The third stage of the 2019 PanAfrica Rally was its longest and saw a mixed performance from the Indian teams across the varied terrain of Merzouga in Africa. Sherco TVS Rally Factory Team led the race overall but lost two of its riders after Lorenzo Santolino and Michael Metge had to abandon the stage over technical issues. Meanwhile, Adrien Metge had an impressive run finishing Stage 3 at P2, 04m39s behind stage leader Jacopo Cerutti of Solarys Racing Team, and is now placed first in the overall rankings. Teammate Johnny Aubert lost considerable ground in comparison and finished the stage at P14, and is also placed 14th in the overall rankings.
Commenting on the performance David Casteu, Team Manager, Sherco TVS Rally Factory Team said, "The riders witnessed tricky navigation, as the route was long and full of fesh fesh, stones, and desert. Adrien has performed exceptionally well and was able to maneuver through the terrains while Johnny Aubert is consistently getting better on the motorcycle."
Johnny Aubert saw a major drop in his rankings and is now placed 14th overall at the end of Stage 3
Adrien Metge, Racer, Sherco TVS said, "I am thrilled to finish the stage on a high note. The navigation was the biggest challenge but I was able to maintain my position. I look forward to keeping the momentum going for the next two days."
Hero MotoSports Team Rally's Joaquim Rodrigues finished third at the end of Stage 3, 06m41s behind the stage leader, and is now placed second just 06s behind Adrien Metge, which keeps him in contention for the top spot in the rally. On the other hand, India's CS Santosh showed impressive pace during the 450 km stage and finished Stage 3 in seventh place, 43m35s behind the Cerutti. He has massively improved his position from yesterday and is now placed fifth overall, up from 10th place in Stage 2.
CS Santosh showed dramatic improvement through the stage gaining five places at the end of the day
Joaquim Rodrigues, Rider, Hero MotoSports said, "It was indeed another fabulous day for me. I opened the stage, pushed hard in the beginning and gained on some crucial time. In the second part, I got into a wrong river bed, of the several parallel ones and lost a lot of time in coming back to the right track. I had to again catch the guys in the front, which I managed to do. Overall it was a good day with a third-place finish. Happy that we are still in the battle for the win."
CS Santosh, Rider, Hero MotoSports said, "Stage 3 was really long and tough. I did a good job in the first two parts of the stage with good navigation and a good flow. I even gained some time. In the last part though, the tape of my road book came off and I had to stop a couple of times to fix it. I then had a small crash too. It was quite a physical and challenging day, but I think I tackled it quite well, so I am happy to bring home another stage for the team."
Joaquim Rodrigues is placed 2nd in the overall standings and a strong chance of winning the rally
The 2019 PanAfrica Rally moves into its penultimate stage now. Stage 4 will see the competitors complete a run of 280 km, which could be the decider. The fifth and final stage will have a short run on September 27, 2019.
