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Dakar 2017: Day 3 – A good day for the Indians
Words: Sirish Chandran
An excellent day actually for the Sherco – TVS Racing team whose lead rider Joan Pedrero was second in the overall rankings. However Yamaha’s Xavier de Soultrait, who was in the lead did get a penalty and that could handed Pedrero his second Dakar stage victory, his first of the season. That’s a fantastic achievement for the small team from France!
Of course this result doesn’t mean anything in the overall scheme of things. Today’s stage was barely 29km (with over 400km of transport into Argentina). Tomorrow (January 3rd) the Dakar begins in right earnest with a 250km stage and that’s when the real action will begin.
On the Indian front C S Santosh has dropped 5 places to finish 47th while his teammate Joaquim Rodrigues (J-Rod) is 16th overall having risen 11 places. Santosh is a happy man, “This is my best first stage finish and it’s looking good.” I ask the Hero Speedbrain rider for his target. “To finish. And to have fun.”
Two bays to the left, at Sherco – TVS there’s a very positive mood after Pedrero’s time. But also signs of worry. Aravind KP has had a good day, rising 14 places to finish 63rd overall. However he also had a fall in the stage and had hurt his hand. Team boss David Casteu looks worried but Aravind’s Indian mechanic Prakasan isn’t worried. “He’s gone to the medical centre to check his wrist but he will be okay”, he tells me in a mix of Tamil and English. Is the bike damaged I ask Prakasan. “No problem saar”, says the TVS Racing mechanic as he gets to work on the Sherco RTR 450.
Source: evo india
