Hero MotoSports completes Stage 5 at the 2022 Dakar

Stage 5 of the 2022 Dakar came to an end after a gruesome 560km ride. The stage was different when compared to the previous ones as it had dirt tracks prepped with stones, along with the long dune section which stretches for almost 80km. Hero MotoSports rider Joaquim Rodrigues finished P19 and Aaron Mare finished P36 in the stage.

JRod had a tough day as he suffered two crashes during the stage. He found it extremely difficult to go on but he managed to bring the bike to the finish. But despite that, he is able to hold on to P20 in the overall rankings.

After the stage, JRod said, “Today was a really tough day for me. I suffered a big crash in the first part and hurt my back. I was struggling to keep moving, and then I crashed again. I’m in a bit of pain, but it’s the Dakar – I’m going to recover tonight and prepare to ride again tomorrow. We still finished the stage well, I’m happy about that.”

A navigation error earlier in the stage cost Aaron some time. Due to that, he had to push through the last section of dunes to make up for lost time. Aaron had to make some changes to the suspension settings overnight which is allowed him to be competitive in Stage 5, and stay P17 in the overall rankings.

Aaron said, “I felt a lot more comfortable on the bike today. We made a few changes in the suspension yesterday, and it definitely helped me. I was riding well till about 75kms, where I ended up making a small navigation error. I then focused on getting to the finish without making any further mistakes, and made some time in the last 40kms of dunes. I’m happy that the bike and I are back in one piece, with a decent result as well.”

Stage 6 will be the second looped stage in the rally. Dunes make their first appearance halfway through the stage, where a sea of dunes about 40km long awaits. The stage will have 216km of liaison along with 404km of Special Stage. For more news and updates from the world of motorsport, stay tuned to evo India!