2019 Desert Storm: TVS rider Adrien Metge takes lead in stage 1

- Hero MotoSports’ CS Santosh stood second 

- Third, fourth and fifth spots were clinched by TVS riders

The first stage of the 2019 Desert Storm concluded on 8 May with riders conquering the terrains of Bikaner in Rajasthan. Competing under the scorching sun, TVS riders shone bright with four riders from the team making their way to the top five in above-250cc category of the rally. 

The opening stage was led by TVS’ Adrien Metge who finished the round in 1:05:03 hours. He was followed by Hero MotoSports rider CS Santosh who was 2:20mins behind Metge and finished second. The third, fourth and fifth spots were clinched by TVS riders Tanveer Abdul Wahid, R Nataraj and Rajendra R E, respectively. TVS also had its lady rider, Aishwarya Pissay competing in the same category who concluded stage one at the 23rd position owing to the 20-minute penalty she received. Meanwhile, in the upto-250cc category, TVS Racing’s Sachin finished at second rank.

The first stage of the rally comprised of 86km of special (timed) section which was divided into two parts. The first part sprawled across 41km and brought along a hard terrain for the riders to warm up while the second stage of 46km proved to be tricky due to the sandy surface. The second day will see the riders making their way on the 313km route to Jaisalmer before competing in the 116km of special section.