Dakar 2020 Stage 6 Highlights: Best Day For C S Santosh

Sixth stage of the Dakar rally was held between Ha'il and Riyadh. The total race distance was 830 kilometers with 477 kilometers of Special stage, making it one of the longer stages in the rally. The sixth stage was more of sand based making it difficult for riders to follow the course because of the dust. However, the biggest challenge of the race was the constantly changing terrain, where riders were tackling dune sections in the middle.

As the stage progressed, many riders faced problems and some retired as well. Kevin Benavides faced engine trouble 40 kilometers from the finish line and had to wait for a tow from a fellow competitor. As a result Monster Energy Honda rider lost a massive 3 hours and 37 minutes which set him back to 27th place in overall standings.

Ross Branch is another rider who hit trouble on the Stage 6. The BAS Dakar KTM rider had to ride with a flat tyre for most part of the stage, and lost 2 hours and 24 minutes over his rivals to finish the sixth stage.

C S Santosh again gave his best result of the 2020 Dakar, yet. He finished in the 31st position and is showing some incredible pace and consistency even after his initial crash. C S Santosh is currently placed 36th overall, and is currently leading the Hero Factory team.

C S Santosh said, "So we are here at the rest day the halfway mark in the Dakar. So far so good today it was a little difficult for me. The stage was really fast and sandy, I had a lot of movement with the bike and my wrist starts to hurt a lot didn't enjoy the fast stage. But I am really happy that I made to the halfway point. Six more days to go and things are little promising."

The "Speedy" Paulo Goncalves registers his third top 10 finish in the 2020 Dakar rally. The Hero Factory rider finished the sixth stage of the rally in 8th place. This takes the Portuguese rider up the ladder and place him on 46th position overall.

However, not all was good at Hero's stable as the German rider Sebastian Buhler hit troubles on the sixth stage. Buhler was running consistent this morning showing plenty of promise. However, after 265 kilometer the engine broke and the German had to retire to throw in the towel. Although he is out the overall contention, Buhler will continue to run the race as a "Wild Card" entry.

Sherco TVS Rally riders hit major trouble on the Stage 6 of Dakar rally as well. Johnny Aubert had a massive crash where he has suffered injuries to head and ribs. The French rider completed 476 kilometers of the race. With just 2 kilometers away from the finish line, he crashed, and the Medical team declared the rider unfit to continue. We certainly hope all would be well for Johnny Aubert.

However, other two riders of the Sherco TVS Rally team has completed Stage 6 of the rally. Adrien Metge and Lorenzo Santolin finished in 22nd and 47th place, respectively. The rider has a tough time completing this fast stage, however, the consistent riders brought the bike back safely.

Fernando Alonso, the Spanish F1 world champion who is now competing in the 2020 Dakar rally, has achieved top 10 finish yet again. He has finished the sixth stage of the Dakar rally in 6th place and is not placed 16th overall.

Hero MotoSport Rally Team Standings After Stage 6
36th Position - C S Santosh
46th Position - Paulo Goncalves

Sherco TVS Rally Team Standing After Stage 6
11th Position - Adrien Metge
16th Position - Lorenzo Santolin

Overall Standings Bike Category After Stage 6
1st Position - Ricky Brabec (Monster Energy Honda)
2nd Position - Pablo Quintanilla (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory)
3rd Position - Toby Price (Red Bull KTM Factory)

Thoughts About The 2020 Dakar Stage 6

The rally race has reached the midway point and both the Indian manufacturers has 2 riders each competing for the overall standings. C S Santosh is steadily increasing his lead in the overall standings. All the participants and teams are looking forward to the rest day tomorrow, before they prepare for the second leg of 2020 Dakar rally.