Following his injury, as a precautionary measure, the Hero MotoSports Team Rally has decided
to pull out of the rally. The Team’s decision has been taken keeping rider safety as the top
priority. Santosh was the Team’s sole rider participating in the rally.
Santosh, who was leading at the end of the first 2 stages, met with a crash during the third stage
of the rally, which left him with a neck injury.
The initial assessments from the on-ground team of doctors show no signs of a major injury.
However, Santosh will need to undergo a detailed evaluation. He will be moved to Bengaluru
very soon, where further scans and treatment will be performed.
During the stage 3 today, Santosh was building up a good overall lead of 10 minutes over his
closest competitor, prior to his crash that left him hurt. He still managed to bring the bike to the
stage finish fighting through the pain and discomfort.
C S Santosh, Rider, Hero MotoSports Team Rally: “I was doing really well today prior to the
crash. There was a lot of dust around and the visibility was not good. I could not spot a sand bank
that suddenly appeared and I crashed quite hard. There is a sharp pain in my neck and movement
is very restricted. We have decided to not risk it further so we are pulling out of the rally now. I
am sorry and disappointed that I could not make it to the finish line for my team and the fans. But
I promise that I will come back stronger, very soon.”
Wolfgang Fischer, Team Manager, Hero MotoSports Team Rally: “As we all know, rally sport
is very unpredictable. One moment can change the fortunes of the team. Today was one such
moment for us. Santosh was leading the rally so far with a healthy time gap over the closest
opponent, but today’s unfortunate crash has forced us to pull out from the rally. Rider safety is a
top priority for us and our decision to withdraw from the rally is in line with that. For now we are
working to get Santosh back to home where he will undergo some tests and then follow the course
of treatment. We are really sorry that we could not finish the rally for all our fans and supporters
but we will comeback with full force soon. We wish CS a speedy recovery.”
