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Category: Dakar Rally
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With caution as strategy, Harith Noah finishes 47th in Prologue: Dakar 2023
Yanbu (Saudi Arabia), 31 Dec 2022: TVS Factory Racing star Harith Noah, the only rider from India at Dakar 2023, made a cautious beginning finishing the opening Prologue at 47th place in the overall classification and 26th in the Rally GP class, here on Saturday.
Watch the Sherco video of Noah’s Prologue here.
Caution was the strategy for this first timed-test and the Sherco TVS Factory rider clocked 9 minutes and 8 seconds to finish 47 among 138 riders. After three days of set-up and checks, the race is on for the Sherco Factory Rally Team. The riders left and rode the very slippery 13-km prologue using extreme caution. The route went around the base Sea Camp, on the shores of the Red Sea.
Harith Noah is taking part in the Bikes top class, the Rally GP and he has also entered for the Raid Raid World Championship, for which Dakar is the first leg.
Noah from Shoranur in Kerala, is taking part in his fourth Dakar, all in Saudi Arabia. He is a five-time Indian National Supercross champion. He trained hard in USA for about two months to develop his Road Book skills. The road book this year will be paperless and will only be on the digital monitors provided on the bike. As preparation he also took part in the Andalusia Rally and Rally of Morocco.
All of the riders followed the instructions of the team manager David Castero, who asked them to remain in the background and play it safe to ensure that everyone finished this short stage. A strategy of caution that proved to be judicious as a rider who started in front of them had a bad fall and finished his Dakar a few meters after the start.
“Another objective was to also start behind the race leaders tomorrow and follow in their tracks. The riders followed the instructions well, the bikes are working great, and the atmosphere is excellent within the team, which bodes well for the future,” said a Sherco team member.
Noah’s Sherco teammates Lorenzo Santolino finished P24 while Rui Gonçalvez came in next at P25.
Lorenzo Santolino said: “The special was very fast and slippery. I made a small error, but the sensations were very good! We are waiting for tomorrow’s starting order, the day which will be the real start of the race, the start of the premier race of the year!”
Tomorrow, the riders are getting down to business with a 603 km stage, including 368 km of special. The stage forms a loop, the start and finish will be at Sea camp.
About Harith Noah
It took him two editions to learn and adapt but 6 years after CS Santosh, Harith Noah became the third Indian rider to reach the finish of the world’s toughest rally. Not only did he achieve his dream he also managed the best ever performance for an Indian claiming an excellent 20th overall position in 2021.
In the footsteps of pioneers Santosh CS and Aravind Prabhakar, the young man from Kerala, but born in Germany had a rather long journey before taking on rallies. It started on his sixteenth birthday when he was given a motorbike. A weekend later, he was racing and although he finished last of that first race, his passion grew. His first encounter with the Dakar came thanks to the video tapes his dad would bring back from his business trips all over the world. He was 5 years old then and far from imagining that he would be on the start line of the 2020 Dakar.
Part of the Sherco TVS factory team, Noah’s first encounter with the race was a hard one. He was indeed forced to retire from the rally as soon as day 3 due to technical issues. But thanks to the new “Dakar Experience” that allows competitors to carry on while no longer being in the general classification, he was able to learn and gain experience. For his fourth attempt, after again failing to finish last year, the 29-year old who took part in the Morocco and Andalucia rallies this year, will again be alongside his team mates Lorenzo Santolino and Rui Gonçalves with the goal to once again do better than his starting number 20.
“I got my first bike in 2009 and on the next weekend I was racing in the paddy fields by my house in Kerala. I fell in love with it immediately. Two years later I became national supercross champion in the privateer class. My focus was really on supercross, not the Dakar and then TVS got involved. About the last Dakar, my 3rd attempt, the two weeks got over pretty quick. To be honest I was not satisfied, but I believe this will give me an extra drive to keep pushing forward. It’s another mindset riding a stage at the Dakar with nothing to lose,” said Noah on the official Dakar site. -
Harith Noah lone rider from India; Hero Motosports, the only Indian team: Dakar 2023
- Harith Noah of Sherco TVS Rally Factory team will be the lone rider to represent India once again at the Dakar while Hero Motosports Team Rally will be the only Indian Manufacturer team. A squad of four foreign riders, Franco Caimi, Joaquim Rodrigues, Ross Branch, and Sebastian Buhler, will represent the Hero team.
- Sam Sunderland shines brightest among the 125 bikers slated to take the start of the Dakar from the Sea Camp. The title holder is targeting a third triumph in the rally after being crowned world champion at the end of the W2RC. GasGas’s British rider is one of the stars that make up the varied KTM constellation, along with contenders such as Kevin Benavides, Skyler Howes and rising star Mason Klein.
- Their arch-rivals at Honda are bringing overwhelming firepower to bear in a bid to reclaim the throne, with challengers such as the fresh recruit Adrien Van Beveren, Ricky Brabec, Pablo Quintanilla and “Nacho” Cornejo, as well as Joan Barreda, although the Spaniard is no longer in the factory team.
- 27 bikers will be taking part in the 2023 edition in the Original by Motul category, which requires them to take care of their motorbikes on their own every evening —a pure, unadulterated spirit of adventure.
It feels like a lifetime ago that the talent needed to prevail in the Dakar was concentrated in a few bikers in the orbit of KTM, the behemoth that held the race in an iron grip for 18 editions in a row. However, some things remain the same, such as Sam Sunderland’s ability to consistently handle the pressure at the top of the race. The Brit stayed as cool as a cucumber in the face of adversity last January to conquer his second title in the rally and went on to crush the opposition throughout the W2RC season and retake the title he had already won in 2019. The rock-solid “Sunder Sam” now rides for Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing, where he shares the stable with Daniel Sanders, who has already shown the makings of a champion but has been hamstrung and unable to race often since he hurt his elbow in the Dakar. Their cousins at Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, with three former winners in their ranks, are legitimate outsiders.
Kevin Benavides has been their top performer this year, ending the season on a high note with second place in Andalusia, whereas Matthias Walkner struggled with an injured shoulder and Toby Price was unable to go the distance in a car in the Baja 1000 and on his KTM in the Rallye du Maroc.
The KTM galaxy has other stars ready to shine in the Husqvarna Factory Racing constellation, including the winner of the Rallye du Maroc, Skyler Howes, and his runner-up Luciano Benavides, who finished the W2RC just outside the podium. Keen stargazers should also point their telescopes towards BAS World KTM Racing Team, the development team focused on assisting the rise of Mason Klein, the breakthrough performance of the 2022 edition with ninth place at the tender age of 20, who capped his season with the Rally2 championship.
Another change in the star charts, the disappearance of the Yamaha factory team, paved the way for Adrien Van Beveren to sign with Monster Energy Honda Team and bolster the squad’s title prospects. Boisterous in blue as he cruised to fourth place in the 2022 Dakar, the Frenchman has been radiant in red since he moved to his new team, taking fourth place in the Rallye du Maroc and winning the Andalucía Rally in his latest outing. This has not stopped the Japanese maker from spreading its bets, however, knowing that 2020 champion Ricky Brabec came in second in the W2RC and its two Chilean bikers, Pablo Quintanilla (second in 2022) and “Nacho” Cornejo (sixth in the same year), both have what it takes to seize the title at stake in Dammam. Indeed, Honda’s roster is so deep that the factory team could even afford to let go a man who has 29 stage wins to his name and finished fifth in the previous edition, but Joan Barreda, now competing as a lone rider on a “satellite” Honda, remains as dashing and hungry for victory as ever going into his thirteenth Dakar.
Beyond the top-billed bout between KTM and Honda, there are other contenders in teams that evoke the fleeting brilliance of a shooting star. Hero Motosports Team Rally is ready to shoot for the stars with Franco Caimi and Joaquim Rodrigues, who brought the Indian outfit its maiden stage win in 2022. The Sherco Factory bikers will definitely be burning with the same ambition, especially Lorenzo Santolino, fourth in the Andalucía Rally in his latest outing.
The 21-year-old Mason Klein has graduated to the “big league” after turning the entire Rally2 season into the Mason Klein Show, but Konrad Dąbrowski, who was a serious contender, will have to watch the Dakar on TV after undergoing surgery for appendicitis. This turn of events has bumped the South African Bradley Cox up to favourite status, but he will face a challenge from Romain Dumontier and Camille Chapelière. The rookies are also dead set on making their mark on the race, starting with former enduro world champion Alex Salvini and the extremely promising Tomas de Gavardo.
Original by Motul: the bravest of the brave
They call it the ultimate experience. Entering the Dakar without assistance means signing up for one sleepless night after another and a vicious circle of fatigue, but making it to the finish in such gruelling circumstances comes with unparalleled bragging rights and the satisfaction of sharing the whole experience with the rest of the Original by Motul field. A rule change this year makes former pro bikers and riders who have already stood on the Original by Motul podium ineligible for the classification.
However, this has not stopped the Spaniard Joan Pedredo, twice fifth in the Dakar (2011 and 2013) and a former lieutenant of Marc Coma in the latter’s victorious campaigns, from tackling the rally solo in what will be his 15th start.
Just like category regulars such as Benjamin Melot and Emanuel Gyenes, he will be racing as an ambassador for the Original by Motul, an open-air garage in which every biker has to comb through his or her motorbike at the end of the day and fix anything that needs fixing. For the first time ever, five American bikers riding under the banner of “American Rally Originals” will look for strength in numbers in a bid to make it to the finish together, while a new female biker, Kristen Landman (55th in 2020), is poised to discover the joys and sorrows of Original by Motul.
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From the beaches of Red Sea to sands of Arabian Gulf: New route for 2023 Dakar
There will be a new itinerary for the fourth edition of the Dakar in Saudi Arabia from December 31, 2022, to January 15, 2023 and 1st round ot the FIA-FIM World Rally-Raid Championship. The route will take the pilots from the beaches of the Red Sea to the sands of the Arabian Gulf in Dammam. Harith Noah from Kerala will again lead the Indian challenge at Dakar 2023 and he is likely to be joined by other Indians from Petronas TVS Racing.
This crossing of the country will be, in fact, a complete tour as the 14 stages will first lead the Dakar to the north-western mountain regions before heading to the deep southeast for a three-day journey through ocean of dunes in the Empty Quarter.
AN XXL BIVOUAC STARTING WITH THE “CHECKS”
The competitors will arrive in Saudi Arabia in friendly atmosphere near the beach. The new start format will accommodate the entire Dakar caravan during the final technical and administrative checks, which will take place mainly at the Castellet circuit at the end of November. The structures have been redesigned for the occasion to include entertainment and provide areas for conviviality and interaction. The “Sea Camp” concept consists of taking over a piece of desert by the sea. The adventure has already begun.
1 + 14 = 15 DAYS OF COMPETITION
The 2023 Dakar is characterised by its length, with 14 stages plus a prologue for 15 days of competition. The itinerary includes 70% new special stages. It is also the densest rally format in its modern era. The overwhelming majority of the special stages are close to 450 kilometres. The liaison sectors will be shorter, with the finish lines closer to the bivouacs, which will reduce liaison times. In total, with almost 5,000 kilometres of special stages, this edition will feature the longest distance of competition since 2014.
THREE DAYS IN THE EMPTY QUARTER
The Dakar competitors have become familiar with this immense region of Saudi territory designated as the “Empty Quarter” of the Arabian Peninsula. But forays to the marathon bivouac at Shubeyta in 2020 or loops traced from Wadi Ad Dawasir only revealed a minuscule portion of this vast desert. Thanks to the route that provides communications with the neighbouring state of Oman, a much deeper immersion is now possible and allows for a bivouac to be set up in the extreme-eastern region of Saudi Arabia. The pilots will also have to cope with the challenge of a marathon stage during the three days in the Empty Quarter.
THE “EXPLORERS” REWARDED
The Dakar has the distinction of assembling the most successful competitors on the planet and enthusiasts who set themselves the sporting challenge of a lifetime with much less pretension. The mutual pride in competing on the same route is part and parcel of the essence of the Dakar. The respective means of the professionals and the amateurs provide additional encouragement to the latter, who will benefit each day from a separate classification and prize money. There will be a list of “Factory” drivers for each category based on the results in their rally-raid careers. “Explorers” will compete for valuable bonuses to validate their improvement in the discipline: equipment, etc.
RANDOM ROADBOOKS: NO COPYING!
The principle has been known for a long time in elementary schools where teachers sometimes hand out different assignments to two neighbouring students…, which is the best way to ensure that clever competitors will not be tempted to copy. Similarly, the routes of most of the special stages will be split into two over a more or less long section, with the roadbooks of A and B routes assigned randomly. Competitors tempted to follow their predecessors without thinking run the risk of missing their waypoints and thus incur severe penalties.
BIKES: A BONUS FOR OPENING A STAGE
The sequence of stages causes a yo-yo effect among the leading riders that can give credence to opportunist race strategies. Being the first to start a stage is the most delicate position of all. It so happens that the stage victory can be perceived as a disadvantage to such an extent that some riders voluntarily forego the win to avoid exposing themselves to a quasi-inevitable loss of time the following day. This year, time compensations will be awarded.
A DIGITAL ROADBOOK FOR EVERYONE
Paper is a thing of the past. For the past several years, “tablets” have appeared in the cars and then trucks before being tested by the elite category riders. The system has been thoroughly tested and is now ready to be used in all categories. All vehicles will be equipped with this digital version beginning this year.
DAKAR CLASSIC: TWO NEW CHALLENGES
With 140 vehicles, the second edition of the Dakar Classic was a great success and highlighted the significant differences in potential between the older cars and those from the late 1990s. Thus, an additional speed group, called H0, has been added to define lower average speeds adapted to less powerful cars. There will be two new challenges: “Authentic Codriver Challenge” for vehicles that enter without modern regularity instruments; and “Iconic Classic Club” for original vehicles that participated in the Dakar in the 20th century, thus excluding all “replicas”. A selection committee will limit the number of entries to a maximum of 150.
“DAKAR FUTURE”: A FURTHER STEP FORWARD
The Dakar saw a decisive step forward in its energy transition in 2022 with the creation of the T1-U category and the spectacular entry of Audi’s hybrid 4x4s, winners of 4 special stages with Carlos Sainz, Mattias Ekstrom and Stéphane Peterhansel. New projects are being developed and progress goes on thanks to the use of bio-fuels or synthetic fuels that drastically reduce the vehicles’ carbon footprint.
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Hero MotoSports, 1st Indian team to win a Dakar Stage and a podium
Jeddah (Saudi Arabia), 15 Jan 2022: Hero MotoSports Team Rally, the motorsport team of the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles and scooters – Hero MotoCorp, completed its Dakar 2022 campaign with a stellar result as both team riders crossed the final finish line in Jeddah on Friday.
You can read Harith Noah’s Dakar 2022 report is here. Report of the other Indian team Sherco TVS is here.
Dakar 2022 will go down in history as the edition that saw an Indian manufacturer win a Stage in the world’s toughest rally for the very first time!
With one stage win and one stage podium, this has been Hero MotoSports’ best-ever performance at the Dakar Rally so far. This was the team’s sixth consecutive appearance at the rally.
All through 2021, the team participated in multiple races, constantly upgrading their machines, and reaching the top positions. They entered the Dakar Rally battling several last-minute hurdles – including two of their riders getting unfit for the race due to injuries. The Dakar 2022, however, turned out to be a watershed moment for the team and Hero MotoCorp, as the team overcame challenges and achieved a historic result. Having won the hearts of fans around the world, the team has been receiving congratulatory messages all day long.
Joaquim Rodrigues, the star performer of the team, finished the last stage of 163 kms between Bisha to Jeddah with yet another top-15 finish.
For JRod, who lost his brother-in-law and mentor Paulo two years back at the Dakar, walking back into the same event each year has been a battle with himself. After making it to the podium of an FIM World Championship race in 2021, JRod entered Dakar 2022 with great confidence. Riding stronger than ever, he delivered his best ever performance at the Dakar – bagging his maiden stage win and also a 3rd place stage finish – which he dedicated to his mentor. He goes back proud from his fifth appearance at the Dakar with a 13th position in the overall RallyGP class rankings.
Having performed consistently throughout the Rally, Aaron Maré was not far behind, securing 15th place in the overall standings of the RallyGP class.
Even though Aaron Maré joined the team as a last-minute replacement for injured Franco Caimi, he adapted with the team and his new bike quickly, and proved to be a great team player. His consistent and praiseworthy performance this Dakar has earned the young rider attention from far and wide.
With seven of the world’s top manufacturer teams battling for the top prize, Dakar 2022 was the most competitive edition ever. 12 grueling stages and over 8000 kilometers later, the Hero Rally 450 machine proved its mettle yet again with no technical failures.
Even though the team rode with only one of their original riders JRod, the presence of CS Santosh at the camp greatly boosted the team’s confidence and morale. With eight top-10 stage finishes – including a 1st and 3rd position – the team flies back from Jeddah, far more confident than they were at arrival two weeks back.
The team will next be seen in action at the second race of the year under the FIM World Rally Raid Championship, at the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge in March 2022.
Wolfgang “Waffi” Fischer, Team Manager
“What a Dakar, after all the struggles we had a few weeks before the start! We are really proud of the performance of our riders, bikes and the team – a superb job done. The highlight was definitely the maiden Dakar stage victory for JRod and Hero MotoSports, underlined with a very strong third place at the hardest and most competitive, stage 11. Our last-minute entry Aaron did a perfect job, adapting seamlessly with the team, and keeping a cool head always, he proved to be a fast learner and team player.
The Dakar Rally was the most competitive ever, with seven manufacturer teams fighting for the top prize, and only 1:30 hrs dividing the top 15 after the 4000-race kilometers. It was a bit unfortunate for JRod to lose over 50 mins at the initial phase of the rally, preventing us from gaining more top positions in the overall tally.With zero technical problems and a total of eight top-10 results in the new RallyGP class of this Dakar, we look forward to the next W2RC race in Abu Dhabi in March, and the soonest return of our mates Basti and Franco. Thanks to the Hero family and all our partners who contributed to our success story – to be continued!”
Joaquim Rodrigues
“Extremely happy to be here! I’m really happy with my performance – it was a great Dakar for me and for the team. With the fantastic performance of the Hero Rally 450, we’re together now fighting for the top positions. My win this time is definitely the cherry on the top for me, and I can’t express how happy I am for myself and for the team to have finished yet another Dakar!”
Aaron Maré
“I’m beyond happy, it’s a dream come true! It’s been the longest 163 kms of my life in the last stage. It’s the end of a successful Dakar. I took it easy today, riding smooth and avoiding any mistakes or crashes. It’s been an overwhelming experience for me, and I’m very grateful to Hero MotoSports Team Rally for their confidence in me, and for all the hard work they’ve put in.”
Stage 12 Rankings – RallyGP class:
1. Pablo Quintanilla Monster Energy Honda 01h 40m 00s
2. Toby Price Red Bull KTM Factory Team + 18s
3. Jose Ignacio Cornejo Monster Energy Honda + 29s
4. Joan Barreda Bort Monster Energy Honda + 01m 13s
14. Joaquim Rodrigues Hero MotoSports Team Rally + 07m 44s
22. Aaron Maré Hero MotoSports Team Rally + 13m 34s
Overall Standings of the Dakar 2022 – RallyGP class:
1. Sam Sunderland GasGas Factory Racing 38h 47m 30s
2. Pablo Quintanilla Monster Energy Honda + 03m 27s
3. Matthias Walkner Red Bull KTM Factory Team + 06m 47s
4. Adrien van Beveren Monster Energy Yamaha + 18m 41s
13. Joaquim Rodrigues Hero MotoSports Team Rally + 01h 15m 44s
15. Aaron Maré Hero MotoSports Team Rally + 01h 49m 00s
Overall Standings of the Dakar 2022 – All classes:
1. Sam Sunderland GasGas Factory Racing 38h 47m 30s
2. Pablo Quintanilla Monster Energy Honda + 03m 27s
3. Matthias Walkner Red Bull KTM Factory Team + 06m 47s
4. Adrien van Beveren Monster Energy Yamaha + 18m 41s
14. Joaquim Rodrigues Hero MotoSports Team Rally + 01h 15m 44s
16. Aaron Maré Hero MotoSports Team Rally + 01h 49m 00s
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All 3 Sherco TVS riders arrive at the finish: A sherco report of Dakar 2022
Jeddah, 15 Jan 2022: We want to honor our riders who gave everything they had until the very end. There were smiles and fatigue at the finish, but the feeling of having completed a great Dakar and of having taken the brand new 450 SEF Rally to the finish was outstanding. After two weeks of racing and more than 8,000 kilometers covered, our 3 riders have reached Jeddah and the finish line of this 2022 Dakar. At the end of a final special where they once again had great performances (LS P9, RG P11, HN P23), Lorenzo Santolino finished in 11th place overall, close to a top 10 in which he remained for almost the entire race. Rui Goncalves finished 24th. Unluckily, our Portuguese rider encountered several minor technical problems, which caused him to lose a lot of time. This was disappointing when you see the excellent times, he was able to produce throughout this Dakar. Despite a solid race and following a technical incident Harith Noah ends up out of the standings, in the experience category. This 2022 Dakar was punctuated by many strong moments. Rui Goncalves climbed on the podium of stage 4, while Lorenzo Santolino remained in the top 5 in the general classification until the start of the 2nd week. Embarking on the incessant yoyo of the specials, he ended up downgrading, but he left his mark on this edition alongside the big names in the discipline. It is obvious that he is a potential major contender. Harith Noah pushed and learned every step of the way. He paid attention to instructions and became consistent. He was approaching the top 20, until his retirement on stage 10. This was a major test run for the new 450 SEF Rally, which will have made its debut in the sands of the Sahara. The valuable feedback from the riders allowed the whole team to work hard during these 15 days to continue development and bring all the machines to the finish. We will have the opportunity to meet the Sherco Factory Rally team throughout this season with Lorenzo Santolino still riding the 450 SEF Rally in the other events of the new FIM World Rally Championship. -
Nasser Al Attiyah, king of the Desert; Dakar Rally final winners
Key Points
Ø After leaving the shores of the Red Sea on 1 January, the drivers, riders and crews of the 2022 Dakar made it back to Jeddah with 8 000 kilometres under their belts. 104 car crews (46 T1s, 2 T2s, 22 T3s, 34 T4s), 109 bikers, 6 quad riders and 20 truckers were eligible for the final standings of the 44th edition.
Ø In the motorbike race, Sam Sunderland snapped up his second title, following his first in 2017, and took GasGas to the top of the podium, while Nasser Al-Attiyah added a fourth Bedouin trophy to his tally to go with those that he conquered in South America in 2011, 2015 and 2019.
Ø Victory in the lightweight prototype category went to South Racing’s Chilean driver, Francisco López, while the Seth Quintero whirlwind took the rally by storm, claiming 12 specials in his OT3-Red Bull at the young age of 19. In the SSV competition, favourite Austin Jones lived up to expectations despite a last-minute scare. In contrast, it was a smooth ride for the Kamaz truckers, starting with Dmitry Sotnikov, who defended his crown after leading the general standings from A to Z.
Ø The duels in the Saudi deserts and on their tracks also awarded the first points towards the 2022 season of the FIA and FIM World Rally-Raid Championships. Next up is the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, scheduled for 5 to 10 March.
The Outlines
Cars: Al-Attiyah king of the desert
Being the big favourite is a coveted position, but not necessarily a comfortable one. Nasser Al-Attiyah has cracked under the pressure several times before, but this year he and his co-driver Mathieu Baumel put in a masterful performance.
The Qatari was eager to seize the lead from the get-go and took the two specials (1A and 1B) that made up the opening stage. Meanwhile, the Audis were already on the back foot, first when Sainz made a catastrophic navigation blunder and then, the next day, when Peterhansel lost one of his rear wheels and had to accept an extremely heavy penalty in order to continue his Dakar adventure. Against this backdrop, the fight for top honours soon came down to a duel between Sébastien Loeb and Al-Attiyah, but the Frenchman faltered in stage 3, when he suffered a broken drive shaft, resulting in a 50-minute deficit by the time the rest day came around.
Firmly in command, the man who earned the nickname of “Prince of the Desert” in South America became a king by claiming his fourth Dakar title in the Middle East, next door to his home country, to go with his victories from 2011, 2015 and 2019. Loeb can find solace in the stellar performance of his BRX Hunter, but like in 2017, when he came up short in his duel with “Peter”, he ended up in second place… his least favourite! Yazeed Al-Rajhi inserted himself in the Franco-Qatari battle several times and proved that he is a force to be reckoned with on home turf, claiming his highest finish so far and climbing on the final podium for the first time (third at 1 h 01′13″).
Behind the top 3 that everyone yearns for, Prodrive can be pleased to have Orlando Terranova’s Hunter in fourth place, the best result of his career in a car after fourteen starts. In contrast, the Mini X-raid buggy seems to have been left in the dust by the new generation of T1+ cars, with Jakub Przygoński slipping down two places to sixth. Giniel De Villiers came in fifth to claim his eighteenth top 10 finish. Also in the top 10 was Mathieu Serradori in his Century (ninth). Mattias Ekström’s tenth place overall (see Stat of the day) capped Audi’s impressive performance over the last fortnight
Motorbikes: Sunderland in Wonderland
To say that the motorbike category was the closest-run race of the 44th Dakar would be an understatement. The 3′27″ between Sam Sunderland and Pablo Quintanilla in Jeddah were the slimmest margin at the top of the leader board since 1994, when Orioli finished 1′13″ ahead of Arcarons! The Englishman went back to his winning ways after a drought stretching back to 2017. Sunderland’s star had seemed to be on the wane. When he did not withdraw from the race, he had to settle for third the following year. To break this vicious cycle, the Englishman first stayed in the shadow of his flamboyant teammate, Daniel Sanders.
However, “Chucky”, the man of the first week, was sent home by a stupid crash while exiting the bivouac in Riyadh in the wee hours. Sam already held the overall lead, which he defended for four days without winning any specials. Meanwhile, three other former champions embarked on an impossible mission after flopping in the opening stages: it was 2021 all over again for Price and Brabec, joined by the defending champion, Kevin Benavides, this time round. Only Matthias Walkner, also a previous winner, and Adrien Van Beveren were able to match Sunderland blow for blow. The official GasGas biker delivered the coup de grâce with a win in stage 8. The same old trick once again allowed him to approach the remaining stages with caution and hatch a plan for stage 10. Sunderland and Walkner held back so that they could chase the new leader, Van Beveren, clad in Yamaha blue, in the following special. Pablo Quintanilla also pounced on the opportunity to finish second, matching his 2020 performance.
Young brands such as Sherco and Hero also had their moment in the sun. Ensconced in the top 5 for almost the entire first week, Santolino and his Sherco expected to feature in the fight for glory before the tables turned. Hero and Joaquim Rodrigues bagged their maiden win in stage 3, with a special thought for Paolo Gonçalves. Red once again fluttered in the breeze of the aptly named sea, but it was no longer Honda’s. GasGas avenged the insult to KTM and became the sixth constructor to take the Dakar.
In the Rally2 category for non-professional bikers, 20-year-old Mason Klein was a cut above the rest, finishing ahead of Camille Chapelière and picking up a stage podium along the way. The Frenchman, nineteenth overall, came in three places higher than in his debut. Romain Dumontier, precisely in twenty-second place, rounded out the Rally2 podium.
In the Original by Motul category for bikers without assistance, the 2022 podium was almost the same as last year’s. Lithuanian Arūnas Gelažninkas retained the title, while the battle-hardened Czech Milan Engel was runner-up and Frenchman Benjamin Melot defended his third place
Quads: Giroud in the name of the father
Alexandre Giroud emerged victorious from a classic Dakar war of attrition. Near the start, he watched on as the flashy performances of other riders turned out to be a flash in the pan. Lithuania’s Kancius, Russia’s Maksimov and even the defending champion, Manuel Andújar, all learned the hard way that haste makes waste. Pablo Copetti, on the other hand, grasped that the Dakar is an endurance race. The Argentinian-American and Giroud locked horns in the second week as Copetti launched assault after assault on the Frenchman’s lead. In the end, it was Copetti who bent the knee after a broken engine in stage 10 put paid to his chances. Giroud now had a clear path to Jeddah Corniche, where he wanted to pay tribute to his father, Daniel, who became the first quad rider to finish the Dakar back in 1997. Racing in a league of his own for much of the rally, Giroud Jr. dominated the standings by 2 h 21 over his Drag’On stablemate, the Spaniard Francisco Moreno.
Lightweight prototypes: “Chaleco” cruises to double
By switching to this category after winning the T4 race in 2021, Francisco “Chaleco” López set himself up for a confrontation with the OT3-Red Bull armada, which had already claimed the lion’s share of the specials last year without making an impact on the general standings. However, a barrage of mechanicals soon plagued the American team, knocking Cristina Gutiérrez, Guillaume De Mevius and Seth Quintero out of contention and leaving the field clear for South Racing, with their solid Chilean captain at the helm. López reached the rest day with 25 minutes in hand over his young brother in arms, Sebastian Eriksson, and, more importantly, 2 h 23 over the Spaniard. “Chaleco” had no incentive to risk it all chasing stage wins, unlike the vivacious Quintero. No longer in the mix for the title after spending almost an entire night in stage 2, the nigh-unbeatable 19-year-old finally achieved a high degree of consistency at the highest level. With 12 victories in 13 specials, the Quintero Show was a real hit. Dakar historians and data wonks will be comparing his feat to Pierre Lartigue’s 11 stage wins in 1994 (counting all car categories) in a lively debate. Here’s looking at you, kid!
SSVS: quiet aplomb carries the day for Jones
The proverb “slow and steady wins the race” sums up the SSV race to perfection. The Polish posse won no fewer than nine out of the thirteen specials up for grabs (including 1B). Marek Goczał was the most prolific stage hunter, with six to his name, followed by his brother Michał with two and Aron Domżała with one. Yet not a single one of them will be standing on the final podium. Endurance races like the Dakar require a high level of consistency and learning to walk before you run. The Polish armada ignored this rule at their own peril and paid the price in the shape of subdued performances and mechanical woes. Austin Jones, on the other hand, flew under the radar. The American seemed on the cusp of victory several times but never quite got there, although he did finish on the podium when he needed to turn the tables on opponents such as rookie Rodrigo Luppi de Oliveira. The Brazilian topped the overall before running into mechanical trouble, the same fate that would befall Gerard Farrés, Jones’s teammate at South Racing, in the last special. Although the Spaniard started the stage in command, an electrical problem cost him just enough time for Jones to take the crown by two minutes. Farrés had to settle for second place ahead of a promising rookie, Rokas Baciuška. In the same vein as Jones, the Lithuanian made little noise before bursting onto the scene with a win in stage 10 and another one in the closing special two days later. His consistency propelled him to the third step of the podium in his very first Dakar start.
Trucks: Kamaz… again
The Russian truckers have never shied away from their status as favourites. They have racked up eighteen victories with six different drivers since the dawn of the 21st century, only bending the knee to Karel Loprais in 2001, Hans Stacey in 2007 and Gerard de Rooy in 2012 and 2016, and extended their hegemony in Saudi Arabia this year. Each of the four men at the wheels of the blue trucks has claimed at least one stage, leaving nothing for the competition. Reigning champion Dmitry Sotnikov defended his title and led a Kamaz 1-2-3-4. He won the rally with 9′58″ to spare over his teammate and four-time Dakar champion Eduard Nikolaev, who took his eighth podium spot in ten starts as a driver. Kamaz had already locked up the top 4 in 2011. Further back, Janus van Kasteren was the best of the rest in fifth place… over an hour behind the last Kamaz
Performance of the Day
Two “rookies”, two polar opposites, stole the show in the motorbike category, but it is hard to weigh up their respective performances. Danilo Petrucci was known for his previous career as a MotoGP, with two Grand Prix victories and four top 10 Championship finishes (sixth in 2019) on his list of achievements. One could be forgiven for believing he had only entered the Dakar on a lark, but the Italian proved on the tracks that his conversion was dead serious. Bikers who learn as fast as “Petrux” are hard to come by. There is no other case in the collective memory of the Dakar of a rider who had never taken part in a rally raid before going on to win a stage. The 31-year-old newbie faded after his exploit in stage 5, eventually finishing the rally in 90th place. At the tender age of 20, Mason Klein could already teach Petrucci a thing or two about consistency. The American prodigy turned heads in the Rallye du Maroc and lived up to the expectations. The Agua Dulce-based biker only found out about the Dakar in 2018, when he picked it as a goal. His baptism of fire ended with a podium finish and six top 6 places in stages and ninth place overall… Quite an auspicious start
Start of the Day: 4
By claiming stage 3, Carlos Sainz restored Audi to a level not seen since the 1985 Dakar, when the French private team Malardeau fielded three Audi Quattros. His teammates, Mattias Ekström and Stéphane Peterhansel, went on to take a win apiece on behalf of the German constructor. Sainz came back for seconds on the eve of the finish to bring the number of Audi Sport victories in the 2022 edition to four. It must be said that Peterhansel benefited from the lenient pr.
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Braving broken ribs, engine failure, Harith Noah completes 3rd Dakar
Jeddah (Saudi Arabia), 14 Jan. 2022: TVS Racing Factory riderHarith Noah successfully completed his third Dakar becoming the only rider from India to fly the Tricolour at the the 44th Dakar Rally, the prestigious annual cross-country endurance rally-raid race, which concluded here on Friday after two weeks of top-notch adventure.
Click to read Sherco TVS and Hero MotoSports final reports.
In the process, the Kerala rider set the best Dakar stage-time ever by a rider from India at the prestigious annual cross-country endurance rally by finishing Stage 11 in P18, beating his own record of P19 set last year.
Great Britain’s Sam Sunderland won the Moto section. While Noah is the only rider from India, the other Indian team Hero MotoSports, too did well, with lead rider Joaquim Rodriques of Portugal finishing a creditable 14th and Aaron Mare taking 16th Overall rank. Noah’s teammates from Sherco TVS Factory Rally team, Spaniard Lorenzo Santolino was the best finisher on Indian metal at 11th and Rui Goncalves, also from Portugal, was ranked 24th overall.
With a steady and consistent performance through out the 12 stages astride a Sherco 450 SEF Rally bike, the 5-time Indian National champion bagged a career-best 18th rank at a Dakar stage, yesterday. Noah finished the last day’s Stage 12 at 23rd place in the gruelling race that traversed through 7790 km of desert sands and dunes mixed with dangerous, tricky unforgiving terrain of rocks, speedy soft sands and tarmac in the transport section. Noah rode well conquering difficult navigation with ease on both the long days, and clocked a total time of 50 hours, 52 minutes and 50 seconds and along with a penalty of 22hours and 30 minutes logged a total Overall time of 72:52:50 for the 12 stages including two stages under the Dakar Experience Class. Due to the technical snag with a new engine on Stage 10, officially Noah is not classified in the general rankings.
Considered as the toughest rally in the world, the Dakar acquired the status of an FIA and FIM World Champioship round, this year. Over 140 riders from about 30 countries finished the rally and Harith Naoh, the star TVS rider, who became the fastest rider from India at Dakar in 2021, bagged the experience of one more Dakar in his chequered career despite many challenges and obstacles he faced in the desert sands of Saudi Arabia for two weeks including three crashes, two broken ribs and an engine mishap.
The TVS Racing prodigy, into his 10th year with the premier two-wheeler manufacturing company, had a fall in the very first stage but moved on discarding another serious shoulder injury in Stage 7, but ended up riding in pain for two days without knowing that he fractured two of his ribs on January 9 in rocky terrain after he was hit by a stone while overtaking another rider.
Undaunted, the 28-year from Kerala, braved the odds and was forced to change his engine for safety reasons before the start of Stage 10 but unfortunately suffered technical issues and shifted to Dakar Experience class for the last two days.
Harith Noah, spoke about his experience and said: “It is always a great feeling to complete Dakar and I am very happy with the experience. The nature of endurance cross-country rally like Dakar is gruelling and strenuous but one has to brave dangerous conditons for both the man and the machine. That is why this race is special. Despite not being officially classified, and not finishing for the second time, I take the good things home and the thrill of finishing spurs me on to more adventures on my bike. I thank my team TVS Racing and all my technical team, support staff and sponsors for giving me a chance to race once again in Dakar. With all this experience, I hope to come back stronger in 2023.“
As part of Sherco TVS Factory team, Noah took part as privateer sponsored by TVS Motor Company in Dakar RallyGP, the premier class of the Moto section, before shifting to the Experience class after Stage 10. TVS Motor Company in partnership with Sherco Factory has been fielding the Sherco TVS Rally Factory team for six years, before Covid. And three of the four riders, who took part in Dakar from India were groomed by TVS Racing team in the domestic Nationals. Following in the footsteps of KP Aravind, Noah not only became the third Indian to successfully complete the gruelling Dakar but he is also the fastest at Dakar, finishing in the top-20 last year, at the toughest and mother of all rallies in the world. Last year, another Indian, Ashishrao Rane, took part in Dakar Moto as a privateer.
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Hero MotoSports JRod 3rd at Dakar Stage 11
Bisha, 13 Jan 2022: Hero MotoSports Team Rally, the motorsport team of the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles and scooters – Hero MotoCorp, added another podium finish to their tally in this edition of the Dakar Rally.
Presented to the riders as the biggest technical challenge of the season, Stage 11 was a “true Dakar stage” in the words of Joaquim Rodrigues. The penultimate stage was a key battle for all competitors as it was one of their final runs to improve their rankings.
Joaquim aced the stage and finished in the third position, adding to his stage win in Stage 3.
After an emotionally challenging Stage 10, JRod bounced back with extreme focus in Stage 11 and earned a fantastic result for himself and the team. With the latest podium, he moves up another position to the 13th place in the overall RallyGP class standings.
Aaron Maré however had a difficult stage especially early on in the stage. A small navigation error cost him some time, and a landing mistake caused a slight sprain on his back and on his ankle. Yet, his otherwise consistent performance throughout the rally helped him maintain the 15th position in the overall rankings in the RallyGP class.
Stage 11 which featured some of the most difficult navigational challenges so far, was a 500 km long loop around Bisha, with a timed special of 345 km. The stage which started with sandy tracks inside wadis and winding canyons quickly made navigation difficult due to the innumerable tracks and crossings within plateaus. Soft dunes, dunettes, and invisible tracks followed, ending with fast sandy tracks.
Coming up next is the last and final challenge from Dakar 2022 – a 679 kms ride from Bisha to Jeddah, with a special section of only 163 kms. The last stage of the rally will end with the star studded final podium ceremony at the new Formula 1 circuit on Jeddah corniche.
Joaquim Rodrigues
“It was definitely a much better day for me, after yesterday’s tough ordeal. Luckily I was able to recover, put a strong effort, and give my entire focus to this stage. The bike performed extremely well and helped me gain this podium. The dunes and even the dunettes were really soft, in addition to the tough navigation, making it a very difficult “true Dakar stage”. I’m very happy with the third place, and the team definitely deserves this good result. Looking forward to tomorrow, the final day!”
Aaron Maré
“The stage today started very rough for me. 4-5 kms into the race a handful of riders including myself ended up losing time trying to find a waypoint in the dust. Navigation was tough in the dust, so I rode at a slower pace to avoid mistakes until I reached the dunes, after which I could push. On the dunes, I made a small mistake at one of the drop-offs, and a flat-landing tweaked my back and ankle a bit. From there I rode slower, and am happy that I could get back safe with the bike. I look forward to the last day of the race.”
Provisional Stage 11 Rankings – RallyGP class:
1. Kevin Benavides Red Bull KTM Factory Team 03h 30m 56s
2. Sam Sunderland GasGas Factory Racing + 04s
3. Joaquim Rodrigues Hero MotoSports Team Rally + 02m 26s
4. Matthias Walkner Red Bull KTM Factory Team + 04m 54s
5. Ricky Brabec Monster Energy Honda + 05m 22s
18. Aaron Maré Hero MotoSports Team Rally + 27m 46s
Provisional Overall Standings after Stage 11 – RallyGP class:
1. Sam Sunderland GasGas Factory Racing 37h 04m 05s
2. Pablo Quintanilla Monster Energy Honda + 06m 52s
3. Matthias Walkner Red Bull KTM Factory Team + 07m 15s
4. Adrien van Beveren Monster Energy Yamaha + 15m 30s
13. Joaquim Rodrigues Hero MotoSports Team Rally + 01h 11m 25s
15. Aaron Maré Hero MotoSports Team Rally + 01h 38m 51s
Provisional Overall Standings after Stage 11 – All classes:
1. Sam Sunderland GasGas Factory Racing 37h 04m 05s
2. Pablo Quintanilla Monster Energy Honda + 06m 52s
3. Matthias Walkner Red Bull KTM Factory Team + 07m 15s
4. Adrien van Beveren Monster Energy Yamaha + 15m 30s
14. Joaquim Rodrigues Hero MotoSports Team Rally + 01h 11m 25s
16. Aaron Maré Hero MotoSports Team Rally + 01h 38m 51s
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A recital by Sunderland; One more Dakar in sight for Nasser Al-Attiyah
Bisha (Saudi Arabia), 13 Jan 2022: The Penultimate day saw the Indian rider Harith Noah start a new day without pressure in the Dakar Experience class while the lead driver of the other Indian team, Hero Motorsports, notched up a fantastic stage podium on Thursday. Here is the Overall consolidated report from Dakar ASO press officer.
The Focus
The penultimate special on the Dakar won praise from Carlos Sainz who enjoyed his second stage victory on this edition: “camel grass, dunes, navigation, riverbeds and stones… it was a really complete stage and quite difficult to open on”. The loop out from Bisha and back heading due north to enter the Province of Mecca before turning round and returning to Asir, in the southwest tip of the kingdom.
With a total of length of 501 kilometres, 346 km were raced against the clock, with 42% made up of sand and a third by dunes, some of which were very soft, presenting the pretenders to the crown tomorrow with the possibility of making the difference before the final effort. “The toughest stage of the Dakar,” was how it was summed at the finishing line by Pablo Quintanilla, who took advantage of it to climb into second place in the general rankings behind Sam Sunderland.
The Outlines
He had felt the trap closing in on him. Having perfectly analysed the situation in which he found himself yesterday, Adrien Van Beveren was duty bound to perform well to avoid his direct rivals and the rest of the pack swooping down on him. Instead, a handful of minutes spent hesitating in the search for a waypoint, after only 4 kilometres of the special, made the challenge unmanageable. The strategists who took care in calculating where to finish yesterday in order to start in a favourable position this morning were able to go full gas today.
The most consistent among them this year, namely Sam Sunderland, reaped the biggest benefits and was able to regain his place at the race’s summit, whilst Pablo Quintanilla, who is also a smart tactician, climbed into second place, 6’52’’ behind the leader who can now home in on victory with a little more serenity. Matthias Walkner also leap-frogged Van Beveren, who will have to grudgingly console himself with a fourth-place finish that awaits him tomorrow because the podium is not a realistic proposition since he trails the Austrian rider by 8’15’’. In the midst of this fight for overall victory, for the record, Kevin Benavides picked up the 6th success of his career on the Dakar, a little like Carlos Sainz who lost his hopes of a podium finish much earlier in the rally. The Spaniard’s victory, his 41st on the Dakar, did not elicit much of a response in the mind of Nasser Al-Attiyah, who boasts 44 of them and is much more preoccupied with the lead he possesses over Sébastien Loeb. After further efforts by the Frenchman to attempt to reduce his time deficit, at the finishing line he had only clawed back five minutes, which were then made obsolete by a penalty for speeding. A golden opportunity now presents itself to Al-Attiyah on the stage to Jeddah, which he will start with a cushion of 33’19’’. Paradoxically, quad rider Alexandre Giroud seems more stressed out than the Qatari in light of the forthcoming 169-km special, for which he has a lead of 2 hours and 41 minutes over Kamil Wiśniewski.
In the T3 category, Quintero’s extravaganza continued with an 11th stage win out of 12 specials, whilst “Chaleco” López nonchalantly continues his route towards the title. The road captain of the South Racing team will hit the road tomorrow with a lead of 55 minutes over his team-mate Sebastian Eriksson. Austin Jones will be scared stiff after having lost his place of general standings leader to Gerrard Farrés (see Performance of the day) over whom he will have to gain 1’41’’ in order to triumph. In the truck race, the leader is still the Kamaz team’s Dmitry Sotnikov, with an advantage of 8’18’’ over his team-mate Eduard Nikolaev.
The Performance of the Day!
Discretion sometimes has its virtues, including on a Dakar bivouac where there is a tendency for showing off one’s might. Gerard Farrés is the type of competitor who prefers quiet progress, but progression all the same. Indeed, during his career as a biker, for a long time the Spaniard contented himself with playing second fiddle, as a water carrier for Marc Coma in Africa and then for “Chaleco” in South America. And yet, he craftily climbed onto the final podium on his 10th participation with 3rd place in 2017, pinched for a handful of seconds from Adrien Van Beveren. Since his switch to four wheels two years ago, he has only obtained places of honour in the SSV category and has not really dazzled on the 2022 edition of the rally.
However, Farrés’ method is astounding! The Catalan driver has only won one special, on stage 7, leaving the spotlight to the Goczał brothers in particular and waiting in ambush behind Austin Jones, the major favourite in the category. Today, he took advantage of the mishaps encountered by the American, who was delayed by a broken differential, to pounce and take the lead in the general rankings. With a cushion of only 1’41’’ to protect his hopes for the title, nobody knows whether this dramatic change in events will last until the finishing line. Austin Jones is resourceful, but then again, so is Farrés…
The Crushing Blow…
There is nothing more frustrating than coming unstuck with the finishing line in sight. This is exactly what happened to Martin Michek today. As if that was not enough, it is the second time he has had to swallow this bitter pill. The Czech participated in his first Dakar just two years ago, but he had to throw in the towel in almost the same manner as today due to a mechanical problem on the penultimate stage. Struck by a rare liver disease that should have required a transplant according to doctors, Michek miraculously recovered and climbed back onto his bike less than two months afterwards, with the goal of returning to the rally last year for his second participation.
After a 10th place finish, he continued to improve and went on to win the FIM bajas world cup. As a result, the KTM rider arrived at the rally this year with the firm intention of doing better than the previous attempts. Following three top ten finishes, Michek approached the day’s stage in 18th position in the general rankings, almost 2 hours behind the leader, with the status of fifth best privateer. Even though the mission to improve upon last year’s display seemed compromised, the RallyGP rider had not given up. However, when he broke his front wheel after the second time check point, this threw a huge spanner in the works… He was able to repair his machine and resume the stage, but the outcome was disastrous: he lost more than 4 hours and 30 minutes and slid down to 37th place in the general rankings. It is a crushing blow for the leading light of the new Czech school of riders, but it is odds on that he has not had his last word on the matter. He has not lost sight of his goal of one day becoming a factory team rally rider.
Star of the Day
Since the beginning of the 44th edition of the Dakar, blue is incontestably the colour on the podium of the truck category. Out of the 12 specials contested so far (including stage 1A), the Kamaz clan have occupied all three steps eight times. Nevertheless, several competitors have attempted to challenge the Russian team’s domination, behind the wheel of Iveco trucks for the most part, but none of them have done better than third place. Among this list features Janus Van Kasteren, who has spoiled the party on two occasions.
There was also Martin Van Den Brink on stage 7 and Martin Macík, the leader of the world rally-raid championship in the same category, on completion of the loop around Wadi Ad Dawasir. Today, the Kamaz again swept the board clean after a 346-km long special. Ignacio Casale, a three-times winner in the quad category who has been participating in the truck race since last year, tried hard with his Tatra to put them off balance.
The Chilean even led the dance at the second time check point, but there was nothing to be done! Aleš Loprais, the nephew of truck category legend Karel Loprais, also tried his luck but without the desired result. The Kamaz machines have always fought back to regain their place and continue an almost seamless race: 32 podiums out of 36 is more than impressive; all the more so when they can add to the fact that they have achieved five shutouts of the top four places.
World Rally Championship
In T1, Loeb and Al-Attiyah’s pursuers treated themselves to the lion’s share. Lucio Álvarez (Toyota Overdrive) and Nani Roma (BRX) dominated the participants in the world rally-raid championship by gobbling up 5 and 4 points respectively. With a total of 17 and 18 points, the Argentinean and Spaniard are now hot on the heels of provisionally third placed Yazeed Al Rajhi and his 19 points. It is almost a case of status quo between the two dominant males in the discipline: 39-27 in favour of Loeb ahead of Al-Attiyah.
In T3, Quintero has left his chasers in his wake by achieving 9 consecutive successes. He now boasts 50 points against 36 for “Chaleco”. Saudi driver Dania Akeel has started to get used to writing her name into the FIA’s points tables! Like yesterday, she pocketed a point today, as did Lionel Costes who now possesses 5 of them ahead of Dania.
In T4, there was a 5th success for Marek Goczał. Rokas Baciuška followed on his heels, gaining the upper hand over Aron Domżała by moving up into 5th position in the category. Austin Jones, with 2 points, has moved level with Michał Goczał and both have 30 points each, joint second behind leader Marek and his 36 points.
In T5, Martin Macík accomplished is 7th consecutive success ahead of Kees Koolen. The heavyweights of the category total 53 points and 42 points respectively.
Classic Freeze Frame
On the eve of the finish to the 2nd edition of the Dakar Classic, the dice seem to have been cast on the sand and appear unlikely to roll before the podium ceremony. Mogno, Euvrard and Pliego are again comfortably installed at the top of the general rankings this evening. Well, almost, because the Spanish crew in 3rd position can see the Protruck driven by the Galpins with its 400 horsepower Chevrolet engine drawing in close in their rear-view mirrors! The French couple, occupying fourth in the general rankings and winners of the day’s stage, enjoyed their first success but also the first for a vehicle enrolled in the H3 class on the Dakar Classic. On paper, there is nothing in their favour among the participants in the “high average speed” class. “Seeing as we drive between 30 and 40 km/h quicker than the other categories, we have to take the decisions faster and, if we get delayed, it’s also more difficult to regain the time, because we have to go even faster! But that’s where it also becomes much more fun for a rally driver,” explains the man behind the wheel.
This situation was not unexpected for these regulars on the Nascar and rally circuits, as expanded upon by the co-pilot: “We knew that only H1s or H2s would be able to win. They drive more slowly and can take advantage of our tracks, plus their specifications are simpler”. Her husband adds: “We also thought that driving at 50 km/h would soon become boring for us. We came here to discover the event and to have fun, with the thought that, with a bit of luck, we might be able to achieve a podium finish in H3. During the first week, it all seemed to be going so well. We were behind the Panagiotis, the couple of friends with whom we came to the rally, who are also racing in a Protruck, but then they dropped out on the rest day. From a position of coming along to have fun, we changed to a mission that involved telling them that we would bring the H3 cup back for them.”
Occupying 4th place in the general rankings this evening thanks to six consecutive days in the Top 5, their main rival in the H3 class, the Peugeot 205 T16, is in 25th scratch position. Tomorrow, they will open the road again for the Dakar Classic Caravan, looking for the place of honour that their performance will deserve, for themselves and for absent friends.
Quote of the Day!
Sébastien Loeb: “Second place, it’s not so bad”
Nasser Al-Attiyah’s nearest pursuer was only able to recover 4 minutes on the day’s stage and prefers to look at the positive side of being runner-up.
“We drove a very good stage, with good navigation and a good rhythm. We did what we could. It has been a great stage again. At the moment we are still in second place, it’s not so bad. I think our rhythm is really good. The car is strong and fast. With Fabian, it’s going well. We’ve done good navigation all the time. For sure, we lost a lot of time on one of the first days when we broke the diff but since then we have been really chasing and achieving some good times, so it’s just how it is. Second at the moment isn’t so bad. I don’t know about the W2RC, for the moment I’m not thinking about the rest. The next step for me will be Monte Carlo in one week, so we will see for the future”.
Top Results Stage 11
1. BENAVIDES Kevin-Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team 03:30’56
2. SUNDERLAND Sam-Gas Gas Factory Team +00:00’04
3. RODRIGUES Joaquim-Hero Motorsports Team Rally +00:02’26
4. WALKNER Matthias-Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team +00:04’54
5. BRABEC Ricky-Monster Energy Honda Team +00:05’22
6. QUINTANILLA Pablo-Monster Energy Honda Team +00:07’40
7. CORNEJO José Ignacio-Monster Energy Honda Team +00:08’05
8. SHORT Andrew-Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Team +00:15’46
9. SVITKO Stefan-Slovnaft Rally Team +00:17’51
10. GIEMZA Maciej-Orlen Team +00:20’55
11. NOSIGLIA Daniel-Rieju – FN Speed Team +00:21’22
12. VAN BEVEREN Adrien-Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Team+00:21’33
13. DE SOULTRAIT Xavier-HT Rally Raid Husqvarna Racing +00:21’45
14. SANTOLINO Lorenzo-Sherco TVS Rally Factory +00:23’33
15. NOAH Harith-Sherco TVS Rally Factory +00:23’38
16. BARREDA Joan-Monster Energy Honda Team +00:25’10Top-10 Provisionnal standings after Stage 11
1. SUNDERLAND Sam-Gas Gas Factory Team 37:04’05
2. QUINTANILLA Pablo-Monster Energy Honda Team +00:06’52
3. WALKNER Matthias-Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team +00:07’15
4. VAN BEVEREN Adrien-Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Team +00:15’30
5. BARREDA Joan-Monster Energy Honda Team +00:27’54
6. BRABEC Ricky-Monster Energy Honda Team +00:37’24
7. CORNEJO José Ignacio-Monster Energy Honda Team +00:41’02
8. SHORT Andrew-Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Team +00:43’40
9. PRICE Toby-Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team +00:52’27
10. SVITKO Stefan-Slovnaft Rally Team +00:53’38 -
Harith Noah’s stunning speed gets him 19th on Stage 11
Bisha (Saudi Arabia), 13 Jan. 2022: TVS Racing Factory rider Harith Noah attacked Dakar Rally stage with vengeance on the penultimate day, a day after he was forced to pull out of the main event due to the engine failure. The stunning performance by 28-year ace from India got him into the top-20 in the Stage rankings, but his bravery will not be counted for the final classification as he moved to the Dakar Experience class on Thursday, to log more kilometres and experience.
The last long stage proved to be one of the toughest Timed Specials, and Hairth Noah brought home his Sherco 450 SEF Rally bike in an excellent 19th place. His best stage time in 2021 was also P19. Today’s 346-kilometer special with difficult navigation gave him to showcase his skills and make up many positions and finish in top-20 without the pressure of official classification for Dakar RallyGP class.
The stage was won by Argentina’s Kevin Benavides, who also moved to Dakar Experience class, after his pull out yesterday. But the biggest achievement for India on Thursday was the stage podium finish by Hero MotoSports Joaquim Rodrigues, who came third behind S Sunderland of Great Britain.
The ace Kerala rider began the day’s Stage 11 on an aggressive note zooming into the sixth place at the first WayPoint after 48 kilometres. Later, he lost some ground in the next 120 km, but stepped up the pace and was running at 17th position for long, before settling for 19th position in Stage 11, equalling his best stage performance at Dakar in 2021.
Dakar Experience is a new class, introduced a few years back, as a second chance for those who are forced to quit the main race. It helps participants to experience the Dakar Rally and gain valuable seat-time and log mileage to prepare for the future races. However, the riders will not be classified for Rally GP class and will finish under ‘Dakar Experience’ arch.
Sherco TVS Rally Factory teammate of Noah, Lorenzo Santolino continued his good show finishing the stage in 18th place, just a position ahead of Noah while the other Sherco TVS rider Rui Goncalves was placed 30th in the stage. Santolino was 12th and Goncalves was 24th in the Overall general rankings. JRod is on Overall 14th rank and Aaron Mare, who finished the day 25th was in P16 Overall.
“”It was not an ideal day but I had fun and felt very good on bike. I had to stop multiple times, and also after 60km, I had another crash. But the difficult navigation helped me do well without any pressure. This experience will help me to come back stronger for next year,” said Noah after covering a strenuous 501 km, including liaison today from Wadi Ad Dawasir to Bisha. The loop around Bisha, had the potential to turn shake the best riders with huge dunes, as it provided the biggest technical challenge to many a rider. Harith Noah spent about half of the stage time on the dunes of all shapes and sizes including the softest ones that the desert had in store but his exploits could only get him rich experience in preparation for future rally-raids and no reward for his hard work. Undaunted, the Sports Science graduate vows to come back stronger next year.
The final timed Special Section on the last day will be from Bisha to Jeddah, a distance of 680km including liaison section. And the scene is set for the last big fight on Friday!
