Dakar 2021 Stage 10 | Fourth top 10 stage finish for JRod

Stage 10 of the Dakar 2021 took the riders from Neom to Al Ula. Despite the fact that the hilly terrain was tough to navigate in, Hero MotoSports Team Rally’s Joaquim Rodrigues finished in P10 to retain his P12 spot in the general rankings. This was JRod’s fourth top ten finish this season. Teammate Sebastian Buhler showed consistent performance, finishing P22, but has now slipped down from P16 to P17 in the overall standings.

Sebastian Buhler had a bad start that cost him time but later in the stage he tried his best to cover up for it. Post the race, he said he’s starting to feel the bike more and more everyday, which he considered a good thing. However, he stressed the importance of doing well everyday. “I just wanted to concentrate and have a good stage without taking much risk. I want to thank the team for a great bike and all that they have done for me so far," he added.

JRod, on the other hand, continued his charge to lead the team, speaking about how fast and dangerous the day’s stage was, with lots of rocks, and the difficulties he faced with regards to navigation. “I focused more on navigation and maintaining my pace this morning and luckily, that worked well. I caught up with Santolino but I couldn't pass him. So I just stuck to him from then on and crossed the finish line. But again, I'm happy to finish the stage," he said, excitedly

Tomorrow’s stage will take the riders from Al Ula to Yanbu, a total distance of 577km, including the longest timed stage of the 2021 Dakar— 546km. The route is said to have sandy dunes that stretch for almost 100km. Finally, with just two more stages to go, the riders will look to get more competitive despite the fact that the stage will be the longest and one of the most tiring ones.

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