Arequipa (Peru), Jan 10 (IANS): Seasoned Indian rider Aravind KP continued to improve his overall ranking even as all the other three Sherco TVS Rally Factory team racers battled heavy fog and extreme terrain to finish a challenging Stage 3 of Dakar 2019 here.

The team rode to the city of Arequipa in the highlands of Peru amidst intense heat and dry conditions. Despite a challenging stage with a 342 km special, the team performed well.

Aravind got better and better with every stage and has started riding at his own pace with the goal of reaching the finish line. Aravind's overall ranking is now at 61st position overall after the third stage ended late Wednesday.

His teammate Michael Metge bounced back strongly to climb the rankings and in the middle of the stage, even found himself in the 5th position. Metge gave one of his best performances and managed to finish the stage in the top 15, taking his overall ranking to 28th position.

Lorenzo Santolino was impressive too especially with his navigation and he finished the stage at 10th position. He has improved his overall ranking to 13th.

Adrien Metge lost some time in navigation and had a difficult stage but he was still able to finish and is now at 15th position in the overall rankings. Adrien is confident that he will do much better in the future stage.

Commenting on the side's performance, Team manager David Casteu said: "I am happy with our team's performance in Stage 3 despite many challenges. The riders are very motivated and completely focused to improve their performance."

"The mechanics are doing an amazing job and are supporting their riders to the fullest. The camaraderie is great and we will keep this spirit going till the finish line," he added.

The riders will leave for Moquegua in stage 4 covering a total distance of 511 km, which includes 352 km of special.