Hero MotoSports riders C S Santosh and Oriol Mena finished the third stage of the Merzouga Rally 2018 in 26th and 14th positions respectively and are placed 20th and 16th overall. Sherco TVS riders Pedrero and Santilino finished the stage in eighth and eleventh positions. Teammates Martin and Cominotto grabbed the 13th and 21st place. Pedrero and Santilino are still in the top ten in overall classifications, taking the eighth and ninth positions respectively, while Martin and Cominotto are placed 11th and 24th overall.
Stage 3 was a marathon stage and competitors had to traverse 241.1km during this stage and they were not allowed to receive any kind of assistance from service crews. They had to rely on their own mechanical prowess in case they encountered any repairs. Fortunately, none of the Indian teams had such experience and they navigated through the soft sands and rocky terrain without any trouble. This marathon stage consisted of soft dunes and rocky terrains and the competitors navigated through the dunes of Rissani, Chebbi, sands in the Fezou region and Ouzina. Stage 4 is also a marathon stage and here too, no service crew will be allowed to assist the competitors. Expect more action as the rally approaches the final stages.