Aravind pulls out with ankle injury
AREQUIPA: KP Aravind, India’s best performer in the Dakar Rally so far, had to withdraw from the fifth stage (motorcycle category) with an ankle injury. The Sherco TVS Rally Factory rider was placed 44th after the fourth stage.
The 30-year-old suffered a broken ankle as his bike crashed during the fifth stage which started from San Juan De Marcona and finished in Arequipa in Peru. This is the second injury pull out for Sherco TVS after Adrien Metge withdrew during stage 2 with a broken leg.
The fifth stage had a 508 km liaison section, the longest yet of Dakar 2018 and 226 km of specials making up for the total 774kms. It made the task tougher for the riders. The only other Indian left in the rally, Hero MotoSports’ CS Santosh, climbed up five places to 51st after fifth stage. Santosh’s teammate Orio Mena is placed 21st and the debutant rider has a good chance to finish in the top 20.
Even Hero MotoSports suffered an injury let down when their senior-most rider Joaquim Rodrigues withdrew with a back problem after stage 1.
The sand dunes of Peru have caused quite a few injuries in the first five stage of the Dakar. The soft sands with high slopes have tested the mettle of competitors.
Sam Sunderland, who led the motorcycle category after three stages, had to be airlifted to hospital as he pulled out with a serious back injury. The 28-year-old defending landed hard after a jump and eventually it led to his exit. Former Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur boss Andre VillasBoas had to retire with a back injury after the fourth stage. He had to be taken to the hospital too, and later wrote on instagram. Sebastien Loeb - a nine-time world rally champion – also pulled out after his co-driver Daniel Elena got injured as their car landed awkwardly in the desert.
VAN BEVEREN HOLDS SLENDER LEAD
Yamalube Yamaha’s Adrien Van Beveren, the leader in motorcycle category, held on to his lead by finishing fifth in stage 5.
However, Van Beveren faces some tough competition from Honda’s Kevin Benavides and Red Bull KTM’s Matthias Walkner. While the former trails by just one minute, the latter trails by one minute and 14 seconds. Walkner finished second in stage 5 while Benavides finished third.
In the car category, Team Peugeot Total’s Stephane Peterhansel and Jean Paul Cottret increased their gap at the top by winning the fifth stage.