Dakar 2020 Stage 4 Highlights: Paulo Goncalves Fights Back

Although, the provisional result read as Sam Sutherland taking the victory. In the final results the British rider incurred 5 minutes penalty because of excess speed, taking him back to 8th place finish for Stage 4 of the 2020 Dakar.

Fourth rally stage was held between Neom and Al-`Ula. The total race distance was 672 kilometers with 453 kilometers of Special stage. Unlike, the previous stages the fourth course had more soil terrain opening up new challenges for racers. However, there were no dunes to tackle in the Stage 4 of the Dakar rally. At the end, the fourth stage had a mix of rocky and soil terrain which became challenging for the riders.

India's No.1 rally rider, C S Santosh has managed to finish fourth stage of the rally in 44th position. However the Hero MotoSport rider has managed to increase the overall standings by a couple of places, and now placed 42nd overall.

C S Santosh said, "I had a lot of fun today on the stage. The stage had a lot of rocks, and a lot of high-speed sections as well. And I made up a considerable amount of time. I think I made one mistake where I got lost a little, but overall my hand is feeling much better. I have a lot of strength in my hand again. And I'm looking forward to the next couple of days in the Dakar, and it's about to get more uncomfortable. Let's see what happens."

On the other hand, Paulo Goncalves had his best stage of the 2020 rally yet. The Portuguese rider had an engine failure on Stage 3, due to which he dropped to 110th position overall. However, he had an amazing fourth stage and posted an impressive 4th place finish. He now ranks 78th in the General standings.

Sebastian Buhler who is currently leading the Hero MotoSport team has finished fourth stage in 21st position. The German rider has placed himself at 20th position overall after the end of Stage 4 Dakar rally. Buhler said, "It was a very tough day, long stage, fast tracks and a lot of stones. But it all was very good. At the finish it was difficult to navigate, so I slowed down and did not make any mistake to find all the waypoints."

Sherco TVS Rally team riders are slowly but steadily moving towards top 10 spots in this year's Dakar rally. Johnny Aubert came back strong and finished the rocky Stage 4 at 7th spot. While, Lorenzo Santolin and Adrien Metge finished in 10th and 15th place, respectively. Sherco TVS Rally team are aiming to get inside the top 10 overall standings with all their riders running strong.

Fernando Alonso, ex Formula 1 world champion who is competing in the four-wheeler category has managed to finish 10th on the grid in Stage 4. The Spanish driver has managed to place himself in the top 10 overall.

Hero MotoSport Rally Team Standings After Stage 4
20th Position - Sebastian Buhler
41st Position - C S Santosh
51st Position - Paulo Goncalves

Sherco TVS Rally Team Standing After Stage 4
11th Position - Adrien Metge
14th Position - Lorenzo Santolin
16th Position - Johnny Aubert

Overall Standings Bike Category After Stage 4
1st Position - Ricky Brabec (Monster Energy Honda)
2nd Position - Kevin Benavides (Monster Energy Honda)
3rd Position - José Ignacio Cornejo (Monster Energy Honda)

Thoughts About The 2020 Dakar Stage 4

Sherco TVS Rally Team is looking really strong with all three riders steadily moving up the General Ranking ladder. While Hero MotoSport Factory Rally Team came back strong after a few mishaps on the previous stages. Paulo Goncalves showcased his veteran skills which helped his overall standings from the previous stage. After an Impressive Stage 3, Ricky Brabec still hold the lead in the overall standings. Tomorrow Stage 5!