- Joaquim Rodrigues (Hero MotoSports) leads the overall ranking
- TVS riders Lorenzo Santolino and Adrien Metge are currently on second and third positions, respectively
- Stage 2 was shortened to 145km due to technical challenges at the refuelling stop
The second stage of PanAfrica rally witnessed thrilling action along with interesting shuffling of ranks on the scoreboard. Interestingly, Stage 2 was supposed to cover a 290km long route in Merzouga but was shortened to 145km due to technical issues at the refuelling stop.
While Sherco TVS’ Adrien Metge had won the first stage of the competition, Stage 2 saw Hero MotoSport’s Joaquim Rodrigues clinching the top spot with a lead of 1min 54sec over Metge. Closely following Adrien was his teammate Lorenzo Santolino. Out of the four-rider group, Lorenzo and Adrien stand at second and third positions, respectively, in the overall ranking. Notably, besides winning Stage 2, Hero’s JRod is on top in the overall ranking as well, as he had won the Prologue stage.
Michael Metge of Sherco TVS, who had won the first stage of the rally, couldn’t retain his position for Stage 2 and slipped down to the fourth spot in the overall rider standings. Meanwhile, his teammate, Johnny Aubert, currently stands at ninth position. The Indian rider in Sherco TVS team, Adbul Wahid Tanveer, had to withdraw from the competition following a bad crash in Stage 1. Furthermore, CS Santosh of Hero MotoSports is maintaining his position in the top fifteen.
Stage 3 of PanAfrica will be the longest in the six-day competition as it will span across 450km which should make a significant difference in the overall ranking of the riders.
