BOTH RIDERS IN TOP 20 IN THE OVERALL RANKINGS
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, January 7, 2022 : 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.
Joaquim Rodrigues
“Today was a really tough day for me. I suffered a big crash in the first part and hurt my back. I was struggling to keep moving, and then I crashed again. I’m in a bit of pain, but it’s the Dakar – I’m going to recover tonight and prepare to ride again tomorrow. We still finished the stage well, I’m happy about that.”
Aaron Maré
“I felt a lot more comfortable on the bike today. We made a few changes in the suspension yesterday, and it definitely helped me. I was riding well till about 75kms, where I ended up making a small navigation error. I then focused on getting to the finish without making any further mistakes, and made some time in the last 40kms of dunes. I’m happy that the bike and I are back in one piece, with a decent result as well.”
Provisional Stage 5 Rankings – RallyGP class:
1. Danilo Petrucci Tech 3 KTM Factory Racing 03h 23m 46s
2. Ross Branch Monster Energy Yamaha + 02s
3. Jose Ignacio Cornejo Monster Energy Honda + 05s
4. Ricky Brabec Monster Energy Honda + 01m 32s
17. Joaquim Rodrigues Hero MotoSports Team Rally + 12m 59s
20. Aaron Maré Hero MotoSports Team Rally + 15m 02s
Provisional Overall Standings after Stage 5 – RallyGP class:
1. Sam Sunderland GasGas Factory Racing 19h 01m 50s
2. Matthias Walkner Red Bull KTM Factory Team + 02m 29s
3. Adrien van Beveren Monster Energy Yamaha + 05m 59s
4. Daniel Sanders GasGas Factory Racing + 08m 01s
16. Aaron Maré Hero MotoSports Team Rally + 49m 25s
19. Joaquim Rodrigues Hero MotoSports Team Rally + 01h 03m 02s
Provisional Overall Standings after Stage 5 – All classes:
1. Sam Sunderland GasGas Factory Racing 19h 01m 50s
2. Matthias Walkner Red Bull KTM Factory Team + 02m 29s
3. Adrien van Beveren Monster Energy Yamaha + 05m 59s
4. Daniel Sanders GasGas Factory Racing + 08m 01s
17. Aaron Maré Hero MotoSports Team Rally + 49m 25s
20. Joaquim Rodrigues Hero MotoSports Team Rally + 01h 03m 02s
