2018 Merzouga Rally: Sherco TVS rider Pedrero ranked eighth overall after Stage 2

Team OD Updated: April 19, 2018, 03:05 PM IST

The second stage of the 2018 Afriquia Merzouga Rally saw excellent progress from the Sherco TVS Factory Rally team riders. At the end of the stage that comprised 175km through the Erg Chebbi, the team's top rider Joan Pedrero Garcia finished eighth, while Duplessis Diego Martin ended the stage ninth and Lorenzo Santolino ended the stage tenth. Unfortunately, the team's fourth rider Vanni Cominotto finished the stage in P24 after a fall towards the end of the stage ended up losing him a lot of time.

Their finishing positions in the Stage resulted in Pedrero being ranked eighth overall, Diego Martin ninth overall, and Santolino tenth overall. Cominotto is currently ranked 26th overall.

Speaking of his performance after two stages of rallying, Pedrero Garcia said, "I felt very good in the dunes and finished the stage without any major problems with the bike. Looking forward to the marathon stage tomorrow as it will test both man and machine."

Meanwhile, David Casteu, team manager, Sherco TVS Factory Rally team said, "It was a big stage with a lot of navigation but I am thrilled we passed the test. Seeing our riders arriving in the lead group despite the strong competition from the other teams was a true pleasure."

For the Hero MotoSports Team Rally riders, Oriol Mena and CS Santosh, the second stage was tricky, but they managed to hold their own. While Mena started the stage strong, and navigated the dunes well, he eventually had an electrical issue, which made him lose a lot of time. Mena had to stop until Santosh came by and managed to help him, allowing both the riders to reach the finish line.

Santosh ended the stage in 25th position, while Mena ended the stage 28th. This put Mena 19th overall and Santosh 21st overall after two days of rallying.

At the time of writing this report, the third stage of the rally was already underway. It was the beginning of the two day marathon stage, with a total run of 304 km, including the special section of 241 km over the first half of the stage. The riders will camp in the dunes where they have no assistance from their teams.