The Dakar 2017 riders continued to battle with the heavy rains in Stage 8. Stage 8 demanded 492km of tough riding and this is the same stage where only the riders can work on their motorcycles.
Their mechanics are not allowed to touch any component of the bike. In short, Stage 8 is the test of the rider’s endurance, stamina and also his mechanical skills. However, this stage got divided into two parts after a river overflowed.
The stage was also shortened by 68km. Nevertheless, Honda’s Joan Barreda continued to dominate the standings and was the quickest of the 110 riders. Joan Barreda finished the stage 3:51 minutes ahead of Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team Matthias Walkner, and 3:54 ahead of Walkner’s KTM 450 Rally teammate Sam Sunderland.
TVS Sherco’s Juan Pedrero continued to impress us with this riding ability. He finished the stage six minutes behind the stage leader taking the fifth place. This has helped him take the 20th rank in the overall rankings. As for his team mate Adrien, he got stuck and wandered off the track. He lost time, but managed to get back on track and achieve 25th place in the stage, taking his overall ranking to 38th position.
