Indian team Hero MotoSports has made a strong start to the 2023 Dakar Rally, with Sebastian Buhler finishing second in Stage 2. It was a treacherous stage made up of mostly rocky sections, and Hero had not one but two riders in the top five, with Ross Branch finishing fourth.
- KTM’s Mason Klein wins in bikes category
- Toyota’s Al-Attiyah wins in cars category
Two Hero MotoSports riders in top 5
This marks Buhler’s first-ever stage podium in the Dakar Rally. The result takes him up to 10th place in the overall standings. “Today turned out to be a rewarding one. Yet it wasn't really a fun day, as we were riding the entire day through rocks. I was able to find a good rhythm from the beginning, and that helped me push through. Before the second refuelling, I made a slight mistake that made me go back 2km to validate a waypoint, and I lost some time there. Other than that, I'm very happy with my performance and the second position I’ve earned,” he said.
Still recovering from his Stage 1 crash, Ross Branch’s steady approach in Stage 2 paid off and he finished fifth. He now moves up to 12th place in the standings. Next up for Hero was Franco Caimi, who finished the stage in 14th place, and is 16th overall.
Despite making a strong start, Joaquim Rodrigues encountered trouble with a broken fuel tank and clutch. Nevertheless, he carried on past the finish line in 23rd place and stands 17th overall.
Harith Noah powers through
Stage 2 was also a tough one for Sherco’s Harith Noah, who is the only Indian rider competing in this year’s Dakar Rally. He was left having to manually scroll his roadbook while navigating an already tough section.
The Indian suffered two crashes, but carried on to finish 34th (32nd in the overall ranking). “[I] had two crashes, hurt by elbow pretty bad, but nothing is broken,” the Indian posted on social media.
He added, “[I] spent the afternoon taking care of myself so I could recover and be ready for another long day with 447km. On to tomorrow.”
Klein, Al-Attiyah win Stage 2
KTM’s Mason Klein set the fastest time, despite a two-minute speeding penalty. With this, he’s secured his first-ever Dakar stage win
Over in the cars category, Toyota’s defending champion Nasser Al-Attiyah won the stage to chip away at Audi driver Carlos Sainz’ overall lead. Sebastian Loeb, driving for Bahrain Raid Xtreme, finished well outside the top 30 after suffering three punctures.
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