Team TVS Sherco is continuing to hold on to its position post the fifth stage of the 2016 Dakar rally. Riders Pedrero Garcia and Alain Duclos finished ninth and tenth respectively, while Frenchman Florent Vayssade came in 22nd.
Garcia jumped from 15th to ninth position in stage five, helping him gain one position in the overall rankings. Duclos and Vayssade on the other hand have retained their tenth and 33rd overall positions respectively. The arduous 327-kilometre long stage stretched from San Salvador de Jujuy to Uyuni, taking the competitors through regions located over 4,600 metres above sea level. This was the second part of the first marathon stage of the 9,000-kilometre rally. In cars, Sebastien Loeb has increased his lead with another stage win.
India’s CS Santosh had to retire from this year’s Dakar after completing the first marathon stage, day before yesterday. The sandy and rocky terrain in the upper elevations of Argentina turned out to be too harsh on the Suzuki 450 RMZ. The seriousness of mechanical failures in the bike coupled with the absence of support from the team and mechanics (a mandate for the marathon stages) meant that Santosh had to drop out of the rally.
