Branch in 18th position after stage four
Kabelo Boranabi | Wednesday January 8, 2020 15:48
The 33-year-old had blistering start to the race after bagging his maiden stage win on day two of the competition, which saw him move to sixth overall. But on Tuesday, during the stage three race, the 'Kalahari Ferrari' suffered a crash, which saw him losing ground in the overall rankings.
He damaged his shoulder in crash while losing over an hour on the terrain. He however recovered well to finish 20th. In attempt to cover time lost in stage three, Branch produced a solid performance on Wednesday over the 672km distance, which is one the longest stage runs in a time of 04:25:46, and finished just a minute and six seconds after stage winner Sam Sunderland of Great Britain.
A 564km distance awaits Branch and his competitors tomorrow where the local lad would be hoping for a more fairer stage run. He remains the only semi-professional biker inside the top 20.
Meanwhile, local teen Brady Armstrong is returning home tomorrow after a short spell with HT Rally Raid team at the rally. Armstrong was invited by the factory team to be an observer with prospects on competing in the race next year under the stable.