Stage 1 of the Pan Africa Rally went underway today with 275 kms to be done under the clock. The stage opened with a dune section and offered fast piste to the competitors in the later part of the stage.
The winner of the Prologue, Joaquim Rodrigues, opened the stage today and made a solid run to arrive first at the finish line.
He rode at the head of the stage for most part and finished in the Top 5 on 4th place. C S Santosh too had an enjoyable outing in the dunes of Erfoud as brought a flawless stage home with a 9th place finish.
The stage 2 of the Pan Africa Rally will take the competitors for a 290 kms run tomorrow in the Erfoud region challenging them with a terrain mix of dunes and fast piste.
Joaquim Rodrigues, Rider, Hero MotoSports Team Rally said, « It was a good experience for me to open the stage today and I really enjoyed it. I was able to hold on to my position for most part and arrived first as well which felt good. I made a couple of small mistakes but overall it was a good first stage and I am happy with my performance. Looking forward to the stage 2 tomorrow. »
C S Santosh, Rider, Hero MotoSports Team Rally said, « It was really nice to start in the dunes in the morning. I had a good flow and really enjoyed my time in the dunes. Later on we encountered a mix of fast piste and areas where attention to road book was needed. Overall, it was fun riding today in the fast stage and the dunes so I am happy to start the rally on this note… »
Results of the Prologue Stage
1. Michael Metge, TVS Sherco Factory Team, 03h 08m 32s
2. Lorenzo Santolino, TVS Sherco Factory Team, +03m 05s
3. Adrien Metge, TVS Sherco Factory Team, +04m 20s
4. Joaquim Rodrigues, Hero MotoSports, +6m 48s…
9. C S Santosh, Hero MotoSports, +16m 05s…
Press Release,