Merzouga Rally, Morocco

Sherco TVS rider Joan Pedrero finishes fourth overall

THE SIX-DAY AFRIQUIA

Merzouga Rally put man and machine to the test as rally teams from all over the world converged to Morocco to prove that they have what it takes. The top step of the podium went to French rider Xavier De Soultrait, who put his Yamaha through the gruelling six stages with a time of 14:54:36, followed by Catalan rider Gerard Farrés Guell piloting a KTM. Argentina’s Franco Caimi claimed the last step of the podium, also riding a Yamaha rally machine.

Joan Pedrero, riding for the Sherco TVS team, performed consistently through the challenging stages to finish in fourth place, just missing out on a podium spot, while his team-mate, Aravind KP, recently recovered from a shoulder injury sustained at the 2017 Dakar Rally, finished in 21st place.

After proving his abilities in the India Baja and securing a spot in the 2018 Dakar Rally, Bengalurubased Abdul Waheed Tanveer, also riding for the Sherco TVS team, finished a respectable 27th place in his first international rally raid outing, while the team’s fourth rider, Adrien Metge, faced technical difficulties early on, but still managed to finish the race, albeit in 53rd place.