Hero MotoSports Team Rally, the motorsport team of the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles and scooters – Hero MotoCorp, powered through a long and challenging second stage of Dakar 2024, with all three riders finishing in good positions.
At the end of a 654 km long duel in the desert, Hero pilot Sebastian Buhler crossed the finish line clocking the 4th fastest time of the day. Opener of the stage today, Ross Branch, finished in the 11th position, followed by Joan Barreda in the 16th spot, among Rally GP class competitors.
Sebastian Buhler found the day far more rewarding and flowing than yesterday. He was able to maintain a good rhythm all throughout the stage, and rode strong to reach the stage’s Top-5. Buhler’s powerful performance moves him 2 spots up in the overall Rally GP class rankings – to the 13th position.
The winner of the previous stage, Ross Branch, was handed the tough job of opening Stage 2, and he did an impressive job. The navigation was extremely difficult on this long stage, and Ross ended up making a few mistakes early on. However, he recouped in the latter half and continues to enjoy the overall top position at Dakar 2024, with a ~3-minute lead on the 2nd place holder.
Joan Barreda had a challenging day in the long stage. While picking up a strong pace in the last 100 kms after conquering the navigational complexities earlier, he was handed an 8-minute time penalty for speeding. If not for this setback, Joan would have otherwise finished in the 8th place. In the overall Rally GP class tally, Joan is currently at the 12th spot.
The 2nd stage of the world’s toughest rally was a long and dangerous one mostly featuring long expanses suited for fast riding. The day started with a short stint of dune crossings, and soon after shifted to long fast tracks seasoned with tricky navigation, alternating wadis and off-piste zones, sand tracks and canyons.
Coming up next is another long stage – a 733-kilometer ride from Al Duwadimi to Al Salamiya, of which 438 kms will be timed. Stage 3 will serve as the first leg of a half-marathon stage – where the riders and assistance teams will spend the night in different bivouacs at the end of the stage. Mechanics will get only 2 hours to work on the bikes at the end of the special, before the machines enter the marathon bivouac and a parc fermé.
