Al Qaisumah, Saudi Arabia, January 2022-

Hero MotoSports Team Rally, the motorsports team of the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles and scooters - Hero MotoCorp, created history today, January 4, 2022, as it won Stage 3 of the ongoing Dakar Rally 2022.

This is the first-ever stage win at the Dakar – the toughest race in the world – by an Indian Team and an Indian manufacturer.

Hero MotoSports Team Rally rider Joaquim Rodrigues, in his sixth consecutive appearance at Dakar for the team, won Stage 3.  After a remarkable come-back in Stage 2, following a difficult Stage 1, Joaquim put up a fantastic performance right from the start of Stage 3. The capable Hero Rally 450 performed well in the variety of extreme terrains during the stage.

Confident from their consistent performance over the last two days, Hero MotoSports riders Joaquim Rodrigues and Aaron Maré had a field day at Stage 3. Both the Rally GP class riders made aggressive efforts today. Aaron Maréhad enjoyed yet another mistake free day on the Hero Rally 450 and finished the stage in 18^th position. With this result he continues to be in the top-10 in overall rankings at the 10^th place.

Starting from Al Qaisumah early in the morning, riders started the race today after traversing 214 kms of liaison. The 255 km special section was lined with long stretches of alternating dune ridges and fast plateaus, and complicated intersections. Navigating through the terrain was indeed a tough task, but both riders aced all hurdles to mark a day in history for Hero MotoSports.

Tomorrow, the rally will present the longest stage of Dakar 2022, a total of 707 kms from Al Qaisumah to Riyadh, including a special section of 465 kms. Almost 200 kms of fast tracks, numerous wadi crossings and chains of dunes are on the menu.

Wolfgang Fischer, Team Manager

“We’ve made history! It’s amazing to enjoy the first stage win for Hero MotoSports at the Dakar today. We’re experiencing the sweet taste of victory after all the hard work a lot of people have put in over the past few last months and years. It is also JRod’s first stage win at the Dakar, and he absolutely deserves it. I’m really happy that he’s the one to have brought home this achievement for Hero MotoSports. Congratulations to the entire team, and to all our fans around the globe.”

Joaquim Rodrigues

“I’m extremely happy with how my day has turned out. Even though the stage was really fast, with a lot of difficulty around alternating dunes and tracks, I was able to push hard right from the very first kilometer. The Hero Rally 450 has been performing extremely well, and I’m happy that our great combination has helped bring home the first stage win at the Dakar. Thank you, Hero MotoSports, for all the effort theyhave invested in me, and for putting me through a large number of races this year – this has definitely boosted my confidence by leaps and bounds.”

Aaron Maré

“The stage was really fast today, having been shortened by about a 100kms. My focus was on avoiding any navigation mistakes or crashes. Overall, it was another consistent day for me, I didn’t lose much time, and I’m happy with my start position for tomorrow. I am also elated to have been part of the team when it achieved this historic achievement. JRod delivered an incredible performance today, and I’m so happy for him!”

Provisional Stage 3 Rankings - RallyGP class:

1.         Joaquim Rodrigues             Hero MotoSports Team Rally      02h 34m 41s

2.         Toby Price                             Red Bull KTM Factory Racing          + 01m 03s

3.         Mason Klein                           BAS World KTM Racing                   + 01m 14s

4.         Skyler Howes                         Husqvarna Factory Racing              + 01m 26s

5.         Daniel Sanders                      GasGas Factory Racing                     + 02m 55s

18.       Aaron Maré                          Hero MotoSports Team Rally      + 07m 30s

Provisional Overall Standings after Stage 3 - RallyGP class:

1.         Sam Sunderland                    GasGas Factory Racing                     11h 13m 40s

2.         Adrien van Beveren              Monster Energy Yamaha                  + 04s

3.         Matthias Walkner                  Red Bull KTM Factory Team                       + 01m 30s

4.         Skyler Howes                         Husqvarna Factory Racing              + 03m 55s

10.       Aaron Maré                          Hero MotoSports Team Rally      + 18m 41s     

16.       Joaquim Rodrigues             Hero MotoSports Team Rally      + 37m 43s

Provisional Overall Standings after Stage 3 - All classes:

1.         Sam Sunderland                    GasGas Factory Racing                     11h 13m 40s

2.         Adrien van Beveren              Monster Energy Yamaha                  + 04s

3.         Matthias Walkner                  Red Bull KTM Factory Team                       + 01m 30s

4.         Skyler Howes                         Husqvarna Factory Racing              + 03m 55s

10.       Aaron Maré                          Hero MotoSports Team Rally      + 18m 41s     

17.       Joaquim Rodrigues             Hero MotoSports Team Rally      + 37m 43s