Dakar Rally 2017: Sherco-TVS win opening bike stage; Hero-Speedbrain takes 16th

The opening 454km stage of the 2017 Dakar Rally, comprising of a 39km timed section, concluded with the competitors making their way from the Paraguayan capital of Asuncion to the Argentinitan town of Resistencia. In the bike category Sherco-TVS' Juan Pedrero Garcia topped the overall classification after initial winner of the stage - Xavier De Soultrait on a Yamaha - was handed a one minute penalty that dropped him to tenth.

With the timed sections, as well as the stages themselves, getting far longer from today, the opening stage timings are unlikely to hold as the event progresses but it's still a good result for the French-Indian association.

India's own Aravind KP was classified 61st despite a crash towards the end of the stage due to a slower rider cutting in front of him. He suffered two broken bones in his left hand but will continue to ride in the rally. Sherco-TVS' third rider Adrian Metge was 124th.

Hero Motosport riders Joaquim Rodrigues and CS Santosh were placed 16th and 47th overall, respectively on their Hero-Speedbrain machines. Rodrigues, in fact, managed to place higher than last year's winner Toby Price who is riding a factory KTM.

The second stage will have a total distance of 803km with a 275km timed section.

Provisional General Classification
1. Juan Perdo Garcia (Sherco-TVS) 28min. 22sec.
2. Ricky Brabec (Honda) 28:34
3. Paulo Goncalves (Honda) 28:48
4. Sam Sunderland (KTM) 28:49
5. Joan Barreda Bort (Honda) 28:52
6. Matthias Walkner (KTM) 29:02
7. Michael Metge (Honda) 29:08
8. Gerard Farres Guell (KTM) 29:08
9. Ivan Cervantes Montero (KTM) 29:16
10. Xavier De Soultrait (Yamaha) 29:20
16. Joaquim Rodrigues (Hero Speedbrain) 29:42
47. CS Santosh (Hero Speedbrain) 32:45
61. Aravind KP (Sherco-TVS) 34:17
124. Adrian Metge (Sherco-TVS) 40:15