Pune: Michael Metge led Sherco TVS Rally Factory Team to a solid start with the other two riders--Aravind KP and Abdul Wahid Tanveer--withstanding the challenges offered by rocky terrains and sandy dunes in the Afriquia Merzouga Rally, one of the toughest pre-Dakar rallies.
Metge started the Rally at 15th position and completed the stage with an overall ranking of P3, while Aravind KP completed the stage at P31 in the provisional standings and Abdul Wahid Tanveer at P3 in the Enduro category.
The 10th anniversary edition of the Merzouga Rally began with a free practice session and a short prologue stage of 2 kilometers. Stage 1 of the Rally saw the riders traverse a distance of 210 kilometers which had some tricky navigation to tackle in the Moroccon desert.
“I am happy with this solid start and will do my best to keep the momentum going,” said Metge about Merzouga rally, which has become an important learning ground mainly because it offers terrain similar to the ones riders face at Dakar.
TVS Racing Team Manager B Selvaraj, said: “It is always heart-warming to start a Rally on a positive note as it sets the momentum of the Rally. Michael continuing his winning streak from Dakar 2019 started off with a smashing performance. Aravind KP had some issues in the stages but was able to finish the stage on a good note.”
There was a lot of roadbook navigation and riding in windy conditions which made it interesting. After a solid performance at the Dakar Rally, Metge started the Rally with a bang. Stage 2 will see the riders traverse a distance of 240 kilometres, divided into two loops with a 145 Km of special stage.
Certain sections of the route are expected to be challenging with a mix of quick stretches and large dunes.
