INDIA in F1

Category: Dakar Rally

  • Hero MotoSports riders finish in Overall top-15

    Hero MotoSports riders finish in Overall top-15

    Bishi (Saudi Arabia), 12 Jan. 2022: Having successfully completed 10 stages including a stage win, Hero MotoSports Team Rally, the motorsport team of the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles and scooters – Hero MotoCorp, is poised to complete the 44th edition of the Dakar Rally with a good result.

    One of the fastest specials of the Dakar Rally 2022, Stage 10 saw Hero MotoSports riders Aaron Maré and Joaquim Rodrigues ride strong and finish in the 11th and 21st places respectively in the RallyGP class.

    Two years ago on the same day, January 12, the team lost their star rider Paulo Goncalves, a Dakar ace, a good friend, and a role model to everyone in the bivouac. Painful memories from the day made today’s race emotionally difficult for his brother-in-law, JRod. Yet, he demonstrated courage to complete the stage in the 12th fastest time as a tribute to the late rider. However, having missed a waypoint, he attracted a penalty that set him back to the 21st position in the RallyGP class. 10 stages down, JRod maintains his position at 14th place in the overall RallyGP class standings.

    Pushing through the stage quickly and avoiding navigational errors, Aaron Maré continued his consistent performance at Dakar 2022 in Stage 10 as well. His latest finish has helped him break into the overall top 15 of the RallyGP class at 15th place.

    The 757 km long Stage 10 from Wadi Ad-Dawasir to Bisha had a timed section of 374 kms featuring beautiful landscapes of the desert. The riders made their way to the finish passing through sandy tracks across valleys, wadis, and small canyons, and narrow stony mountain tracks.

    Next up is the penultimate challenge from this edition of the Dakar. The 345 km special is a loop around Bisha, and will be the biggest technical challenge in the final part of the rally, throwing dunes of all sizes, shapes, and textures at the riders. This 11th stage of the Dakar will end at Bisha, before heading back to Jeddah on the last day.

    Joaquim Rodrigues

    “Two years ago, I experienced the toughest time of my life. I did not expect it to affect me much today, but then all the painful memories kicked in while I was on the stage. I found it difficult to focus on the race – it was a really hard day, but I’m glad I could finish the stage somehow. Two days to go, and the aim is to keep bringing the bike home every day.”

    Aaron Maré

    “I had a great day today, having started strong and pushing fast and I was able to catch up with the riders in front before refuel. Post refuel, the navigation became tricky, and so I paced myself a little bit to ensure I made no mistakes. I made it to the finish with no crashes or navigational mistakes, and am happy with my result that helps me with a good start position for tomorrow’s tricky stage. Just two more stages left in the race, and I’m looking forward to finishing well.”

    Provisional Stage 10 Rankings – RallyGP class:

    1.           Toby Price                                   Red Bull KTM Factory Team               03h 05m 32s

    2.           Luciano Benavides                   Husqvarna Factory Racing                 + 02m 09s

    3.           Adrien van Beveren                 Monster Energy Yamaha                     + 03m 35s

    4.           Lorenzo Santolino                    Team Sherco Rallye                               + 05m 40s

    11.        Aaron Maré                                Hero MotoSports Team Rally              + 08m 09s

    21.        Joaquim Rodrigues               Hero MotoSports Team Rally              + 23m 36s

    Provisional Overall Standings after Stage 10 – RallyGP class:

    1.           Adrien van Beveren                 Monster Energy Yamaha                     33h 27m 06s

    2.           Sam Sunderland                        GasGas Factory Racing                         + 05m 59s

    3.           Pablo Quintanilla                      Monster Energy Honda                        + 06m 15s

    4.           Matthias Walkner                     Red Bull KTM Factory Team               + 08m 24s

    14.        Joaquim Rodrigues               Hero MotoSports Team Rally              + 01h 15m 02s

    15.        Aaron Maré                                Hero MotoSports Team Rally              + 01h 17m 08s

    Provisional Overall Standings after Stage 10 – All classes:

    1.           Adrien van Beveren                 Monster Energy Yamaha                     33h 27m 06s

    2.           Sam Sunderland                        GasGas Factory Racing                         + 05m 59s

    3.           Pablo Quintanilla                      Monster Energy Honda                        + 06m 15s

    4.           Matthias Walkner                     Red Bull KTM Factory Team               + 08m 24s

    15.        Joaquim Rodrigues               Hero MotoSports Team Rally              + 01h 15m 02s

    16.        Aaron Maré                                Hero MotoSports Team Rally              + 01h 17m 08s

  • Harith Noah suffers engine failure, moves into Dakar Experience class

    Harith Noah suffers engine failure, moves into Dakar Experience class

    Bisha (Saudi Arabia), 13 Jan 2022:  TVS Racing Factory rider Harith Noah, who bravely pulled on for 11 days despite crashes and fractured ribs, suffered technical issues with the bike on Wednesday to be classified as 115th in the General Ranking of the Moto section of the 44th Dakar Rally here.

    Noah, who was placed 124 after Stage 10, is expected to begin the penultimate stage in the ‘Dakar Experience’ class on Thursday, which provides a second chance for the riders to continue the gruelling 7000 km cross-country rally-raid and experience the finish. But he will not be classified any more in the elite RallyGP class.

    Astride a Sherco 450 SEF Rally, the Kerala rider started his 12th day with a new engine at 10.38 am (IST) but was forced to stop within after 43 kilometres due to mechanical problems with the bike as his engine failed. He could not even reach the first WayPoint and later, he had to endure the heart-break of watching his bike craned away by a helicopter.

    He clocked a total of 66 hours, 22 minutes and 42 seconds in the Overall timesheets after logging a penalty time of 21 hours and 45 minutes for a General Ranking of 115. After Stage 10, he was given a time of 33H 33min including a penalty of 21H 30min for a Stage ranking of 124.

    The 28-year old TVS star became the fastest rider from India at Dakar last year after finishing in the 20th position. He made his debut in 2020 and finished in the Dakar Experience class. Bangalore’s CS Santosh became the first Indian at Dakar in 2015 and went on to ride many times at the pinnacle of the rallying world till his unfortunate accident last year. KP Arvind of TVS Racing and privateer Ashishrao Rane also took part in the Dakar. Santosh is yet to recover completely but is in Saudi Arabia to cheer the Hero team.

    “It is a big disappointment. We changed the engine yesterday and I was hoping to make up the places we lost due to the penalty and push ahead the last two days. The terrain and the conditions are always challenging both for the man and machine and it is time to move on and finish the Dakar. I will take this experience to come back stronger,” promised Noah, who is in his third Dakar.

    Despite the setback with Noah, the other two Sherco TVS Factory Rally team riders finished the day in top-10. Lorenzo Santolino of Spain continued to put in brilliant performance and finished the stage in P5 while the other Sherco TVS rider Rui Goncalves from Portugal, also did well, closing the day at P9. In the overall general ranking, Santolino is 11th while Goncalves is placed 24th.

    The other Indian team of Hero MotoSports, too, continued to post good times to stay in the top-20. Lead Portuguese rider Joaquim Rodrigues finished a tough day in 24th place after a 15-min penalty while the second Hero rider Aaron Mare of South Africa finished Stage 10 in 14th place. In the Overall general rankings, JRod is in 15th position followed by Mare in 16th.

    The 7000-plus km Dakar rally, being held for the third year in Saudi Arabian desert sands will conclude on January 14.

  • Flash: Harith Noah retires due to technical issues

    Flash: Harith Noah retires due to technical issues

    Bisha (Saudi Arabia), 12 Jan. 2022: Ace Indian rider Hairth Noah from TVS Racing Factory team suffered technical issues in Stage 12 from Bisha to Bisha, a loop in the desert sands a day before the penultimate stage in the 44th Dakar Rally on Wednesday.

    Read the full story here.

    The Sherco TVS Rally Factory team rider, is on his third Dakar. Last year, he not only successfully completed the Dakar but also became the fastest from India at Dakar.

    Watch Noah watch his bike leave without him.

    Harith Noah Koitha Veetil watching his bike leaving without him. The indian rider had to quit due to a technical issue.
  • Hero MotoSports continues to excel with 3 days to go

    Hero MotoSports continues to excel with 3 days to go

    Wadi Ad Dawasir (Saudi Arabia), 11 Jan. 2022: Hero MotoSports Team Rally, the motorsport team of the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles and scooters – Hero MotoCorp, has completed the ninth stage of the Dakar Rally 2022 with yet another strong result.

    Continuing his consistent performance at Dakar 2022, Joaquim Rodrigues finished the stage in the 11th position. The day’s terrain featured a lot more canyons and rocks than in the earlier stages. Despite the difficult terrain, J-Rod rode and finished well and with it, maintained his 14th place in the overall RallyGP class standings.

    His teammate Aaron Maré finished at the 17th position. Aaron found himself riding at a much better pace than in the previous stage, although a minor navigation mistake and a small fall cost him some time. His consistent run throughout the rally places him at the 16th position in the overall RallyGP class rankings.

    Aaron Mare successfully completes Stage 9 on 11 January 2022. A Hero MotoSports image

    The 287 km long Stage 9 was a loop around Wadi Ad-Dawasir, featuring a change in scenery from the previous stages. It threw new challenges to the competitors as the riders traversed their way to the finish through narrow passages between valleys and canyons, upside down dunes, and some fast tracks.

    Coming up next is a 374 km stretch of beautiful landscapes and colors, touted to be one of the fastest special sections of this season. Starting early from Wadi Ad-Dawasir, the competitors will ride a total of over 757 kms to reach the bivouac at Bisha.

    Joaquim Rodrigues

    “It was a different stage today with a lot of canyons and rocks, but still a fast one. I wasn’t feeling very comfortable today and wasn’t riding very fast. Anyhow, I was able to finish the stage, and I look forward to continuing the good performance till the end of the race.”

    Aaron Maré

    “I enjoyed my pace in this stage and felt comfortable riding in this terrain. Early on, I caught up with a rider in front and we ended up making a navigation error, and lost some time there again. Later, after refuel I had a small fall while in the dunes and lost some time. This threw me back by a few positions on the table. At the end of the stage, I’m happy to have finished yet another stage without any injuries, and look forward to the last three days of the race.”

    Provisional Stage 9 Rankings – RallyGP class:

    1.           Jose Ignacio Cornejo, Monster Energy Honda, 02h 29m 30s;

    2.           Kevin Benavides,Red Bull KTM Factory Team,+ 01m 26s;

    3.           Ricky Brabec,Monster Energy Honda, + 01m 47s;

    4.           Matthias Walkner, Red Bull KTM Factory Team, + 02m 06s;

    11.        Joaquim Rodrigues, Hero MotoSports Team Rally, + 06m 43s;

    17.        Aaron Maré, Hero MotoSports Team Rally, + 10m 35s;

    Provisional Overall Standings after Stage 9 – RallyGP class:

    1.           Matthias Walkner, Red Bull KTM Factory Team, 30h 14m 03s;

    2.           Sam Sunderland, GasGas Factory Racing, + 02m 12s;

    3.           Adrien van Beveren, Monster Energy Yamaha, + 03m 56s;

    4.           Pablo Quintanilla, Monster Energy Honda, + 04m 41s;

    14.        Joaquim Rodrigues, Hero MotoSports Team Rally, + 58m 57s;

    16.        Aaron Maré, Hero MotoSports Team Rally, + 01h 16m 30s;

    Provisional Overall Standings after Stage 9 – All classes:

    1.           Matthias Walkner, Red Bull KTM Factory Team, 30h 14m 03s;

    2.           Sam Sunderland, GasGas Factory Racing, + 02m 12s;

    3.           Adrien van Beveren, Monster Energy Yamaha, + 03m 56s;

    4.           Pablo Quintanilla, Monster Energy Honda, + 04m 41s;

    15.        Joaquim Rodrigues, Hero MotoSports Team Rally, + 58m 57s;

    17.        Aaron Maré, Hero MotoSports Team Rally, + 01h 16m 30s.

  • Braving broken ribs Harith Noah conquers Stage 9

    Braving broken ribs Harith Noah conquers Stage 9

    By David Bodapati

    Wadi Ad Dawasir (Saudi Arabia), 11 Jan. 2022: Harith Noah of Sherco TVS Racing Factory team finished the tough Stage 9 in 31st position on the 11th day of the 44th Dakar Rally here on Tuesday before realising that he has broken ribs suffered on Sunday. The lone crusader from India, however, moved closer to the coveted goal of finishing his fourth Dakar Rally with a general ranking to 27th place among 130-plus. Noah crossed the chequered flag in 31st place but a late penalty of 15minutes saw him slip to 44th an hour after the stage closed.

    For the performance of the other INDIAN Team, HERO MotoSports, read the report here.

    Early into the timed stages, Noah, had issues with the rear brake, but still began well in the first 40 kms towards the first check point and stood at 16th place. Later on, he managed to nurture his bike with the handicap of having only the front brake and fell behind by about 12 minutes to the leader. But the ace rally-raid athlete completed the 200-km mark despite the obstacles, and lost a few positions. But later, he pushed with determination and recovered from 34th position to finish the stage at P31. Negotiating 491 km of sands, dunes and rocky terrain with the loss of rear brakes and painful ribs is a testimony to the courage and bravery of a professional motorsports endurance athlete.

    His final time of 2hours, 46minutes, and 55seconds saw him move ahead in the general classification and improve by a place from yesterday’s 26th position before the penalty. The Stage was won by R Brabec of Monster Energy Honda from USA. Noah clocked a total time 32:37:42 after 10 days of gruelling sands. Today, Noah did a loop around Wadi ad-Dawasir where he faced mountains, followed by the tracks around the canyons. Although there were less sand sections, Noah managed to recover towards the end that required strong navigational skills, which is his forte, despite the pain.

    Harith Noah conquers another stage full of sands and rocks. A flying rock also injured his ribs but the gritty TVS Factory rider slugged on with three stages to for the finish on Jan 14. Photo by Sherco Factory Team for Editoril Use Only

    Competing in RallyGP, the premier class of the Moto section, Harith Noah, is placed 23rd in this elite class. “Today was not an ideal day. I had a technical issue, a few kilometres into the timed stage. A stone hit it and I lost the rear brakes. I only had the front and it was not easy, but I tried to manage. I came to know that I broke two ribs on Stage 7 when a rock flew from another rider in the front and hit my chest when I was passing. It was hurting a lot and I got to know this morning. Now, I have to do a medical check,” said the TVS product after the stage.

    “But that doesn’t change anything. I finished safe and sound and it is a long stage tomorrow with no dunes, so it is going to be fun,” concluded Noah.

    Sherco TVS Racing’s teammater of Naoh, Rui Goncalves had a decent stage and completed it without any big errors. He finished two places down from where he started in P16 while Lorenzo Santolino was P25. Lorenzo Santolino remains the lead rider for TVS in P7 overall general ranking with Goncalves in P26 overall behind Harith Noah in P25.

    Hero MotoSports, the other Indian team in Dakar, had a decent day. Lead rider Joaquim Rodrigues dropped a few places by the time he reached the first waypoint but improved on every section from there on and finsihed 11th in the stage and 15th overall in general classification. Hero teammate Aaron Mare finished 17th overall after his 21st in Stage 9.

    Stage 10 on Wednesday offers a different terrain on the way to Bisha, with a rich variety of landscape and is considered to have one of the fastest timed stages in Dakar.

    Dakar Rally 2022 (Stage 9) Provisional Classification:

    1. #11 Jose Ignacio Cornejo Florimo (Chile) (Monster Energy Honda) 02H, 29’30”;

    2. #1 Kevin Benavides (Argentina) (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) 02H, 30’56”; +01′ 26″;

    3. #2 Ricky Brabec (USA) (Monster Energy Honda) 02H, 31′ 17″; + 01’47”;

    31. #20 Harith Noah (Sherco TVS Rally Team) 2H 46’55”; +00H 17’25”; Plus 15′ penalty.

    Overall Provisional Classification (after stage 9)

    1. #52 Mathias Walkner (Austria) (Red Bull KTM Factory Team); 30H 14’ 03”;

    2. #3 Sam Sunderland (Britain) (Gas Gas Factory) 30H; 16′ 15″; +02′ 12″;

    3. #42 Adrian van Beveren (France) (Monster Energy Yamaha Rally); 30H 17’ 59”;+3′ 56″;

    25. #20 Harith Noah (Sherco TVS Rally Team) 32H, 37’ 42”; +2H 23’ 39”. +15′ penalty (in Stage 9).

  • Hero MotoSport Team Rally continues solid run at Dakar 2022

    Hero MotoSport Team Rally continues solid run at Dakar 2022

    Wadi Ad Dawasir (Saudi Arabia), 10 Jan. 2022: Hero MotoSports Team Rally, the motorsport team of the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles and scooters – Hero MotoCorp, delivered yet another impressive performance in the eighth stage of the Dakar Rally 2022. 

    Both Joaquim Rodrigues and Aaron Maré put up a strong performance in a fast stage, bagging the seventh and 19th positions in the stage rankings of the RallyGP class.

    Since winning Stage 3, JRod has been consistently finishing in the top 10 positions and his strong finish today places him at the 14th position in the overall RallyGP class rankings. Aaron enjoyed riding on his Hero 450 Rally, especially in the long dune sections on Monday. His performance puts him in 16th place in the overall RallyGP class rankings.

    Stage 8 which started off with sandy dunes, quickly moved to narrow tracks full of stones and then wet stretches, before heading into a constant web of valleys and wadis. Finding the right path from one valley to another was unusually difficult in the day’s 400 km special section.

    Starting the last leg of the race, Stage 9 will be a 490 km loop around Wadi Ad-Dawasir, featuring mountains and tracks that wind their way around canyons. Although there will be lesser sand than earlier, this short stage is still presumed to be a difficult one.

    Joaquim Rodrigues

    “I had another good stage. It was really fast, but it was a good race. The Hero Rally 450 has been performing at its best, and I’m happy with my performance as well. We’ve been posting consistent results, and I hope we can keep it up till the end of the race.”

    Aaron Maré

    “The stage started really well, and I enjoyed riding in the dunes till about refuel. After refuel, the tracks became quite fast and windy, though I enjoyed that as well because it wasn’t as rocky as the previous stages. I also felt a lot more comfortable with the navigation, and finished without making any mistakes. I’m happy with my consistent performance, and hoping for a better result ahead.”

    Provisional Stage 8 Rankings – RallyGP class:

    1.           Sam Sunderland                        GasGas Factory Racing                         03h 48m 02s

    2.           Pablo Quintanilla                      Monster Energy Honda                        + 02m 53s

    3.           Matthias Walkner                     Red Bull KTM Factory Team               + 04m 11s

    4.           Ricky Brabec                               Monster Energy Honda                        + 06m 44s

    7.           Joaquim Rodrigues               Hero MotoSports Team Rally              + 09m 58s

    19.        Aaron Maré                                Hero MotoSports Team Rally              + 20m 17s

    Provisional Overall Standings after Stage 8 – RallyGP class:

    1.           Sam Sunderland                        GasGas Factory Racing                         27h 38m 42s

    2.           Matthias Walkner                     Red Bull KTM Factory Team               + 03m 45s

    3.           Adrien van Beveren                 Monster Energy Yamaha                     + 04m 43s

    4.           Pablo Quintanilla                      Monster Energy Honda                        + 05m 30s

    14.        Joaquim Rodrigues               Hero MotoSports Team Rally              + 58m 05s

    16.        Aaron Maré                                Hero MotoSports Team Rally              + 01h 11m 46s            

    Provisional Overall Standings after Stage 8 – All classes:

    1.           Sam Sunderland                        GasGas Factory Racing                         27h 38m 42s

    2.           Matthias Walkner                     Red Bull KTM Factory Team               + 03m 45s

    3.           Adrien van Beveren                 Monster Energy Yamaha                     + 04m 43s

    4.           Pablo Quintanilla                      Monster Energy Honda                        + 05m 30s

    15.        Joaquim Rodrigues               Hero MotoSports Team Rally              + 58m 05s

    17.        Aaron Maré                                Hero MotoSports Team Rally              + 01h 11m 46s

  • TVS Racing Factory rider Harith Noah posts 26th rank with resilience

    TVS Racing Factory rider Harith Noah posts 26th rank with resilience

    Wadi Ad Dawasir(Saudi Arabia), 10 Jan, 2022: TVS Racing Factory rider Harith Naoh pocketed another stage as he showed enough resilience after initial hiccups and conquered Stage 8 in his inimitable style pushing hard towards the end as he gained two more positions in the overall ranking. The Kerala ace is sitting pretty at 26th position in the general rankings after finishing 26thon Monday. The stage was won by Sam Sunderland of Great Britain. Noah clocked 4 hours, 12 minutes and 30 seconds to complete the timed special of almost 400 km.

    Hero MotoSport, the other Indian team in the fray, had a good stage too. Read the Report here.

    Sherco Rally team video only for Editorial use. @ShercoRallyFactory

    Watch the Day’s highlights here: Stage 8, Jan 10, 2022.

    Starting at 22ndat 8 a.m. (IST) today and treading a cautious path for the first 86 km in the long liaisons, and action-packed dunes, the 5-time Indian National Supercross champion saw the trek to southern Saudi Arabia and its tough sands, drag on and lost about 10 places. Undaunted, he progressed later on, even as the minds and bodies of the competitors were put to a hard test. Noah, attacked the next 200 kms of the special, and by waypoint 6, he moved up and further improved thereafter as he jumped from one valley to another. Eventually, the landscapes changed and the tough negotiator ended up the day in a respectable 26th in the stage after traversing a distance of 820 km, that got him an overall 26th, two places better than the previous day.

    Competing in RallyGP, the premier class of the Moto section in the 44th Dakar Rally, Harith Noah, who had a tough first week due to extreme cold conditions and a couple of falls, has come into his own and looking forward to the last four stages.

    Astride a Sherco 450 SEF Rally Shoranur rider said: “I enjoyed the stage for the second day running and I am getting into my rhythm. It was a long and tough day but I like tricky navigation like this stage. I am still in the race and glad to fighting another stage tommorrow.”

    Noah’s teammate at Sherco Rally Factory team Spaniard Lorenzo Santolino is in overall 7th place while other Sherco rider Rui Goncalves of Portugal is a position behind Noah in 27th. Meanwhile, Hero MotoSports, the other Indian two-wheeler manufacturer in the 140-plus Moto field, saw their lead rider Joaquim Rodrigues from Portugal in Overall 15th place while Aaron Mare of South Africa is place 17th in the General overall ranking.

    Sherco story:

    It was the second long day in this 2022 Dakar. The special was 395 km with a 435 km link that the riders had to race today on some difficult and fast terrain. All of them gave 100% in the dunes and on the fast tracks towards Wadi Ad Dawasir, and at the same time keeping a close eye on the roadbook. This evening they brought the motorcycles back to the bivouac in perfect condition, a luxury after such a day. 
     Lorenzo Santolino started 5th this morning and was the author of some outstanding navigation on a particularly tricky special, between dunes and fast tracks. Following the prerace instructions, he actually backed off a little to preserve his motorcycle he did give up some time at the finish. He finished 20th today and is in 7th place in the general classification. ¡Vamos Santo!

    Rui Goncalves had a good special. He finished 14th for the day, he is still fighting to move up in the general classification, he did manage to move up 3 places. He is now right behind Harith Noah in 27th place.

    After his great performance yesterday, Harith Noah really switched to rally mode. He rode clean and consistent and finished the day in 26th place. He is also in this position in the general classification. The top 20 is getting closer!


    After a perfect day yesterday, our 3 riders faced a very complicated program today. Lorenzo lost a few minutes overall, but the days go by and are not the same every day in the Dakar. Our riders followed the instructions of the team manager David Casteu, the riders and mechanics know how to preserve and maintain the machines perfectly. And they still have all 3 bikes in the race. Everyone in the Sherco camp is at the dawn of the second week of racing which still has some great stages in store.

    Dakar Rally 2022 (Stage 8) Provisional Classification:

    1. #3 Sam Sunderland (Britain) (Gas Gas Factory) 03Hours 48min 02seconds;

    2. #7 Pablo Quintanilla (Chile) (Monster Energy Honda); 03H 50’ 55”; +02’ 53”;

    3. #52 Mathias Walkner (Austria) (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing); 03H 52′ 13″; +4′ 11″;

    26. #20 Harith Noah (Sherco TVS Rally Team) 4H 12’30”; +00H 24’28”;

    Overall Provisional Classification (after stage 8)

    1. #3 Sam Sunderland (Britain) (Gas Gas Factory) 27Hours 38min 42seconds;

    2. #52 Mathias Walkner (Austria) (Red Bull KTM Factory Team); 27H 42’ 27”; +03’ 45”;

    3. #42 Adrian van Beveren (France) (Monster Energy Yamaha Rally); 27H 43’ 25”;+4′ 43″;

    26. #20 Harith Noah (Sherco TVS Rally Team) 29H, 50’ 47”; +2H 12’ 05”.

  • Splendid show by Harith Noah helps him conquer tricky stage

    Splendid show by Harith Noah helps him conquer tricky stage

    Al Dawadimi (Saudi Arabia), 9 Jan. 2022: TVS Racing Factory rider Harith Noah put in a splendid performance bouncing back after the rest day to post a stunning 23rd as he finished the ardous Stage 7 successfully in the Moto section of the 44th Dakar Rally here on Sunday.

    After the rest day, the Ace international rider from India, Noah, began on an aggressive note and shot into the top-16 after the first 50kms negotiating rough terrain and long stretches of dunes before the second WayPoint. Despite having to ride back losing about 10km, to log at a missed WayPoint, he displayed enough racecraft and continued his stunning pace to advance admirably as he finished the long 402-km timed Special in top-25. The Kerala Sports Science graduate thus improved his standing in the Overall general ranking to 27th place after eight days of racing in the sands. Today’s challenging 700-km stage, including liaison distance, comprised a mixture of seemingly endless dunes followed by more tricky-to-navigate canyons and riverbeds and the 28-year TVS rider negotiated with ease and grace as he found the stage interesting and to his liking.

    Competing with the elite in the RallyGP class, the top rider from India, who is the lone crusader flying the Tricolour, suffered a couple of crashes and injured his shoulder badly during the second fall in Stage 5, but carried the injury bravely and with grit moved ahead steadily.

    The 5-time Indian National Supercross champion said: “I enjoyed the stage despite being a cold day, which I am not used to. It was a long and tough day with challenging navigation and tricky dunes, but I like difficult navigation. I was alone all day and was pushing myself all the way.” With sights firmly trained on the finishline in Jeddah on January 14, Noah concluded “I hope there will be more days like this and today was fun.”

    Astride a Sherco 450 SEF Rally, the Indian spent months in preparation for the the gruelling rally that is considered as mecca of cross-country endurance rallying and captured another stage which saw four more of the 140+ riders suffer casualty.

    Five more stages are left in the 12-stage 7200-km cross country rally, the first leg of the new World Cross Country rally championship.

    Dakar Rally 2022 (Stage 7) Provisional Classification:

    1. #11 Jose Ignacio Cornejo F (Chile) (Monster Energy Honda). 03H 28’ 46”;

    2. #1 Kevin Benavides (Argentina) (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing); 03H 29’ 30” +00’ 44”.

    3. #88 Joan Barreda Bort (Spain) (Monster Energy Honda); 03H 31’ 37”; +2’ 51”;

    23. Harith Noah (Sherco TVS Rally Team) 3H 51’10” +00H 22’24”;

    Overall Provisional Classification (after stage 7)

    1. #42 Adrian van Beveren (France) (Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Team); 23H 45’ 02”;

    2. #52 Mathias Walkner (Austria) (Red Bull KTM Factory Team); 23H 50’ 14”; +05’12”;

    3. #1 Kevin Benavides (Argentina) (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing); 23H 50’ 25”; +05’ 23”.

    27. Harith Noah (Sherco TVS Rally Team) 25H, 38’ 17”; +1H 53’ 15”.

  • Harith Noah overcomes tough terrain and painful shoulder to finish Overall 28th

    Harith Noah overcomes tough terrain and painful shoulder to finish Overall 28th

    Riyadh, January 7, 2022: Brave display by TVSRacing Factory rider and 5-time Indian National champion Harith Noah saw him overcame a dangerous terrain and a painful shoulder to tread successfully at the half-way stage of the 44th Dakar Rally, for a creditable overall ranking of 28th position on Friday.

    The lone rider representing India, managed to reign in sands of the world’s toughest cross-country rally finishing 35th in the 702-km Stage 6 on Friday. Daniel Sanders won the stage today and Sam Sunderland is leading the Overall ranking after six stages.

    Many experienced riders had a tough time towards the later part of Stage 5 before a section was cancelled on Thursday, after it saw many crashes. On Friday, the stage was run in the reverse direction and it appeared to be worse with many parts of the route turning treacherous. The promoters then had to call it off and reduce the stage distance after 101-km point. Thus the 28-year Kerala star, despite the tricky terrain finished 35th in the stage today, and with many other falling behind he improved his Overall general ranking to 28th place from the 31st rank on Thursday.  

    The only rider representing India in 2022 Dakar Rally, Noah, is determined to use Saturday to give some rest to his injured shoulder. “The terrain was demanding and dangerous at certain places and with my shoulder pain becoming worse, it is a big relief that I successfully completed the stage. I should be back to normal after the rest day tomorrow and looking forward to give my best,” said the Sherco TVS Factory team rider, who became the fastest at Dakar in 2021.

    The bike and quad special has been halted at the first neutralisation area after 101 km. The deterioration of the tracks due to the passage of the cars and trucks yesterday, combined with recent heavy rain means that the route is impassable. The classification for stage 6 was established at the 101 km mark.

    Noah’s teammate at Sherco TVS Factory team Lorenzo Santolino is in Overall 6th position after Stage 6 while Rui Goncalves is placed 32ndnd. Hero MotoSports Rally Team’s Joaquim Rodriques is placed Overall 18th in the General Ranking with Hero compatriot South African Aran Mare slipped to 16thth.

    Dakar Rally 2022 (Stage 5) Provisional Classification:

    1. #4 Daniel Sanders (Austria) (Gas Gas Factory Racing).51’ 43”;

    2. #3 Sam Suntherland (Great Britain) (Gas Gas Factory Racing); 54’09”;02’26”.

    3. #52 Mathias Walkner (Austria) (Red Bull KTM Factory Team); 54’19” +02’36”.

    35. Harith Noah (Sherco TVS Rally Team) 1H02’02” +10’19”;

    Overall Provisional Classification (after stage 6)

    1. #3 Sam Suntherland (Great Britain) (Gas Gas Factory Racing); 19H55’59”.

    2. #52 Mathias Walkner (Austria) (Red Bull KTM Factory Team); 19H58’38”. +02’39”.

    3. #4 Daniel Sanders (Austria) (Gas Gas Factory Racing). 20H01’34”; +05’35”.

    28. Harith Noah (Sherco TVS Rally Team) 21H, 47’ 07”. +1H 51’08”.

  • Harith Noah, finishes Stage 5 in 28th position for an Overall 30th rank

    Harith Noah, finishes Stage 5 in 28th position for an Overall 30th rank

    Riyadh, January 6, 2022: The only rider representing India in 2022 Dakar Rally, Harith Noah, of TVS Racing factory team, completed Stage 5 with grit and determination despite a painful shoulder in a respectable 28th position on Thursday for an Overall rank of 30, one position better than the previous day. D Petrucci of Italy won the stage.

    Noah’s teammate at Sherco TVS Factory team Lorenzo Santolino is in Overall 5th position after Stage 5 while Rui Goncalves is placed 33rd. Hero MotoSports Rally Team’s Joaquim Rodriques is placed Overall 20th in the General Ranking with Hero compatriot South African Aran Mare in a creditable 8th.

    He finished in 28th among a field of over 140 riders in Moto section. Taking part in the top RallyGP class which has about 25 elite riders, the Kerala ace survived a crash in Stage 4 yesterday but after a brief treatment took the start of the 560-km stage with a Special Section distance of 346km, with a section that crossed the paths of both FIM and FIA vehicles. Tomorrow, the same stage will be run in the reverse direction. The five-time Indian National Super Cross champion, astride a Sherco 450 SEF rally-prepared machine, clocked 3hours, 41min, 05seconds.

    “It took some time in the morning before I settled down as I had a crash yesterday. But after two waypoints, I got into my rhythm and the pace was good. I managed to make a couple of positions and happy to finish the day and be in the race for tomorrow.” said Harith Noah.

    The 12-stage 2022 Dakar Rally, being held in the sandy dunes of Saudi Arabia for the third year will conclude on January 14, 2022. The riders will have a rest day on Saturday, Jan 8.

    Dakar Rally 2022 (Stage 5) Provisional Classification:

    1. D Petrucci (Ita) (Tech 3 KTM) 03H 23’ 46”;

    2. R Branch (BWA) (Monster Energy) +00’ 02”;

    3. K Cornejo Flo… (CHL) (Monster Energy) +00’ 05”.

    28. Harith Noah (Sherco TVS Rally Team) +17’19”;

    Overall Provisional Classification (after stage 4)

    1. S. Sunderland (Gas Gas Factory) 19H 1’ 50”;

    2. M. Walkner (Red Bull KTM) +02’ 29”;

    3. A Van Beveren (Monster Energy) +05’ 59”;

    30. Harith Noah (Sherco TVS Rally Team) 1H 43’ 15”.