It was a day of highs and lows for the Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Team on day four of the 2020 Dakar Rally with hard-charging Argentinian Franco Caimi bouncing back from a tough stage three to finish 11th. Bravely taking to the start having badly cut his wrist on stage three, Xavier de Soultrait was forced to abandon the event because of his injury.
Now competing as the team’s lead rider following the withdrawal of teammates Adrien Van Beveren and Xavier de Soultrait, Franco Caimi delivered his best performance of the 2020 Dakar Rally to date, posting the sixth fastest time on the stage. Frustratingly, Franco received a five-minute penalty, placing 11th for the day and now sitting 13th overall.
The 27th rider to take to the start of today’s 453-kilometre stage, in pushing hard and delivering near faultless navigation he’d moved himself up to third position by kilometre 243. Running into a few small navigational issues at the end of the stage he ended the special just over two-and-a-half minutes down on the day’s winner following close to four-and-a-half hours of desert racing, before picking up his five-minute penalty for speeding.
