Dakar 2021: Hero MotoSports, Harith Noah make steady progress on Stage 7

The 2021 Dakar Rally resumed after the rest day, with Stage 7 kicking off the first half of the Marathon Stage. With no team assistance allowed, the Marathon Stage is especially testing since competitors have to rely on their own mechanical skills. But both Hero MotoSports riders, as well as Harith Noah, did well to safely bring home their bikes in good condition – something that is crucial for a strong performance in the second half of the Marathon Stage.

• Rodrigues finishes 9^th
• Sebastian Buhler finishes 21^st
• Harith Noah finishes stage in 25^th place

Joaquim Rodrigues bags 9^th place for Hero MotoSports

Rodrigues delivered yet another strong performance, securing his third top 10 finish for the team. But it wasn’t all smooth sailing for him; the Portuguese rider lost some time in the beginning, admitting that he “wasn’t feeling very well in the morning and couldn’t find my flow initially”.

But he did eventually manage to find his rhythm and registered a 9^th place stage finish, just 5mins 55sec behind stage winner, Ricky Brabec. This sees him gain a place in the general classification, and he’s now 16^th overall.

Sebastian Buhler held on to his overall position of 21^st place after another controlled performance. “First part of the Marathon today was a tricky stage with a lot of rocks so we had to be careful to keep the bike and tires safe. Overall, it was a positive stage for me and I am happy to arrive at the Marathon bivouac with everything in a good condition,” he said.

Harith Noah secures best Dakar 2021 result

Indian rider Harith Noah has been on an understated charge of sorts following his high speed crash in Stage 4 that left him with some minor injuries on his left leg. New Dakar 2021 rules mandate only six rear tyre changes for the entire rally for bike competitors, so Noah’s goal for this stage was to safely complete it without any major mistakes.

“Rode easy until about halfway through the stage as the terrain wasn't in my comfort zone. The goal was to keep the bike fresh and get through Marathon,” he said.

Nevertheless, he managed to secure his best result so far in this year’s Dakar Rally, completing Stage 7 in 25^th place. As a result, he’s gained two places in the overall order and now stands 33^rd.

Dakar 2021 results

16. Joaquim Rodrigues

21. Sebastian Buhler

33. Harith Noah

Also see:

Dakar 2021: Hero finish Stage 6 in top 10; Harith Noah soldiers on

Ashish Raorane out of Dakar 2021 after Stage 5 crash