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Category: Dakar Rally
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Harith Noah completes Dakar Rally 2020 in Dakar Experience class
Haradh (Saudi Arabia) 17 Jan 2020: Indian rider and Dakar debutante Harith Noah completed the Dakar Rally, albeit in a lesser Dakar Experience class for those who have not finished a stage, as the Keralite finished the 12th and final stage in a noteworthy 27th place as the 42nd Dakar Rally which was held for the first time in Saudi Arabia came to a conclusion.
The Sherco TVS rookie was forced to switch on to the Dakar Experience category, a new class which was introduced this year to allow those who have not completed a stage to rejoin the rally and complete it. CS Santosh the first rider to take part in Dakar and who also became the first Indian to complete the Dakar Rally successfully had to withdraw from this year’s rally midway as his team Hero MotoSports took a decision to withdraw from the rally as a mark of respect to the Paulo Goncalves, who died following a crash in the 7th stage. KP Arvind of TVS Racing is the second Indian who has completed the Dakar Rally in 2019, in his third attempt, but had to pull out due to an injury, which gave Harith Noah a chance to make his debut.
Harith Noah action on Day 2 finishing overall 65th on Monday. Photo by Sherco TVS Rally team -
Harith Noah finishes Stage 11 in 25th position in Dakar Experience category
File photo of Harith Noah on Day 2. Photo by Sherco TVS Rally team Quddiya (Saudi Arabia), 16 Jan 2020: Dakar debutante Harith Noah of Sherco TVS Rally Factory Team did a commendable job in the 744-km penultimate Stage 11 of the 42nd Dakar Rally in the Bike category finishing 25th in the 100-rider field. The Indian will be looking forward to complete the last stage on Friday to become the third Indian to compete the Dakar. However, he is taking part in the Dakar Experience category after failing to enter the third stage due to a bike issue.
But the new rule allows him to complete the rally. Noah timed 4 hours 48 minutes and 12 seconds to complete the 379-km Special Stage on Thursday.
Meanwhile, the Empty Quarter, a vast expanse almost as big as France, boasts long, unbroken successions of dunes stretching for 80 kilometres. In contrast with yesterday, when the prevailing winds messed with stage 10 for cars, the weather today made the terrain far more hospitable as the increased humidity meant fewer competitors got stuck. The return trip to Haradh was raced at a much higher pace. This area serves as the crossroads from which the Dakar will leave the Empty Quarter and set course for Riyadh and Qiddiya.
In the Moto class, Pablo Quintanilla left nothing in the tank. The Chilean pulled out all the stops to topple Ricky Brabec, claiming his second stage in three days by a few seconds ahead of Matthias Walkner, who also threw caution to the wind. However, the overall leader will start the closing stage of the Rally with a healthy margin, as will Ignacio Casale, who left the win to Rafał Sonik in the quad category.
In the Cars category, Carlos Sainz seems to have the race in the bag despite Stéphane Peterhansel and Nasser Al-Attiyah unleashing their full might in a last-ditch attempt to claw back some time. While the Frenchman beat the Qatari by just a few seconds in today’s stage, it is Al-Attiyah who holds the provisional second place overall by a mere six seconds. The SSV race saw bigger gaps. “Chaleco” López put in a stunning performance today, but the overall is Casey Currie’s to lose. Meanwhile, Andrey Karginov added a new stage win to his tally as Kamaz blew the opposition out of the water with a 1-2-3-4 in Haradh.
Performance of the Day
The 25-year-old Jamie McCanney, racing in his first Dakar and second rally altogether, did not want to put the cart before the horse. The up-and-coming Brit, who caught the attention of Yamaha when he became junior enduro world champion, is getting stronger as the Dakar goes on, scoring his first top 7 finish yesterday before going one better on the road to Haradh, finishing in sixth place at only six minutes behind the winner. It was an auspicious performance by the Manxman, who is sitting within the top 15 overall within striking distance of the “best rookie” distinction.
Star of the day: 80
The number of stage wins by Stéphane Peterhansel in the greatest rally on Earth following his fourth triumph in 2020 in Haradh. The Frenchman, a six-time champion on a bike and seven-time champion in a car, has won 33 and 47 specials in these classes, respectively. He is the most prolific competitor in Dakar history by far. Trucker Vladimir Chagin, with 63 stage wins, is a distant second.
Woman rider of the Day
GasGas Factory Racing’s Laia Sanz took an important step closer to achieving her goal of finishing a 10th Dakar by completing stage 11 from Shubaytah to Haradh. Despite coming close to a fall, Laia finished the penultimate 379-kilometre special in a time of just over four-and-a-half hours, placing 18th for the day on her GasGas RC 450F.
The 12th and final stage of the 2020 Dakar Rally takes place tomorrow, with competitors departing Haradh and racing north-west to the finish line in Qiddya. With a strong result on the 374-kilometre special Laia can progress into the top 15 in the overall event classification.
Provisional results: Dakar Rally 2020, stage 11
1. Pablo Quintanilla (Husqvarna) 4:09:22
2. Matthias Walkner (KTM) 4:09:31 +0:09
3. Luciano Benavides (KTM) 4:12:10 +2:48
18. Laia Sanz (GasGas) 4:33:14 +23:5225. Harith Noah (Sherco TVS) 4:48:12 +38.50
Provisional standings: Dakar Rally 2020 (after stage 11)
1. Ricky Brabec (Honda) 38:33:28
2. Pablo Quintanilla (Husqvarna) 38:47:24 +13:56
3. Toby Price (KTM) 38:56:02 +22:34
17. Laia Sanz (GasGas) 42:19:43 +3:46:15 -
Harith Noah finishes Stage 10, the first leg of the marathon stage in 32nd place: #Dakar2020
Harith Noah of Sherco TVS Rally Factory Team on Wednesday. A DDPI image Shubaytah (Saudi Arabia), 115 Jan 2020: Indian rally-raid rider and Dakar debutant Harith Noah of Kerala garnered another stage successfully completing the Stage 10 in 32nd position on Wednesday in the Dakar Experience class of the Moto event.
Completing the first leg of the Marathon stage without any hiccups, the 29-year-old Sherco TVS Rally Factory Team rider is on the way to become the third Indian to complete Dakar, thanks to the new Experience class, which allows riders to finish the rally without qualifying for a ranking. Noah has missed Stage 3 due to a technical issue with his bike and will not be eligible for an overall ranking but is allowed to complete the rally in Dakar Experience class.
Sponsored by TVS, Sherco and Mountain Dew, Noah clocked 2 hours, 44 minutes and 41 seconds for the special stage today and is withing 33 minutes of the top riders.
The other Indian at the Dakar, CS Santosh, of Hero MotoSports Team Rally has withdrawn from the competition following the death of his teammate Paulo Goncalves on Jan 12.
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Harith Noah finishes Stage 9, a creditable 29th: Dakar Experience category
#83 Koitha Veettil Harith Noah of Sherco TVS, Sherco TVS Rally Factory team during the Stage 4 on January 8, 2020. Photo – DPPI Media Wadi al Dawasir (Saudi Arabia), 14 Jan 2020: The lone Indian rider left in Dakar Rally, Harith Noah of Sherco TVS Rally Factory Team, did a creditable job finishing 29 in the 9th stage as the 42nd Dakar Rally resumed here on Tuesday after the cancellation of the Monday’s Stage 8, mourning the death of Paulo Goncalves of Hero MotoSports, the other Indian team which withdrew from this year’s rally as a mark of respect and mourning for team member who died due to cardiac arrest on Sunday following a crash.
The other Indian rider, the first from India to complete the Dakar, who was doing well in 35th place at the half-way stage will not be able to complete the rally due to the Team’s decision to withdraw.
Harith Noah, who could not start on Day 3, due to some technical issue with the bike, will not be eligible for an overall ranking and he is taking part to complete the rally in the new `Dakar Experience’ category that was included this year to allow those who have failed a stage to rejoin from the next day but without any ranking. Noah, however, did a splendid job clocking 4hours, 2minutes and 33 seconds for the 410-km Special Stage of the 886-km Stage 9 from Wadi al Dawasir Haradh.
The Rally was temporarily paused for all motorcycle class racers as a mark of respect to the deceased Portugese rider who tragically lost his life on Day 7.
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Stage 8 cancelled for motorbikes and quads: Dakar2020
File photo of Harith Noah from Day 2. Photo by Sherco TVS Rally team Wadi al Dawasir (Saudi Arabia), 12 Jan 2020: The decease of Paulo Gonçalves during today’s stage 7 between Riyadh and Wadi Al-Dawasir has left the entire Dakar, especially the bikers, in shock. Paulo, a beloved figure of the rally, was immensely respected by both veterans and less experienced competitors who admired and were inspired by him. After meeting the riders and making a decision together with the entire motorbike family, the organisers have decided to cancel stage 8 for the motorbikes and quads category, which was supposed to take place on a loop course around Wadi Al-Dawasir, in order to give the riders time to mourn their friend.
The entire Dakar family came together to pay tribute to Paulo at the briefing this evening.
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The Dakar mourns Indian Team Hero MotoSports’ Paulo Goncalves
One of the last pictures of the Portugese rider who died during Stage 7 between Riyadh and Wadi Al-Dawasir, 741 km – SS 546 km, in Saudi Arabia, on January 12, 2020. Photo Eric Vargiolu/ DPPI Wadi al Dawasir (Saudi Arabia), 12 Jan 2020: Stage 7 was marked by a crash that claimed the life of Paulo Gonçalves, who was taking part in his 13th Dakar Rally. The victories of Kevin Benavides (motorbikes) and Carlos Sainz (cars) take second place, leaving the centre stage to a memorial to Indian Team, Hero MotoSport’s Portuguese rider to be held during the daily briefing with all competitors present.
The Dakar mourns Paulo Gonçalves, one of the most experienced and beloved champions of the rally-raid family. The runner-up of the 2015 edition and 2013 cross-country rallies world champion crashed 276 km into a special that was ultimately won by his former teammate Kevin Benavides, who tried in vain to assist the Portuguese rider together with Toby Price, the first competitor to reach the scene of the accident.
A shocked Indian rider CS Santosh, Goncalves’ Hero MotoSports’ teammate, said that he could not believe that Paulo is no more. Santosh finished the stage in 32nd for an overall ranking of 35. He clocked 5 hours, 13 minutes and 43 seconds for the 741-km stage 7.
It was a nice tribute on the part of the Argentinian biker, who beat Joan Barreda and Matthias Walkner to claim his first stage win in 2020 after falling out of contention for the overall. Ricky Brabec remains in control of the general classification. In the quad category, Ignacio Casale also defended his lead in spite of Frenchman Simon Vitse’s second stage win in a row.
The car race again boiled down to a three-way fight featuring Carlos Sainz, Nasser Al-Attiyah and Stéphane Peterhansel, with the Spanish leader of the general classification taking the spoils in Wadi Al-Dawasir thanks to a rock-solid performance. “Chaleco” López surrendered the lead in the SSV category to American Casey Currie, who finished second right behind Blade Hildebrand, now racing under Dakar Experience rules. Finally, Andrey Karginov won the battle of the juggernauts by a slim margin over teammate Dmitry Sotnikov and strengthened his grip on the overall.
Performance of the Day
After coming close to a top 10 finish in Wadi Al-Dawasir, Dakar first-timer Martin Michek continued his progression and wrested the position of top rookie in the general classification from Jaume Betriu with 14th place overall. The Czech, one of the rising stars of the sport after a long career in motocross at the global level, has made no mistakes so far. However, a meagre 37 seconds separate Michek from Betriu, promising a fierce battle between the two men for the title of best Dakar rookie.
Start of the Day
3 seconds. The difference between truck stage winner Andrey Karginov and runner-up Dmitry Sotnikov after 546 km of racing! A wafer-thin margin that amounts to a distance of just 90 metres between the two Kamaz trucks after completing the stage at an average speed of almost 109 km/h…
More last photos of Goncalves by Florent Gooden/ DPPI Photo for A.S.O._DPPI by Florent Gooden -
Hero MotoSports mourns the death of Paulo Goncalves
Hero MotoSports pays tribute to Goncalves who died on Sunday. Twitter @Hero_MotoSports Hero MotoSports Team Rally is profoundly grieved to report that its Portuguese rider, Paulo Goncalves passed away this morning during the 7th stage of the Dakar Rally 2020. Paulo, aged 40, passed away from a fall sustained 276 kilometers into today’s special. The organizers received an alert at 10:08 and dispatched a medical helicopter that reached the biker at 10:16 and found him unconscious after going into cardiac arrest. Following resuscitation efforts in situ, the competitor was taken by helicopter to Layla Hospital, where he was sadly pronounced dead. He has had an illustrious journey in the rally-racing world, including a series of remarkable performances at the world’s most prestigious rallies. He was crowned 2013 FIM Cross Country Rally World Champion. He also held the runners-up position at the Dakar Rally in 2015. Mr. Wolfgang Fischer, Head – Hero MotoSports Team Rally said, ‘Words cannot describe our shock and loss at this moment. It isn’t just a team, it is a family for us and we are devastated with the passing away of one of our members, Paulo Goncalves. He joined the Team in April last year and within no time became an integral part of the Hero MotoSports Team family. He will be dearly missed and always be fondly remembered by us. Paulo was a true champion, gentleman, reliable friend to everyone in the racing world and a role model as sportsman and personality. We extend our deepest condolences to his family and friends.’
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Hero MotoSports’ Portugese rider Goncalves is no more: Dakar 2020
Hero MotoSports pays tribute to Goncalves who died on Sunday. Twitter @Hero_MotoSports Following is the official statement from the organisers of Dakar 2020:
Paulo Gonçalves, racing on motorbike no. 8, has passed away from a fall sustained 276 kilometres into today’s special. The organisers received an alert at 10:08 and dispatched a medical helicopter that reached the biker at 10:16 and found him unconscious after going into cardiac arrest. Following resuscitation efforts in situ, the competitor was taken by helicopter to Layla Hospital, where he was sadly pronounced dead.
The 40-year-old Paulo Gonçalves was taking part in his 13th Dakar. He made his debut in 2006 and had finished four times in the top 10, including an impressive performance as runner-up to Marc Coma in 2015. Paulo Gonçalves, the 2013 cross-country rallies world champion, was sitting in 46th place overall after stage 6 of the 2020 Dakar.
The entire Dakar caravan would like to extend its sincere condolences to his friends and family. -
Indian rally-raid rider Ashish Raorane 17th overall after Stage 5: Africa Eco Race
Ashish Raorane during Stage 4 on Friday. Photo courtesy Africa Eco Race Smara, 11 Jan 2020: The 38-year old professionial Indian rally-raid rider, Ashish Raorane finished 14th in the fifth stage to improve his overall ranking to 17th in the 12th edition of the annual Africa Eco Race on Saturday. The rally runs in the original route of Dakar when it was run in Africa. The Africa Eco Race runs over 6,500km, with 12 stages across Morocco, the Western Sahara, Mauritania and Senegal. Seven more stages are left in the rally which runs till Jan 19.
It was a long stage of 474 km today. “The stage was super fast and I got lost about 40km before refuel. Had complicated bits thrown in and navigation was extremely tricky but fortunately spotted some vehicle dust which I could follow and recovered in time. Good day of racing, after 210 km of liaison, we are at the Dakhla beach for a well-deserved rest day,’’ said Ashish, the marine engineer from Pune.
You can watch the video clip on Ashish’s Instagram here.
Riding a KTM 450, he improved his ranking from Friday’s 23rd. He began with a 33rd after the first stage for an overall ranking of 33 but has been steadily improving his riding. After second stage, he managed to climb to 23rd and further improved two places after Stage 3. But a 27th place finish on Thursday saw him slide back to 23rd on Friday but today was a good day in office as he finished 14th improving his overall ranking to 17th
Ashish took part in the Indian National Rally Championship in Nashik in 2015 and also made his debut in the Raid-De-Himalaya astride a Triumph Tiger 800. Later, he took part in the Desert Storm (Yamaha 250) in 2016 and 2017 and also participated in the Pan Africa Rally in 2018, before the FIM Baja Word Championship in 2019, where he finished an overall 12th following his 7th place finish in the concluding Hungarian Baja as a privateer astride a KTM 450. After the Eco race this year, Ashish dreams to take part in the Dakar, the mother of all Rallies. Last year, the rally-raid rider attracted attention with his good performances to get sponsored by Swiss watch brand Luminox.
The Stage 5 drive towards the great Moroccan south was done at express speed on good tracks traced in the heart of rather monotonous desert landscapes. After an extremely vigilant run today, in terms of navigation with many parallel tracks, the participants conclude the first week of racing before tackling the now traditional well-deserved rest day, on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean in Dakhla.
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CS Santosh improves to 36th rank after a steady Stage 6 ride: #Dakar2020
CS Santosh successfully completed Stage 6 for an overall rank of 36 at the half-way mark. A Hero MotoSports image Riyadh, 10 Jan 2020: Ace Indian rallyist CS Santosh made a steady improvement by the day and finished the half-way mark in Dakar 2020 successfully on Friday gaining some more places with a steady and sensible ride. The 36-year-old Bengalurean finished Day 6 at a very creditable 31st place completing the sixth stage for an overall ranking of 36.
Supported by Hero MotoSports Rally Team, the first Indian to take part and complete the Dakar Rally clocked 5 hours 26 minutes and 11 seconds for the 830-km stage which had a special stage distance of 477km of sand dunes.
After a day of rest on Saturday, the Red Bull athlete, Santosh will take on 546-km special on Sunday, the longest of the special stages as he starts the second leg of the last six days.
“It was a long day and difficult day for me but I am happy we are here at the half-way stage in Dakar. It was blowing hard and it was sandy and there was a lot of movement on the bike and my wrist took a lot of beating. I look forward to the final half which is crucial,” signed off Santosh, who is sponsored by Sidvin, Fast Indian, Scott, Track & Trail and Cannondale.
