Ross Branch took his second Dakar victory today and his first in the world's toughest rally with Hero. The Botswana rider finished the day with a 3m15s lead over second placed Daniel Sanders, after being in contention for victory throughout today's stage.
'It's been a terrible week for us. I needed to get back on top for myself and for the team. They've worked so hard. I made a couple of small mistakes, but hopefully we can stay at the top of the leader board until all the guys have finished today and get another stage win for Hero MotorSports, that's the main goal. We wanted to be at the front at the end of the rally, but unfortunately that time has passed,' he said shortly after the end of the stage, according to the official race website.
The rider continued: 'We've been perfect today and that's what counts. Now I'll work with the team, take it one day at a time and make sure the motorbike is perfect for the rest of the W2RC season. We'll just keep on working and keep on pushing.'