The third stage of the Merzouga rally is considered to be one of the most challenging parts of the competition. This stage comprises a 230 km marathon stage which took the riders through two phases. The first phase was a bit rugged and the second phase had some complicated navigation to cut through the complex labyrinth. For TVS factory team, this stage gave a mixed result. While at one side, their rider Abdul Wahid Tanveer continued his strong show in the Enduro category finished at P2, Michael Metge, who put up a solid performance in the initial stages, had to exit the Rally due to technical reasons. Indian rider Aravind KP finished the stage at P32 in the Rally category. The riders will now move on to the fourth stage, which is a marathon day covering 205 kilometres.
B Selvaraj, Team Manager, TVS Racing said, “The riders had to go through a lot of ups and downs in the marathon stage. It is certainly disheartening to see Michael Metge exiting the Rally at such a crucial juncture as he was performing his best to finish on top in the initial stages. Aravind KP had a decent run in the marathon stage and finish the stage with his bike at a good condition. It is great to see Tanveer maintaining his position consistently and he aims to get a podium finish.”
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David Casteu, Team Manager, Sherco TVS Rally Factory Team said, “Stage 3 was the toughest stage so far, with varying terrain and the fact that the riders had no help from the service crew. Michael Metge’s exit is a big loss for the team and I hope he will come back stronger in the next Rally. Aravind and Tanveer have maintained their positions and I am happy to see the progress they have made till now. The next stage will be equally tough as the riders will have to tackle labyrinth of tracks, which are bound to be complicated in terms of navigation.”