Hero MotoSports Team Rally completed the sixth stage of the Dakar Rally 2022, marking an end to a successful week of racing. The 404 km long Stage 6 was cut short at around the 100km mark after the riders complained about the extreme dangers on the route.
The cars and trucks categories had raced on the same route the previous day, rendering the tracks broken and completely torn out. Combined with the impact of the recent heavy rains, the adverse changes in the tracks especially the danger zones - no longer corresponded to the markings on the day's roadbook, making it extremely unsafe for the bikers.
The stage rankings for the day have been calculated from the arrival times of riders at the refuel station, perched at the 101 km mark. Even with the extreme constraints of the route, both Rally GP class riders Joaquim Rodrigues & Aaron Mare rode carefully to close the stage in the ninth and 21st positions respectively.
"We found ourselves in a stage completely broken from the cars yesterday. It was extremely dangerous to ride on the broken tracks, and it felt like we were risking everything. Hence at refuel, we raised the issue to the organizers, and I'm grateful that they understood and decided to stop the stage there. Anyway, I've had a good week so far with my stage win. I look forward to the rest day tomorrow to recover completely from yesterday's crashes, and head back into the race for an even better week ahead," said Joaquim Rodrigues.
Rodrigues's quick run in the dangerous route moved him one position up in the overall rankings of the Rally GP class to the 17th place. Aaron had a tough day on the fast stage, and he chose to ride carefully without making errors. His strong finish today puts him in the 15th position in the overall standings in the Rally GP class.
"The stage today was cancelled at the refuel point as it was really torn off and dangerous for the riders. The rocks were all over the place after the cars and trucks went on the route yesterday. It was a good call by the organizers to stop the stage. I took it easy on the fast paced track and am happy to be back with the team. We can now enjoy the rest day, and start again on stage 7," said Aaron Mare.
Having completed a full week of racing, the rally enjoys a rest day on 8th January at Riyadh, before heading out into the desert again. On 9th January, the riders will enter an unchartered territory of almost 700 kms before ending the day at Al Dawadimi.
( With inputs from ANI )
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