2017 Dakar rally: Stage 5 report

Sam Sunderland put his exceptional navigational skills to practice and finished the 219km long special stage 5 at the top of the charts. On a difficult stage that created issues for both riders as well as drivers, Sunderland took advantage of the problems his rivals faced and was the only rider to not get lost in the Bolivian dunes. The Indian teams also had a great outing.

On a risky stage that took out veteran driver Carlos Sainz on a steep descent, TVS Sherco riders Pedrero and Metge finished fourth and 21st, respectively. Even Hero Motocorp Speedbrain had a fairly decent result with Rodrigues finishing at the 11th spot while India’s own CS Santosh stood 60th.

The Dakar rally has entered the riskier high plains of Bolivia. The beautiful and serene dunes can be devastating for participants, as exhibited in the special stage today, with variety of terrains on offer. The main challenge for the day was to understand and improve on navigation that was conducive to profound changes in the overall standings.

Stage 6 has been cancelled because of extreme climatic conditions as some participants are yet to finis their stages on course. It is extremely difficult for the authorities to get all the riders and drivers back to the bivouac in time. Stay tuned for more updates here.