Sherco TVS rider Pedrero wins PanAfrica Rally, Santosh, Aravind 9th, 12th

Himoinsa team's Spanish rider Daniel Oliveras finished third.

Indian motorcycle manufacturer Hero Motor Corp’s factory riders Joaquin Rodrigues (Portugal) and CS Santosh also finished inside the top 10. Rodrigues finished in the seventh place. Santosh, India’s first rider to participate and finish the Dakar Rally, came in ninth.

India’s Aravind KP, a multiple supercross and two-wheeler Indian National champion, had to battle it out and finished a commendable 12th in the Rally that concluded on Friday. This was despite a 35-minute penalty in Stage 4 that he was handed.

Pedrero dominated most of the stages along with teammate Metge and were ahead of competition at the end of almost every stage.

The Rally is held in the high dunes of the Sahara Desert and temperatures can be pretty high.

Speaking on his performance in the Rally, Aravind said: “The PanAfrica Rally was a big learning ground for me. It has instilled tremendous confidence in me, considering that the overall performance of the team has been phenomenal.

“Over the years, I have felt closer to my Dakar motorcycle and post this rally, I now feel one with my motorcycle. It is an extremely satisfying feeling and now I look forward to the OiLibya Rally of Morocco,” he added.

Sherco TVS Rally Factory team will next participate in the OiLibya Rally of Morocco that will be held from October 4-10.