Dakar 2018: Hero MotoSports' Oriol Mena and CS Santosh lie 8th and 34th overall after penultimate stage

With just a final run around the Dakar Rally's finishing point in Cordoba, Argentina remaining the standings are all but set and Hero MotoSports looks set to celebrate a second consecutive top ten finish with Oriol Mena. CS Santosh looks to have overcome an injured right ankle and crashes to secure his best ever finish, and also his third finish in four participations. 

The penultimate stage of the Dakar Rally 2018 brought the competitors from San Juan to the city of Cordoba, covering a total distance of 907 km which includes the special stage of 424 km.

Both riders of Hero MotoSports Team Rally took on the stage with the sole objective of bringing the bike home without getting into any untoward incidents just one day before the final stage. Spanish rookie Oriol Mena kept the pressure on to inch closer to his debut Dakar finish with a 8th place in today’s stage. Overall, he now stands at 8th position at the end of stage 13.

Indian ace rider CS Santosh also held his nerves and brought home a solid and steady stage for the team, finishing the stage at 33rd position. At an overall level, today’s finish takes him to 34th position with only the last hurdle remaining between him and his 3rd Dakar finish.

Stage 13 of the Dakar Rally offered the last taste of the dunes of San Juan and also an area of fesh-fesh around the famous WRC mountain-pists around Cordoba, which tested their nerves.

The final stage 14 will be contested in Cordoba itself before the winners of the Dakar 2018 could be crowned. However, focus and keeping it cool will be the key as the competitors will still need to cross around 30 rios (crossings of rivers and tributaries), that’s as many potential pitfalls, meaning that the competitors could not afford to let their guard down till the very last km is in their bag.