Sports News | Buhler Successfully Completes Stage 5 of Dakar Rally

Ha'il (Saudi Arabia), Jan 6 (PTI) Hero MotoSports Team Rally rider Sebastian Buhler successfully completed Stage 5 of the Dakar Rally 2023, finishing the 650km gruelling stretch with the 13th fastest time here.

The German was the best among three Hero riders competing in the event, and was followed by Argentina's Franco Caimi in 18th and Botswana's Ross Branch in 21st position in the Rally GP Class.

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Buhler and Branch had to start later in the day towards the back of the group due to the time losses in the previous stage but the duo negotiated the sandy tracks and vast expanses of dunes and camel grass, displaying fine manoeuvring skills.

The tracks were broken and were made worse by competitors who went earlier. But Buhler rode well, finishing just 14 minutes behind the stage winner, and improved his overall rank to 18th in his category.

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"The stage was tough as it was full of off-piste sections and broken tracks. I started towards the back of the group due to my issues in the previous stage, so the route was in a bad condition, making it physically demanding. Overall, the bike was running well, so I had fun and I'm looking forward to the coming stages," said Buhler.

Caimi had an unusual incident with a wire getting entangled in the rear wheel, cutting open the brake line of the bike. He was forced to ride the last 150km of the stage with caution. He lost some time in the process but still managed to reach the finish line in good time.

Caimi is currently holding the 14th position in the overall Rally GP class rankings.

"Today was a difficult stage, but I was feeling good on the bike and enjoyed the desert tracks. However, I faced a small issue with my bike and had to ride with caution during the final 150 kms of the stage. Luckily, I was able to get the bike to the finish line, and I hope for a better day tomorrow."

Branch had a great start to the stage and was maintaining good speed but he faced a few issues with his bike around the refuelling point, and lost time. He is hopeful of better stages ahead, with the changes the team is making to his bike.

Meanwhile, Stage 6, which was initially planned to be the longest stage of the race at 876km, has been cut short by about 100km due to heavy rains and flooding in the region.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)