Defending champions, Sherco TVS Rally Team continued to maintain their dominance with a top three finish in the 2019 PanAfrica Rally in Morocco. The second day comprising 275 km of the special stage saw Michael Metge lead the rally once again, followed by Lorenzo Santolino and Adrien Metge in P2 and P3 respectively. Hero Motosports Team Rally rider Joaquim Rodrigues (JRod) finished at P4 after leading the rally at the end of the prologue stage. In his first race with Sherco TVS, Johnny Aubert finished Stage 1 in sixth place. India's CS Santosh managed to finish in ninth place, maintaining a promising start for the Indian team, but Sherco TVS rider Abdul Wahid Tanveer had to retire from the race in the prologue stage after sustaining an injury.
Lorenzo Santolino and Adrien Metge from Sherco TVS finished in P2 and P3 in Stage 1
Speaking on his performane at the end of Stage 1, reigning champion Michael Metge, Sherco TVS said, "After a strong start yesterday I was able to gain momentum in the Rally. Riding through the dunes is tough but I am confident that we will navigate smoothly and continue to perform in this Rally."
Commenting on the team's performance, David Casteu, Team Manager, Sherco TVS said, "We are happy to see the Metge brothers taking lead in the Rally. Lorenzo is extremely consistent with his performance and is riding in a perfect pace. Johnny is in the process of understanding the machine with an honourable result. It's a delight to watch the team retaining pole positions in the Rally."
Joaquim Rodrigues is placed fourth at the end Stage 1 and is going strong for the Indian team
Speaking on his performance on Stage 1, Hero's Joaquim Rodrigues said, Rider, Hero MotoSports Team Rally said, "It was a good experience for me to open the stage and I really enjoyed it. I was able to hold on to my position for most part and arrived first as well which felt good. I made a couple of small mistakes but overall it was a good first stage and I am happy with my performance. I am keenly looking forward to stage 2."
C S Santosh, Hero MotoSports said, "It was really nice to start in the dunes in the morning. I had a good flow and really enjoyed my time in the dunes. Later on we encountered a mix of fast piste and areas where attention to road book was needed. Overall, it was fun riding in the fast stage and I am happy to start the rally on this note."
The Stage 1 of the 2019 PanAfrica Rally saw the riders traverse a terrain full of sand, lose gravel and hard pack, offering riders valuable sand riding experience in the dunes of Erfoud. The next stage of the rally will see the teams head further into the Erfoud region in Merzouga with a terrain mix of dunes and fast piste, over a distance of 290 km.
