Mike Docherty claims his maiden Rally2 stage victory as Nacho Cornejo finishes fifth in Rally GP, while Shlok Ghorpade retires after his motorcycle catches fire
Hero MotoSports Team Rally delivered a strong performance on Stage 4 of the Rallye du Maroc, with Mike Docherty securing his maiden Rally2 stage victory in the event. Nacho Cornejo also put in a solid ride to finish fifth in Rally GP, while Shlok Ghorpade was forced to retire after his motorcycle caught fire during the demanding 318.8-km stage.
Docherty entered Stage 4 after three consecutive Rally2 podium finishes and finally converted his consistent pace into a stage victory. The result strengthens his position in the Rally2 standings ahead of the final stage. He currently sits second overall in Rally2 after four stages.
In the provisional Stage 4 classification, Docherty was sixth overall with a time deficit of 8 minutes and 25 seconds from stage winner Daniel Sanders of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing. Despite finishing sixth overall, Docherty’s performance was enough to secure first place in the Rally2 category.
Cornejo delivers strong fifth-place finish
Nacho Cornejo continued his comeback with another impressive performance in the Rally GP category. Following his podium finish in Stage 3, the Chilean rider maintained his pace and focus through another challenging day in the Moroccan desert to finish fifth in Stage 4.
Cornejo’s ride was made more difficult by issues with his wheel spokes. He was forced to slow down and manage the problem carefully, but fellow riders Tosha, Adrian and Ricky stopped to help him tighten the spokes. Thanks to their assistance, Cornejo was able to reach the bivouac without incurring a time penalty.
After Stage 4, Cornejo sits seventh overall in Rally GP, while he is eighth in the overall classification across the rally’s combined standings.
Ghorpade retires after helping crashed rider
The biggest setback for Hero MotoSports came with Shlok Ghorpade, who was forced to retire after his motorcycle caught fire.
Ghorpade had restarted the rally and was battling through difficult terrain, tricky navigation and challenging weather conditions. During the stage, he stopped at around the 130-km mark after spotting a crashed rider and stayed to assist him alongside the medical team until the rider was evacuated.
After restarting, Ghorpade experienced a burning sensation in his leg at around the 200-km mark and realised that his motorcycle had caught fire. He immediately got off the bike and escaped unharmed, although the motorcycle was destroyed.
Final 259-km stage awaits
Stage 4 covered 318.8 km, featuring fast tracks, valleys, technical sandy sections, small dune passes and a rocky final section. The rally now heads into its final stage, which will feature another 259-km challenge before the conclusion of this round of the World Rally-Raid Championship.
With Docherty sitting second in Rally2 and Cornejo seventh in Rally GP, Hero MotoSports will be aiming to finish the Rallye du Maroc on a strong note in the final stage.
