INDIA in F1

Category: Dakar Rally

  • Harith Noah gets a stunning start to complete Stage 1 in 31st place; Santosh 42nd

    Harith Noah gets a stunning start to complete Stage 1 in 31st place; Santosh 42nd

    By David Bodapati

    Jeddah, 3 Jan 2021: Sporting golden hairlocks with blazing red boots, the number #33 Harith Noah Koitha Veettil, who is a product of TVS Racing, turned out to be the Golden boy for India topping his other two compatriots with a very creditable 31st place after the Stage 1 in the Dakar Rally 2021. The Dakar Rally is running in Saudi Arabia for the second year, after shifting from its original terrain in 2020, before the pandemic.

    Meanshile, CS Santosh finished the first stage in 42nd and the Dakar this year has 12 stages which will end on Jan 15. CS Santosh, #50, finished in 42nd place while the third Indian in Dakar-21, Ashish Raorane, finished the 623-km stage in 84th place in 6 hours, 8 minutes and 27 seconds. Astride a KTM450RR, Raorane is taking part in G2.2 marathon class.

    The German-born Malayalee, Noah clocked 3 hours, 54 minutes and 19 seconds, astride a Sherco Factory bike. He is supported by TVS Racing, who did not field a team due to the pandemic. He entered as Privateer and is supported by Sherco. The number33, Noah is born in Germany and trained abroad for over two months as preparation. Clocking 35.43 behind the top bike of Toby Price. The TVS Racing’s rider is astride a 450RTR tuned by Sherco TVS Rally Factory team is in the G2.1 Super Production Class and supported by his sponsors Scott India and Camelbak India. In the pre-event run, Noah was placed 43rd position on Saturday and did a brilliant job on Sunday to move up to 31st place.

    Above: Harith Noah during theCeremonial Start in Bengaluru 2020.
    CS Santosh at the ceremonial start of Dakar before the Prologue on 2 Jan 2021.

    Meanwhile, CS Santosh had to reign in his natural instincts on Sunday and focus more on navigating in what was a difficult, rocky Stage 1 of in his 7th Dakar, Santosh Chunchunguppe Shivashankar, finished the stage in the 42nd position, in 4 hours 8 minutes and and 21 seconds and is 49 min and 55 seconds variation from the first placed Toby Price, who clocked 3:18:26. The Kannadiga is supported by Red Bull, Hero, Sidvin, Genetic Nutrition, Scott, Big Rock dirt park, Dos moto design.Taking part in the G2.1 Super Production Class in his custom-made 450 rally factory tuned and supported Hero bike began with a bang to be in the top bikes and placed at 35 in the scratch time on Saturday and retained it in the Stage and General standings at the end of Day 1 and in the competitive Stage 1 on Sunday, he did extremely well in the navigation, for which he did much preparation, and was placed at 42nd position in the final end of the stage tally. Initially, it was shown as 43rd but it is now officially declared as 42nd place in the standings. Since this is the first stage both the Overall ranking after the end of the stage and the Stage ranking are same at 42nd place.

    The Bangalore based rider, considered as the best endurance raid biker in India, made a successful debut in 2015 finishing 36th and went on to improve it to 34th four years later in 2018. He was forced to quit in Stage 4 in 2016, in Stage 5 in 2019 and the last year, it was a team decision to pull out due to the death of teammate Paulo Gonsalves. Thus making the only Indian to complete three Dakar in 6 attempts, a great achievement considering the difficulty of the world’s toughest event.

    Mumbai’s Ashish Raorane, fell short on Day 1 astride a KTM 450RR tuned by BigRock of Spain, and assisted by Motul, finishing the first stage in 84th place slipped to general ranking of 85. Thanks to his sponsors Klim, Slipstream Performance, Dosmoto, Leatt, EBC Brakes, Gaerne, Hellraiser motorwear and Goodwill Enterprises, the Indian managed to enter the Dakar without the support of a Factory team. On first day, he wonted help.

  • Desert Queen Laia Sanz finishes Day 1 in 34th place

    Desert Queen Laia Sanz finishes Day 1 in 34th place

    Jeddah, 3 Jan 2021: Getting her 11th Dakar Rally participation underway, Laia Sanz has successfully completed the opening day’s competition, safely finishing the rocky 623-kilometer stage in 34th position. Offering riders no easy start to the 43rd running of the iconic event, stage one had ‘a little bit of everything’ with rocky tracks and challenging navigation ensuring a demanding first day in the saddle.

    • Laia safely completes stage one of 2021 Dakar Rally
    • Demanding, stony terrain ensures challenging 623-kilometer stage
    • First sand dunes of 2021 event lie ahead in stage two

    Laia Sanz:“That was certainly a very real Dakar stage – there was a little bit of everything with some very technical sections. I’m quite happy with the way everything went for me, I’m really not pushing too hard and just trying to find my rhythm and speed again. I managed to get lost near to the end of the special, which is frustrating, but the nice thing is I am sure that we will have more good stages like this and that I will be able to improve my position in the overall standings.”

    Just as in 2020 the opening stage of the 2021 Dakar rally was anything but an easy one, much to Laia’s liking. Allowing the Spaniard to finally flex her muscle on her GASGAS RC 450F, in taking a cautious approach to the stage she ensured a safe arrival at the finish with her bike undamaged, despite picking up a three-minute penalty for speeding.

    With the event’s opening stage now complete, next up for Laia will be the 685-kilometer stage two. Delivering the first sand dunes of the event, it will also feature a special stage of 457-kilometers that will undoubtedly test the navigational skills of all motorcycle-class competitors.

    Results (provisional): Dakar Rally 2021, stage 1

    1. Toby Price (KTM) 3:18.26
    2. Kevin Benavides (Honda) 3:18.57
    3. Matthias Walkner (KTM) 3:18.58
    34. Laia Sanz (GASGAS) 3:58.18

  • D-2: On your masks, get set…

    2021 has ushered in a wave of enthusiasm and relief for the competitors and crews of the Dakar, who have complied with COVID-19 prevention measures along with the entire race environment. Over 2,400 PCR tests have been carried out to ensure the integrity of the “Dakar bubble” in which the rally caravan will remain isolated for almost two weeks. The competitors are now going through the technical and administrative scrutineering at King Abdullah Stadium in Jeddah. The whole process has been compressed and will end around lunchtime. The clock will start ticking in tomorrow’s 11 km prologue, which will provide an early snapshot of the pecking order and, most importantly, a rational starting order for the opening stage on 3 January.

    ROMA À LA FRANÇAISE

    The Bahrain Raid Xtreme team intended to strike the perfect balance between French and Spanish drivers by matching the Loeb-Elena duo with Nani Roma and Dani Oliveira. However, their plans were thwarted by the involuntary withdrawal of the co-driver of the two-time Dakar champion, who had to scramble for a back-up solution for the 2021 edition: “Dani tested positive on 9 December, so he was no longer supposed to be contagious at the time we were scheduled to leave for the rally. However, come 24 December he had yet to develop antibodies, which meant he was still potentially contagious and forced us to look for another co-driver.” An urgent headhunt began straight away to find the right person for the job: “The list of first-rate co-drivers isn’t that long, and they’d all been recruited by someone else. I asked Michel Périn and he was unwilling to commit on such short notice, but he told me Alexandre Winocq might be available.” The co-driver who had been taking part in the Dakar since 1999 had no bucket seat with his name on it for this edition, but he was nonetheless busy with some business a world away from the Saudi desert: “In my family activity, I work with horses, and we were bang in the middle of moving from Val d’Isère to Tignes“, explains the navigator who had already shaken up his schedule after his joint project with Guerlain Chicherit fell through. “When Nani called, my first thought was to say it was too late. But I’ve known him for quite a while. We were on the same team when we used to race in X-Raid’s ‘Zebra’ buggy with Guerlain, so I quickly changed my mind because it’s an amazing opportunity. Bahrain Raid Xtreme have done a sterling job in a short time. In turn, I also had to move fast to find an alternative solution, as I needed to find someone to take care of the horses. I couldn’t just pack my suitcase and hop onto the next flight!” Swift decisions and reactions —the bread and butter of a Dakar co-driver.

    A NEW START FOR DE SOULTRAIT

    The ugly scar on his right wrist is nothing more than a bad memory, a memento of the crash that truncated a stellar rise.  Two years ago, Xavier De Soultrait crossed the finish line of the Dakar in seventh place overall with a stage win to his name. Then, after starting the last edition with the final podium in his sights, the biker from Moulins bowed out of the race in stage 4 after sustaining a cut affecting 80% of his radial nerve. De Soultrait’s mishap has made him more sensitive to the cold. “My physiotherapist and I worked really hard to fully regain the function of my hand, but I can’t deny that the cold makes me a bit more apprehensive now. I’ll have to wear thicker gloves in the morning.” If Adrien Van Beveren’s former teammate is willing to push so hard, it is also because he recently took a big weight off his shoulders with his transfer to Husqvarna. “I’m not the kind of person who likes to shake everything up, very much the opposite. However, this year I realised it could be a great move. I plucked up my courage, explained the situation to my sponsors and got them to follow me. This new scenario gives me a sense of fulfilment. I feel in my element and have got stronger.” Xavier De Soultrait is having a blast on his 450 Rally, especially with the Austrian race service keeping a close eye on him. “I won a race in Turkey this year and, although I wasn’t near the top in Andalusia due to a mistake on the second day, my pace was very good.” The biker from Moulins has no other goal in his eighth Dakar than to give it his best… without giving up on his dream of a podium place.

    FEWER TYRES FOR A SAFER RACE

    It is a question as old as motorbike racing itself: how can one go faster than the competition without being too reckless? Even the Dakar has to come up with an answer to this dilemma for the world of motor sports, as bikers seek to squeeze every last ounce of speed from their machines while organisers place the safety of the competitors at the heart of their concerns. Bikers, manufacturers, organisers, federations and other stakeholders came together in Lisbon in autumn to bridge the gap between these ambitions. “It has become obvious that motorbikes go too fast nowadays”, stresses David Castera, the director of the Dakar. “Today’s 450 cc single-cylinders are just as fast as the 800 cc twin-cylinders of the late 1980s, and they accelerate even faster to boot. There are two main approaches to boosting safety. Active safety is about improving the equipment used, for example, by requiring the use of airbags, whereas passive safety can be increased by capping the speed of the bikers and similar rules. Too many bikers want to ride as if it were a motocross race, but a rally raid is completely different. The focus is on endurance and stamina. This is why top bikers will not be allowed to use more than six rear tyres throughout the two weeks of racing. “Going full gas on stony terrain will no longer be an option for anyone who wants to win this race“, insists David Castera. “They will have to take care of their gear to make it to the finish.” Race official Jordi Pérez was in charge of marking the batch of six tyres for each of the competitors subject to the new rule. “36 bikers are affected, explains the Spaniard, who is serving as a technical scrutineering official. The tyres all have to be the same model and are branded with a red-hot iron. We also put a special sticker on them and paint them with a stroke of coloured reactive marker.” As abrasive as it is, even the Saudi sand should be unable to erase these markings.

  • Mumbai to Dakar, the great escape by Ashish Raorane

    Mumbai to Dakar, the great escape by Ashish Raorane

    Ashish Raorane’s journey on the Dakar won’t just start on the 3rd of January in Jeddah for the launch of the 2021 edition, it actually kicked off way before, on the 3rd of November. Indeed, the current Covid pandemic situation in the world forced the Indian rider to leave Mumbai early, in order to reach Europe (Paris and then Barcelona) to ship his KTM on the boat to Saudi and mainly to be sure he wouldn’t be locked down at home when the Dakar starts. The 39-year-old knew the rally wouldn’t be a walk in the park, he probably hadn’t anticipated it would be so complicated before even day 1. But his passion for bikes and rallies seem to be far stronger than any outcome and he’ll certainly need that in the deserts of Saudi Arabia. Raorane is no factory rider. He spends most of his time on boats as a marine engineer. As a kid he started riding on the old rusty bike of his father. Several decades later he was participating in a cross-country rally in the Himalayas that gave him that taste and desire for the Dakar. Inspired by CS Santosh, the first Indian biker to start and finish the Dakar (back in 2015), he wanted to prove to his fellow compatriots that the Dakar wasn’t only for top factory riders. A very competitive table-tennis player back in his youth, he wanted to show that a normal biker could give it a go. And that’s also why he’s decided to register in the Original by Motul class for riders with no assistance.

    “My first goal was to escape out of India to make sure I wouldn’t be stuck in India in case of a lockdown that would prevent me from doing the Dakar. My wife who rides bikes as well has been very supportive and helped me a lot. I started riding motorbikes as a kid when I would steal the old rusty bike of my father. But I only got interested in rallies six years ago. A friend of mine was at home and he showed me a documentary about the Baja 1000. We were both fascinated. That’s what pushed me to compete in Baja races in India. In 2015, I did my first cross-country rally in the Himalayas. I then built on that experience with the aim to one day do the Dakar. My experience on the Africa Eco Race helped a lot, spending a night in the desert is a good preparation. I followed the Dakar thanks to CS Santosh. He was an inspiration. I raced with him in India and he’s been very helpful. But it seemed that only Indian factory riders were able to do the Dakar and my idea is to change that perspective and show that a privateer like me can do it. I want to show it’s possible. I decided to register in the Original by Motul class. As an engineer, I know how to deal with the bike, it’s easy for me, and of course there’s the financial aspect. My goal is to manage my race in a consistent way and of course make it to the finish. This Dakar is not a one-time thing and I want to build on that first experience.”

  • CS Santosh, Harith Noah and Ashish Raorane, 3 Indian musketeers at Dakar

    CS Santosh, Harith Noah and Ashish Raorane, 3 Indian musketeers at Dakar

    Jeddah, 2 Jan 2021: CS Santosh of Hero Motosports, TVS Racing’s Harith Noah, who will enter as a privateer with Sherco, last-year’s combo of Sherco TVS team, and another privateer Ashish Raorane will take part in the Malle Moto category of the 2021 Dakar Rally as a privateer, riding a KTM 450 Rally Replica.

    TVS Racing, the first Indian team in Dakar in 2015, despite not fielding the team this year due to the pandemic and the costs involved, is sponsoring Harith Noah on a TVS RTR 450 bike. However, the technical support from TVS Racing will not be there for the Kerala rider who made his debut in Dakar last year.

    Dakar rally kicks off on January 3 with a prorogue on Jan 2. And it will aired in India by Isport.

    Noah will have his Sherco Rally Factory Team riders Lorenzo Santolino and Rui Goncalves on a Sherco TVS RTR 450 Rally motorcycle.

    “TVS Racing, the factory racing team of TVS Motor Company, will not be participating in Dakar Rally 2021. Harith Noah, TVS Racing factory rider, will participate as a privateer in the Dakar Rally with Sherco Rally Factory Team and will be sponsored by TVS Racing. He will ride the Sherco TVS RTR 450 Rally motorcycle.  We would like to wish Harith and Sherco Factory team racers, technical team and support staff the very best for the Dakar Rally,” TVS said.

    A special rule introduced last year, helped Noah, who retired after stage 3, but continued and finished the rally with a superb performance that caught the eye of all. He clocked good time after good stage and in the later stages to finish 25 but was not ranked kdue to his Stage 3 retirement.

    The 2021 Dakar Rally will be the second edition of the event held entirely in Saudi Arabia, largely due to COVID-19-related travel restrictions. The rally will flag off on January 3 in Jeddah and cover varied terrain across the region before concluding in the same city on January 15.

    The route itself will be entirely new, and according to organisers, a lot more challenging compared to the 2020 edition. Participants will have to traverse a total of 7,646km, and 295 vehicles will compete across all classes – the lowest participation figure since the 1997 Dakar rally.

    The 2021 edition will also see the introduction of digital roadbooks along with a host of rule changes to improve safety.

    Harith Noah – SHERCO FACTORY

    • Mark : SHERCO FACTORY
    • Model : 450 RTR
    • Performance tuner : Sherco TVS Rally Factory
    • Assistance : Sherco TVS Rally Factory
    • Class : G2.1 Super production

  • #33 Harith Noah better prepared in 2021

    Harith Noah’s journey to the 2021 Dakar started early. As soon as August he moved to the south of France, living with his former team mate Michael Metge to get ready for his second Dakar, fully focused on training and never actually returning to India. In the footsteps of pioneers Santosh CS and Aravind Prabhakar, the young man from Kerala, but born in Germany who conquered multiple national titles in motocross and supercross was last year the latest Indian to take on the Dakar. His path to the rally was however a long one. 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 second attempt, his goal is simply to reach the finish and carry on enjoying the Dakar vibe, alongside his team mates Lorenzo Santolino and newcomer Rui Gonçalves.

    “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.
    Honestly the Dakar 2020 was a really great experience. I had done some rallies before but the Dakar is another game. I fell in love with it. There’s such a vibe and I really enjoyed it. The Dakar is a small family but it’s like no other family. After being forced to retire for technical reasons which was unfortunate, I was able to carry on thanks to the Dakar Experience and I felt so grateful. I gained so much experience and learned. On the Dakar everything is tougher. It’s two weeks long. It was in a new country and you have to adapt to all the dunes and sand. My family was super stressed and they were calling me all the time.
    This year was full of question marks. I was stuck in one place, in Kerala, but I continued training and it was actually great. I then went to Europe in August and competed at the Andalucia Rally which was really nice with tricky navigation. It was important to get used to the bike again and it was great motivation.
    What I expect for the 2021Dakar? Well finishing is the number one priority. I just want to ride as well as I can. The plan isn’t to compare myself to others. I know I’ll make mistakes but I’m ready for that.”

  • #50 CS Santosh, returns to 7th Dakar with Paulo in mind

    On the startline of the 2021 Dakar in Jeddah, CS Santosh will, like many others, certainly have a thought for his former team mate Paulo Gonçalves who passed away a year ago while living his passion. Naturally devastated by the news, the Indian and his entire Hero team decided to leave the rally. With Paulo in mind, he returns for his seventh Dakar. How time flies. In the Dakar’s 40 years of history, Santosh Chunchunguppe Shivashankar will be remembered as the first ever Indian competitor to take part in the event. It was back in 2015 and not only did the man known as “CS Santosh” start and finish the rally, he also managed to raise enough awareness back home to seduce Hero, the biggest selling motorcycle brand in India. Six years after his debut, the rider from Bangalore has finished three out of five Dakar rallies managing his best performance (34th) in 2018. After taking part in the Andalucia Rally and Baja PortoAlegre, the 37-year-old returns as part of the three-man Hero team alongside Joaquim Rodrigues and Sebastian Buhler on a brand new 450 Rally bike.

    “Funnily I never watched any motorsports before the age of 16. I have absolutely no motorsports background in my family. I was raised to go to college and probably work in software. Then my dad bought me a bike to go to school and that’s when my love of riding really started. Racing probably saved me from getting into trouble. It gave me something to focus on with passion. As a kid, while growing up, I remember being fascinated by adventure, and that fascination continues to this day.
    My heart sank when I was told about Paulo last year. Dakar didn’t feel like Dakar anymore. You never imagine that the worst could happen. It was overwhelming, Paulo was always jovial. The expectations sat lightly on him. He never looked at racing as a job. He created a good atmosphere where the pressure was lifted off the others riders. He gave me small tips, which were so helpful. Paulo was a real leader. Paulo would have wanted us to keep going and continue to race hard -that’s what I intend to do.”
    With the new regulations in place, it’s going to be different for the riders. This also means there will be more focus on race strategies. I think it will be interesting as teams with good strategies and riders aware of how to maintain the bike in good condition everyday, will probably end up winning the Dakar. It’s also a safety issue. The rider has to bring the bike in one piece. That we have to conserve our tyre (6 rear tyres for the entire rally) means we cannot go as fast as we want all the time. Riders have to be more cautious. Sometimes you might have to ride slowly. As a rider, it won’t be only about speed. One will also have to learn to look after the tyres,
    Every time the Dakar comes around it’s an exciting time for us to go racing on our rally bikes and I would say that this is the most exciting year considering we have an all new bike and new team colours! I have loved riding this bike in the few tests we had and I am looking forward to see what fortune awaits us this time around.”

    HERO MOTOSPORTS TEAM RALLY

    • Mark : HERO
    • Model : 450 RALLY
    • Performance tuner : HERO
    • Assistance : HERO
    • Class : G2.1 Super production
  • Riders shake down ahead of 2021 Dakar – A KTM Preview

    Riders shake down ahead of 2021 Dakar – A KTM Preview

    The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing trio of Toby Price, Matthias Walkner and Sam Sunderland have successfully completed their Shakedown tests ahead of this year’s Dakar Rally. Joined by KTM Factory Racing’s Daniel Sanders in Jeddah, the team will now complete all administrative tasks before the qualifying Prologue on Saturday, January 2.

    Held in the Middle East for the second consecutive year, and celebrating its 43rd edition, this year’s Dakar Rally looks set to challenge all competitors from day one. Following the short 11km Prologue, riders will face 12 demanding stages, totaling 7,646km, taking them through some of the toughest terrain Saudi Arabia has to offer.

    Delivering a completely new route for 2021, the event organizers have been working hard to create a race that further tests all competitors’ navigational skills. Average speeds across the 4,767km of timed specials will also be reduced, with the stages expected to comprise of slower, more technically demanding terrain. In the interest of safety, new regulations have also been brought in for this year’s race, including restrictions on tires, an audible warning system that will notify riders of dangers ahead while racing, as well as airbag jackets also becoming compulsory.

    The three Red Bull KTM Factory Racing riders already enjoy a huge amount of rally experience – all three are former Dakar winners – together with knowledge of racing the Dakar in the Middle East. Toby Price, Matthias Walkner and Sam Sunderland are fit and fully motivated to take on the upcoming race and have their sights set on securing strong results.

    KTM Factory Racing’s Daniel Sanders has only contested one cross-country rally in his career and comes into the 2021 Dakar as a relative rookie. Nevertheless, the team’s junior rider has shown great maturity and speed on the run up to the race and will be aiming to complete the event with a solid finish.

    Jordi Viladoms – KTM Rally Team Manager:“Things are going well here in Jeddah, it has been a tough journey for the whole team to get here with the various restrictions and tests in place, but we’re 100% ready for the race now. The Shakedown was extremely positive, and although the terrain wasn’t quite what we expect to face in the rally itself, all riders were immediately up to speed and felt comfortable on their bikes. We now just have to complete the final administrative and technical checks and then we can finally go racing!”

    Following the short Prologue on Saturday, January 2, the 2021 Dakar Rally starts with the 623km stage one on Sunday, January 3 from Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. In total, the event consists of 12 full stages, covering a distance of 7,646km, with the finish also taking place in Jeddah, on January 15.

  • Dakar rider Edwin Straver succumbs to his injuries

    Dakar rider Edwin Straver succumbs to his injuries

    Riyadh, 24 Jan 2020: The motorcycle rider Edwin Straver, who suffered a fall in pk 124 of the special of the 11th stage Shubaytah – Haradh on Thursday, January 16, 2020, has died as a result of these injuries, as reported by his family on Friday morning.

    Edwin was revived on the track by the medical team that came by helicopter and attended the pilot in a state of cardiac arrest. Transferred to the Riyadh hospital, he was treated by the center’s resuscitation team before being repatriated to the Netherlands last Wednesday.

    Former motocross rider, Edwin Straver – 48 years old – participated in his 3rd Dakar. He finished 30th in 2019, proclaiming himself winner of the Original by Motul category in which he enrolled again in 2020.

    The whole of the Dakar caravan presents its deepest condolences and its most sincere condolences to Edwin’s family, friends and relatives.

    File photo of Dakar rider Edwin Straver during Stage 10 in Saudi Arabia on Jan 10. May his soul rest in peace. DPPI image
  • Ashish Raorane completes Africa Eco Race against all odds

    Ashish Raorane completes Africa Eco Race against all odds

    Ashish Raorane after crossing the finish line on Sunday. Photo courtesy Ashish Raorane team

    Dakar, 20 Jan 2020: The daring adventure of 38-year old professional Indian rally-raid rider, Ashish Raorane, ended in a dream finish as he completed the tough Africa Eco Race on Sunday. After completing the ninth stage in 54th overall position, the Indian took the restart and managed to rejoin the last stage, the famous beach stage, as the Africa Eco race allows a restart.

    The non-factory rider is self-funded for almost all of the events he has taken part and is attempting the Africa Eco Race for the first time. The Pune-based marine engineer has caught the attention of Luminox last year by his rally-raid exploits and is supported for the rally by the Swiss watch brand. Ashish was greeted by his wife and a few others as he celebrated with the Indian flag at the finish line in Dakar. Ashish was supported by Nomadas Adventure Racing Team of Switzerland.

    The last stage offered a real driving treat but had no effect on the general classifications this year. There was, therefore, good humour and spirit on the finish line, situated at the edge of the Erg at the village of Teverit, around 30km from Nouakchott in Mauritania. For the record, there was no suspense in the motorcycle category, as the YAMAHA of Alessandro BOTTURI left two minutes behind the KTM of Pal Anders ULLEVALSETER and quickly caught the Norwegian. As a result, 1min 59sec was added to the Italian’s lead and BOTTURI therefore wins this 12th edition of the AFRICA ECO RACE by 3min 59sec from ULLEVALSETER.

    Coming back to the Indian’s rally, after doing a superb job in the first leg, Ashish caught up with the reality of his adventure with a bike that did not have enough capacity for fuel when compared to the advanced bikes, and paid the penalty after a navigation error in Stage 10. At the half-way mark, before the rest day Ashish rode to a stunning 17th Overall rank but the final week saw him nurture the fuel and reduce speeds. He was ranked 54th in the 9th stage before missing two stages as he ended taking almost 31 hours to reach the bivouac after he ran out of fuel. Ashish Raorane was classiefied 57th in bike category after the 12th and last stage, the Beach stage.

    Ashish Raorane explained his tryst with the Africa Eco Race, that ran over 6,500 km, with 12 stages across Morocco, the Western Sahara, Mauritania and Senegal. The rally concluded on Sunday, Jan 19. Four days before the start of the rally, Ashish was in hospital after being down with dengue. But the rider in him took over and he started the rally against all medical advice but did a splendid job finishing with aplomb.

    “It took me 31 hours to get back to the bivouac, and so I missed a couple of stages. The Africa Eco Race allows restarts and that’s a great thing. Of course I picked up a lot of penalties but at least I am not out of the race. So, eventually, I did get to the ride the famous Beach stage at the Lac Rose in Dakar and cross the finish line of the Africa Eco Race at P57,’’ said Ashish. The rally runs in the original route of Dakar when it was run in Africa.

    “To say that the past weeks have been a roller coaster both physically and emotionally would be an understatement. I was in the hospital, four days before the race, wondering if I could make it to the start line and against all medical advice decided to go give it a shot,’’ he continued.

    “Against all expectations, the race started out pretty well. Though, I was struggling physically after having spent 10 days in the hospital, going into the rest day, I had a good feeling on the bike,’’ he added. Ashish was ranked overall 17th before the rest day.

    Mauritania, is where it started unraveling for the Indian rider. The Indian and his team realised that the fuel consumption on the bike in the soft Mauritanian sand was pretty high and that the rally-modified Enduro bike did not have the required fuel autonomy unlike a full-fledged cross-country rally-raid bike. He was astride a KTM 450 EXC, a 4-stroke enduro off-road bike, which has its limitations during long-distance riding on terrain full of piste unlike a KTM 450 Rally Replica which will cost a whopping Rs.23 lakh or so.

    The first stage in Mauritania confirmed this weakness. From there on, Ashish did manage his speed admirably to save the fuel. “On Stage 8 of the race, I made a navigation mistake early on going the wrong way, which further reduced my fuel autonomy. The stage was tough and, I was struggling through the dunes. At km 175 of the stage, the bike was buried in the dune. I was out of water and food, clutch issues crept up and I did not have enough fuel to reach the refueling point. I had to make one of the most-difficult decisions to call the PC course. Little did I know at the time that I would be spending the night in the dunes all alone but that is another long story, for another day,’’ the brave rider concluded.

    Ashish Raorane with his wife at the finish lane of Africa Eco Race in Dakar on Sunday. Photo AER