 "Hero Motorsports team begins its seventh consecutive Dakar Rally in Jeddah")
India's Hero MotoSports Team Rally began its seventh consecutive Dakar Rally at the Sea Camp near Jeddah on Saturday.
The team features a stellar squad of four Rally GP class riders - Franco Caimi, Joaquim Rodrigues, Ross Branch, and Sebastian Buhler.
Starting their campaign on a strong foot at the 45th edition of the Dakar Rally, the Team finished the 13-km long Prologue stage with three riders in the top 10 positions.
Ross Branch achieved a spot on the podium with a third place, followed by Joaquim Rodrigues in the sixth and Sebastian Buhler in eighth positions.
Franco Caimi is in the 20th position in the Rally GP Class.
After a short start podium ceremony, riders completed the short 13-km special on the seafront, which gave the top 10 finishers an advantage of choosing their starting positions for the first stage due on Sunday.
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The first official stage of the Dakar Rally 2023 will take the riders around a 603 km loop around the Sea Camp with 367 kms forming the special section.
Sandy tracks follow stony sections with a fair bit of gravel in this first taste of the desert in the eastern region.