Andalucia Rally 2020: HERO MOTOSPORTS TEAM RALLY BEGINS THE ANDALUCIA RALLY ON A POSITIVE NOTE

Hero MotoSports Team Rally has kick-started their first campaign of this season at the Andalucia Rally today. With all the administrative and technical checks completed over the past two days, the Team took to the starting line for the Prologue stage.  
All three riders - Joaquim Rodrigues, C S Santosh and Sebastian Buhler - shifted into race mode with the short 9km stage that hosted towards the end of the day. With ease and caution, all three riders completed the stage that decides the starting orders for the first big stage.  
Buhler finished the Prologue stage in 10th, Joaquim on 18th and Santosh at the 22nd place. This is a good result for the team and sets them up for the next stage, which could be crucial given the dust expected over the next few days. 
The first full stage of the rally will be kicked off tomorrow from the Rally HQ at Villamartin covering 59 kms in liaison to reach the start line near the town of Moron De La Frontera. Once they reach, a 258 km timed special stage awaits which takes the riders back to the bivouac in Villamartin. 
Andalucia Rally is proving to be interesting for everyone involved, as it sets the standards for the “new normal” in rally raids, i.e. being conducted behind “closed doors” with no spectators allowed and strict COVID19 compliances to be followed by the teams. Besides the COVID19 induced changes, the Rally also provides the riders with an opportunity to get more familiarized with the coloured road books that were first introduced in the Dakar 2020, as well as to test the new Air-Bag regulation for riders, making rallying safer for the riders. 

Joaquim Rodrigues, Rider, Hero MotoSports Team Rally said, 

“It was a difficult start for me today as some feelings that I had managed to suppress all this time came back.  I felt that I was a little slow because my breaking and acceleration timing was a bit off. But I am happy that I brought my bike across the finish line. This was just the prologue and it’s behind me now so I am looking forward to the first stage tomorrow.” 

CS Santosh, Rider, Hero MotoSports Team Rally said, 

“The prologue today was of very high intensity, even though it was a very short one. I tried to push myself hard to go as fast as possible and I felt good and confident riding after such a long break. Looking forward to build from here and ready to go for the next four days.” 

Sebastian Buhler, Rider, Hero MotoSports Team Rally said, 

“It was a very short stage today but I felt very good with the bike. The team and the riders have worked very hard on the bike and it’s looking in top shape. So, I am feeling very good and now we go on to the first stage.” 

Prologue Rankings         
1. Toby Price - RedBull KTM Factory Racing  - 06m 29s  
2. Daniel Sanders - RedBull KTM Factory Racing +00s 
3. Ross Branch - Monster Yamaha Rally Team +03s 
10. Sebastian Buhler - Hero MotoSports Team Rally     +11s 
18. Joaquim Rodrigues - Hero MotoSPorts Team Rally +16s 
22. C S Santosh - Hero MotoSports Team Rally +39s 

Source Hero Motosports