J-Rod finished third in Stage 4 for Hero MotoSports at the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge

Hero MotoSports Team Rally lost yet another rider at the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge after losing Franco Caimi and Sebastian Buhler, on two different occasions. Caimi stayed out of the stage after his Hero 450 Rally bike broke down in Stage 2. And now they lose Sebastian Buhler to an accident. However, Joaquim Rodriques has managed to keep the hopes of Hero MotoSports alive for a podium finish in the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge with a P3 finish in the stage. This Stage made the riders cover 400km through the Abu Dhabi desert out of which over 250km were timed stages.

This stage had varying terrains which shuffled between dunes and valleys. But J-Rod was able to work through the terrains and keep a fast pace. Even though he was suffering from low physical energy throughout the stages so far, he managed to claw his way to the top riders. J-Rod expresses that the stage had some dangerous sections, but he managed to cross them while maintaining a competitive pace.

Sebastian Buhler had a tough day at the office after he had to retire from the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge after he injured his leg in the stage. After retiring from the stage, he said, “Today’s stage did not go well for me. I had a good start, but after the refueling, I suffered a crash on a plateau and injured my leg. I thank my fellow competitors Aaron Mare and Ross Branch, who helped me after my crash till the medical team arrived. I will be heading home to recover and thank the team for their hard work and support throughout the year.”

With Buhler out of the rally, all the developments and updates to be made on the Hero 450 rally bike will fall on J-Rod’s shoulders for the 2022 Dakar Rally. The last stage will cover another 216 km of racing, which will decide the winner of the rally. For more news and updates from the world of motorsports, stay tuned to evo India!