J-Rod leads the charge for Hero MotoSports in Stage 3 of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge

The third stage of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge came to an end with both riders from the Hero MotoSports stable managing to finish inside the top 10. Improvements were seen in both the riders timestamps through the course over yesterday as the terrain had more open tracks with smaller dunes and a smooth flow. Franco Caimi had to sit out as technical issues from the previous stage hindered him from participation. The third stage of the rally covered a further 293km of specials and as has been the trend in this rally, the stage was entirely in the dunes.

Joaquim Rodrigues was able to come in P4 even though he is still suffering from lack of energy. The stage was not as challenging as the previous stages and this rally helped J-Rod to cross the finish line with a competitive time.

Sebastian Buhler enjoyed the stage a lot more than the previous stages. He rode most of the stage with J-Rod, who had caught up to him and the duo rode side by side till the finish line. The riders are back in Bivouac after the marathon stage and now have two more stages ahead of them.

Hero MotoSports boss, Wolfgang Fischer said, “Unfortunately, Franco had a technical issue yesterday and could not arrive at the finish. He clearly displayed his calibre again with his exemplary performance in his fight for the podium. Though a premature end to the rally, he will now focus on arriving at the Dakar with maximum preparation.”

With that said, The next stage, which is the second last stage of the rally, will expose the riders to another 400km in the desert, including over 250km of special stages. In the overall rankings, Joaqum Rodrigues currently sits at P5 with Sebastian Buhler in P6. For more news and updates from the world of motorsports, stay tuned to evo India!