ha'il, of which 425 km from the special section. Exceptionally high dunes are expected in the first 100 kms, and the rest will be sandy tracks where navigation will be tricky. The roadbook instructions are touted to be confusing tomorrow, and the organizers suggest "a laser-like focus will be essential to decipher and follow it."
"Today's stage was really fast, sand-packed, and definitely a better day than yesterday. I enjoyed the sand, and for the entire day, I was riding alone. I tried to push, but the terrain was quite dangerous. (Ricky) Brabec crashed today and he's out of the race. It affects us deeply when we see our friends on the ground. It took me a while to speed up again from there, but the rest of the stage was good for me. I hope Ricky is well, and wish him a speedy recovery," said Hero MotoSports Team Rally rider Joaquim Rodrigues.
"Today was much better than yesterday, it was a nice and long stage with beautiful landscapes. We had good sandy tracks, and the navigation wasn't that difficult either. I made a couple of minor navigation mistakes, but what was interesting today was that for the first time at the Dakar I rode in the rain - the last 160 kms liaison was in freezing cold rain! I'm happy to be back in one piece; another stage done and looking forward to tomorrow, " said Hero MotoSports Team Rally rider Ross Branch.
"Glad to finish another tough stage. The weather didn't help much, it was quite cloudy and rainy in several places. However, it was a lot more sand than yesterday. Today, I didn't feel very comfortable with the bike; so, I'll be working with the team to improve it as much possible to enter the next stages in the best shape. Tomorrow seems to have a sandy terrain like today, so we will be prepared for it, " said Hero MotoSports Team Rally rider Franco Caimi.
"Today was quite a nice stage, with not so much rocks in the terrain. It was much faster than yesterday, and with the rains, the day was very pleasant. Just 50 kilometres before the finish line, I had a small crash and lost some time. But I still managed to reach the finish with a decent result. The day did not end like I wished, but this is the Dakar - anything can happen any day," said Hero MotoSports Team Rally rider Sebastian Buhler.