Dakar Rally 2019: TVS' Lorenzo Santolino Crashes Out Of Dakar In Stage 6; Oriol Mena Comeback To Finish 13th

Following the Hero MotoSport's CS Santosh crashing out of Stage 5, the Indian contingent has received its next casualty with Sherco TVS rider Lorenzo Santolino crashing out of the 2019 Dakar Rally in Stage 6. The rookie rider had a brilliant run so far in the rally finishing as high as third at the end of Stage 5 and 11th overall. However, the young Spaniard crashed in the first part of Stage 6, 33 km into the special and was airlifted to Lima for better medical support. The rider has suffered cranial trauma but fortunately has no broken bones. Santolino's RTR 450 was airlifted to the finish line.

Meanwhile, India's Aravind KP moved up the ranks with a steady pace throughout Stage 6 overcoming the road book navigation challenges. Aravind finished the day in 48th place overall, moving up 54th at the end of Stage 5. Aravind KP said, "I had a good start to the stage with a good rhythm on my motorcycle. But soon the roadbook machine on my motorcycle stopped working and so I had to scroll manually. This broke my rhythm and I had a few minor crashes. It was a challenging day for sure but I am glad to have this stage in the bag."

Riders Adrien Metge and Michael Metge showed impressive teamwork during Stage 6 after the former faced mechanical issues but was assisted by the latter to complete the stage. Adrien finished the stage in 71st place and is now 33rd overall, while Michael finished in 64th place and is in 36th position in general classification.

Commenting on this stage, Sherco TVS - Team Manager, David Casteu said, "It was a challenging day for us. Our fastest rider Lorenzo is out of the rally, which is a setback for the team. He showed great promise in the first half of the rally and was the fastest beating even experienced riders. We wish him a speedy recovery. I am confident that our other three riders - Adrien, Michael and Aravind will be able to get a good finish for the team. The crew is ready to support them in all possible ways for the challenges that lie ahead."

The 2019 Dakar's Stage 6 started from Camana to San Juan de Marcona for a total run of 316 km, with 177 km of liasion. About three-quarters of the day was on sandy terrain, while the four dune sectors turned out to be the major challenge for riders. About 74 per cent of Dakar participants have managed to reach the halfway point of the rally, its lowest yet since 2007.

At Hero MotoSports Rally Team, Stage 6 saw Oriol Mena in the lead despite having suffered a major crash in Stage 5. The rider was far more cautious on his ride but ran out of fuel close to the finish line. Showing teamwork here too, teammate Joaquim Rodrigues came to his aid, but both riders lost time. Nevertheless, Oriol finished 20th at the end of Stage 6 and sits in 13th place overall. Speaking about his day, Oriol Mena said, "My aim was to regain my confidence after the tough last stage we had. I am happy with the way I rode today - it was nice and smooth. But towards the end of the stage, I ran out of the fuel and had to stop. My teammate Joaquim helped me out with the refuelling and we made it across the finish line. So one more day gone and one day less to go."

Joaquim Rodrigues finished the stage in 21st position climbing the standings ladder significantly. The rider had a good day in terms of performance and now sits 25th in the overall standings, climbing six positions. Speaking on his performance, Joaquim said, "I had a good feeling today with the bike and got into a good rhythm. The stage was fast with lot of sand and was quite dangerous. Towards the end of the stage I stopped for some time to help Mena with the refuelling. Lost some time there but it's ok and I am happy to make it to the finish line today. "

After CS Santosh's exit due to a crash in Stage 5, Oriol and Joaquim are the only two riders at Hero. For Stage 7, the participants will complete a 386 km loop around the dunes in the region of San Juan de Marcona.



from NDTV CarAndBike - Latest News

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Harley-Davidson Streetfighter Spotted In Flesh For The First Time

Image
Harley-Davidson unveiled a range of new motorcycles last year that included an adventure tourer, streetfighter and Custom range. This, along with the LiveWire electric motorcycle defines the new-age 21st century offerings from the manufacturer as it taps into newer markets and caters to an evolving customer base. Now, giving a glimpse of the new models out in the open, the new Harley-Davidson Streetfighter was spotted in the prototype version at what seems to be a trade show in the US, giving a good glimpse at motorcycle looks like in flesh. While board says 'Styling Prototype', the production-spec version of the Streetfighter is likely to stay identical to the model showcased here. In addition to the Streetfighter, the Pan America was also showcased at the same event. The production spec versions of both bikes could be unveiled at EICMA this year. Also Read: Harley-Davidson Livewire To Be Unveiled In India In August The Harley-Davidson Streetfighter is a completely new mot
Read more

Brixton 1200 To Rival Triumph Bonneville T120

Image
A 1200 cc modern classic with similar design lines as Triumph's iconic Bonneville series, has reportedly been cleared for production. The bike was showcased as a concept at last year's EICMA motorcycle show, and from the looks of it, this is a model developed in China with the Triumph Bonneville T120 in its sights. The Brixton brand though is part of Austria's KSR Group, which imports bikes from several Chinese manufacturers, including CF Moto. And while the new Bonneville rival will be manufactured in China, the design and engineering has been created at KSR's design centre in Krups, Austria. Also Read: Triumph Bonnville T120 First Ride Review The Brixton 1200 cc motorcycle has not been named yet, or a launch timeline announced So far, the company has not committed to a launch date yet, but says that it will eventually make it to production. And from the looks of it, that may well be sometime later this year, maybe even at the EICMA 2020 show in Milan, Italy, in
Read more

Zongshen Cyclone RX6 Based On Norton 650 Nearing Completion

Image
While there still doesn't seem to be a buyer for iconic British brand Norton Motorcycles which went into administration in January this year, the firm's 650 cc parallel-twin seems to be finding life in China. While Norton apparently sold off the engine rights of its 961 engine to China's Jinglang just before the brand went into administration, the deal for the 650 cc engine was finalized way back in 2017 with Chinese giant Zongshen. The 650 cc parallel-twin engine was due to be used in Norton's Atlas and Superlight models, but now it looks like that engine platform will make its debut in a Zongshen motorcycle, called the Cyclone R6. Also Read: How Much Is Norton Motorcycles Worth Now? One of the patent designs shows the Cyclone RX6 with full touring accessories and luggage Two prototypes fitted with the 650 cc parallel-twin engine were shown in China late last year, on the Zongshen Cyclone RX6 adventure bike and the RX6 sport tourer. Both bikes used Zongshen-made
Read more