Hero MotoSports Team Rally completed the marathon stage of the Silk Way Rally today with all three riders arriving at the bivouac at Gorno-Altaysk inside the top 10 rankings.
The riders enjoyed the stage today, needing to focus less on navigation as they had ridden the same stage yesterday. Sebastian Buhler finished the stage in fourth place. Franco Caimi got stuck in a river a couple of times but was able to complete the stage without any further complications. He finished the stage in the fifth position, but the lost time meant he lost a position in the overall rankings and dropped to third overall.
Joaquim Rodrigues, whose engine had flooded yesterday, also had a much better day today. He rode carefully to prevent any further damage to the engine. The bike also held up well, allowing him to finish the stage in the eighth position.
Today was a repeat of yesterday’s stage, with an added 31kms, bringing the length of the special section to 164kms. It consisted of the same rocky climb, fast stretches and water crossings that the riders experienced yesterday. The added challenge today was how the terrain had deteriorated after the trucks ran on the same tracks in yesterday’s stage. The marathon stage was wrapped up with a mammoth 470kms liaison back to Gorno-Altaysk, reuniting the riders with their assistance crews.
Tomorrow’s stage will be a loop around Gorno-Altaysk, following the same route that was covered in the second stage of the rally. On the arrival of the riders in the bivouac, the event will conclude with the Podium ceremonies, crowning the winner of the 2021 edition of the Silk Way Rally.
JOAQUIM
RODRIGUES
“Today was much better than yesterday. I was a little worried about the engine after it had flooded yesterday, but the bike held up really well and allowed me to complete the stage without any problems. We have just one day to go, and as always, we will give our best.”
SEBASTIAN
BUHLER
“Today’s stage had less navigation since we had already done the stage once yesterday. In spite of a few stones and dangers, it was a fun stage to ride. We have completed the marathon stage, and we only have one more day to go, so I am excited for tomorrow.”
FRANCO
CAIMI
“I am happy to be back in the bivouac after the marathon stage. I had a tough day today, getting stuck in a river twice and losing a lot of time. Other than that, I enjoyed the stage, even though the routes were destroyed after having the trucks run here yesterday. Tomorrow is the last day in the rally, and I’m looking forward to a good stage.”