Hero MotoSports Team Rally, the motorsport team of the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles and scooters – Hero MotoCorp, continued their steady performance in the fifth stage of the Dakar Rally 2022.
Both Joaquim Rodrigues and Aaron Maré rode well and are in the Top-20 positions in overall RallyGP class rankings at the end of five stages with Aaron at the 17th and JRod at the 20th place.
JRod had a tough day suffering two crashes during the stage. He found it extremely difficult to go on, yet the strong-willed rider managed to bring the bike to the finish, in good time. The heroic riding ensures that JRod continues to be amongst the top positions.
A navigation error earlier in the stage cost Aaron some time. Despite that he pushed through the last section of dunes to make up for lost time. Aaron had to make some changes to the suspension settings overnight, yet, overall, he had a comfortable day on the Hero Rally 450.
Stage 5 which took the riders on a 345 km ride around the capital city of Riyadh, presented them with complex navigation in open spaces, fast & stony tracks, canyons, and dunes. Even though the team lost some time today, they performed well to reach the finish line safe.
Completing the first week of racing, the rally will next take another loop in the desert west of Riyadh. The 430 km long timed special will be lined with fast sections with a web of intersections that are particularly difficult to navigate. Another sea of dunes awaits the riders, before they get a rest day on the 8th of January.