– Three Team riders in overall top 15
Hero MotoSports Team Rally, the motorsport team of the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles and scooters – Hero MotoCorp, 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 a 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 Check point (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 favorable to push through. His steady run so far in the Rally places him in the overall top-10, at the 10th place.
Franco was not feeling fully comfortable with the bike today, yet he 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 yesterday 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 kilometers 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 form 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 road book instructions are touted to be confusing tomorrow, and the organizers suggest « a laser like focus will be essential to decipher and follow it. »
Joaquim Rodrigues: « 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. »
Ross Branch: « 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. »
Franco Caimi: « 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. »
Sebastian Buhler: « 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 kilometers 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. »
Provisional Rankings – Stage 3 (Rally GP Class)
1. Daniel Sanders, Red Bull Gas Gas Factory Racing, 04h 24m 15s
2. Skyler Howes, Husqvarna Factory Racing, + 6m 19s
3. Mason Klein, BAS World KTM Racing Team, + 6m 59s…
9. Joaquim Rodrigues, Hero MotoSports Team Rally, + 16m 05s…
14. Ross Branch, Hero MotoSports Team Rally, + 17m 26s…
16. Franco Caimi, Hero MotoSports Team Rally, + 20m 07s…
21. Sebastian Buhler, Hero MotoSports Team Rally, + 28m 15s…
Provisional Overall Rankings – at the end of Stage 3 (Rally GP Class)
1. Daniel Sanders, Red Bull Gas Gas Factory Racing, 14h 05m 38s
2. Mason Klein, BAS World KTM Racing Team, + 4m 04s
3. Kevin Benavides, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, + 6m 53s…
10. Ross Branch, Hero MotoSports Team Rally, + 23m 42s…
13. Sebastian Buhler, Hero MotoSports Team Rally, + 33m 54s
14. Franco Caimi, Hero MotoSports Team Rally, + 34m 20s…
16. Joaquim Rodrigues, Hero MotoSports Team Rally, + 42m 50s…