Hero MotoSports Team Rally, the motorsports team of Hero MotoCorp, today achieved a podium finish at the Silk Way Rally 2021 with Franco Caimi claiming the 3rd position. Sebastian Buhler finished the rally in the 5th position and Joaquim Rodrigues in 9th.
The is the first podium for Hero MotoSports in the FIM Cross-Country Rally World Championship.
Today was another clinical ride by all three riders. A stellar ride from Franco saw him hold on to his 3rd position in the overall rankings, missing out on the second position by a mere six seconds, after close to 3100kms of racing over five days.
Sebastian also had a good rally and his consistency got him the 5th position in the overall standings. Joaquim had difficult times and luck during some stages and this cost him time and positions. Yet, he recovered well to complete the rally in the top 10.
The last stage of the rally today was a repeat of the second stage, except it was heavily degraded with the passing of the cars and trucks a few days prior, and a few sections had to be reconstructed with a bulldozer. The stage started with wide open tracks that then gave way to narrow bumpy routes through the trees in the Siberian forests. Closer to the end, the forest trails became smoother and sandy, allowing the riders to build up speed again towards the finish. The liaison at the end of the stage brought the riders back to Gorno-Altaysk for the podium ceremonies.
With its first podium finish in the FIM Cross-Country Rally World Championship, the team has once again shown that it is a force to be reckoned with. The combination of a reliable Hero Rally 450, three world class riders and a strong crew, the team has delivered three excellent rallies in as months, and optimistically looks forward to the next event in their campaign.
