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  • Santosh was resuscitated by co-riders before airlifted to a Riyad hospital

    By David Bodapati

    Bengaluru, 7 Jan 2021: Ace Indian rider and a 7-time veteran of Dakar, CS Santosh of Hero MotoSports Factory Rally Team, who suffered a crash in Stage 4 after three Waypoints and about 130km into the stage, at around 2.15 IST on Wednesday, was airlifted to a hospital in Riyadh after “he was resuscitated by fellow Dutch and Italian riders” and the crash seems to be more serious than was stated yesterday according to South African and Dutch “Media reports”.

    TimesLive, South Africa’s second biggest news website said quoting rallymaniacs.com, a Dutch website:

    “Husqvarna’s Dutch rider Paul Spierings told the rallymaniacs.com website that he and Italian Maurizio Gerini had managed to resuscitate Santosh before the emergency helicopter arrived.

    “When the helicopter arrived after 15 minutes, I luckily felt a pulse again. That was a huge relief,” Spierings said.

    “I was able to act well because I knew what to do, but I had never resuscitated anyone in real life.”

    However, sources told said that the Bengaluru-based 37-year rider is induced into a coma under medical observation for conducting investigations to rule out any serious issues, that is normally done for head injuries in a high-speed crash. Hero MotoCorp, however, is yet to reply to the email query of this reporter. The 24-hour observation has ended and a statement from the hospital is expected anytime tonight.

    Last year, Hero MotoSport Rally team’s Portuguese rider Paulo Goncalves, suffered a tragic fall and lost his life in the seventh stage and the team withdrew from the Dakar Rally 2020. The stage is said to be the same physical stage but on the reverse run.

    Joaquim Rodrigues (Competitor No. 27) said, “First of all, my thoughts go out to our brother Santosh and I wish him a speedy recovery. I know that he will pull through to come back stronger. Today was a very tough stage for me as this was where the tragic incident happened last year. It brought back a lot of painful memories for me and I couldn’t sleep all night. I had a nervous start to the stage but as I started to ride, I started to get into a rhythm and my navigation was perfect. I believe it was Paulo who was navigating for me today and I am so happy to know that feeling.”

    A mixed day for Hero MotoSports in Stage 4, an earlier Hero statement said:

    Earlier in a statement on Wednesday , Hero MotoCorp said, “On a positive note, Joaquim Rodrigues set a blazing pace today to finish Stage 4 at the 6th position. On a somber note, Indian ace CS Santosh suffered a crash today and had to forfeit the stage. His 2021 Dakar campaign has come to an unfortunate, premature end.

    The report went on to say: “On a somber note, Indian ace CS Santosh suffered a crash today and had to forfeit the stage. He was immediately attended to by the on-ground medical team and was found to be stable. For a thorough evaluation and to provide him with the best possible medical care, he has been shifted to a hospital in Riyadh. His 2021 Dakar campaign has come to an unfortunate, premature end.”

  • Desert Queen Laia Sanz completes Stage 4

    Desert Queen Laia Sanz completes Stage 4

    xpected, the competitors who faltered in yesterday’s stage did their best to try and place themselves back into contention. Joan Barreda is a specialist in such scenarios, especially on fast courses on which his scorching pace over great distances enables him to dish out some serious damage. The Honda rider’s 26th career Dakar stage win also catapulted him to second place overall, fifteen seconds behind Xavier De Soultrait. The car special was just as closely fought, as Al-Attiyah took his fourth win since the start in Jeddah, but by such a slim margin (11 seconds) over Stéphane Peterhansel that their duel at the top of the general standings remained essentially unchanged. Sébastien Loeb also made capital out of the road to Riyadh by claiming fourth place in both the special and the overall, while Mathieu Serradori ran into trouble and finished seventh, 51 minutes back, and Yazeed Al-Rajhi plummeted down the general standings. In the quad category, Manuel Andújar claimed his maiden Dakar stage win as fellow Argentinian and 2019 champion Nicolás Cavigliasso took command of the general standings. Aron Domżała won stage 4 in the lightweight vehicle category without threatening the overall leader of his teammate at Can-Am, Francisco “Chaleco” López. Finally, the Dmitry Sotnikov festival continued in the truck category while Czech Martin Macík capitalised on Siarhei Viazovich’s setback to move up to second place, 26 minutes behind the leading Kamaz.

    Performance of the day

    KTM announced the signing of Daniel Sanders in late September, just before he entered the Andalucía Rally. The Australian went on to start the 43rd Dakar on the right foot with a podium place in the prologue. Fast-forward a few days and even an eleventh-hour crash and a small time loss in the final kilometres could not stop him from posting the third fastest time in today’s 337 km special to Riyadh. It is a remarkable performance for a biker who learned the ropes in the world of enduro and is only taking part in his second rally raid. The KTM rider, sitting 14 minutes behind Xavier De Soultrait in the general standings as the best rookie so far, is inching closer to his maiden stage win. Fellow Aussie Toby Price came in third in his first Dakar in 2015… Six years later, we could be about to witness the rise of a new Australian prodigy uncovered by the team from Mattighofen.

    A crushing blow

    The Dakar has been a mixed bag for Yazeed Al-Rajhi since the start of the second edition of the Dakar in his country. The Toyota driver, who came in 44th on Tuesday after finishing third in the prologue, suffered a mechanical at km 30 and had to wait for his support crew. Although he eventually managed to resume the journey towards Riyadh after almost three hours, the driver who finished fourth in 2020 will end the day almost 5 hours behind Peterhansel in the general standings, postponing his dreams of a Dakar victory on home turf for at least a year.

    Stat of the day: 395 m

    At the average speed of 129.63 km/h set by Nasser Al-Attiyah, the winner of the car stage to Riyadh, his 11-second margin over Stéphane Peterhansel is tantamount to 395 m —just under the length of a running track— after 337 kilometres of racing.

    The makings of a Classic

    The 4×4 Toyota HDJ 80 is a true Dakar classic. The Merino Bros bought one that took part in the 1993 edition. The younger of the two brothers, Julián José, had taken part in the previous five editions on a motorbike, finishing three of them. This time round, he has gone for a more “old-timey” challenge.

    Quote of the day

    Stéphane Peterhansel: “It’s just one relentless attack after another“

    The overall leader is having to dig really deep to defend his lead over Nasser Al-Attiyah.

    “We’re not marking one another, it’s just one relentless attack after another, and in the end we finished in the same time! Apart from a small navigation error near the finish, I don’t think I can push much harder. To stay in contention, we need to go all out. So far, so good, as we aren’t making too many mistakes. In the old times, 50% of all contenders would be knocked out of the race by driving mistakes or technical issues, but it’s become far less common, so you just have to hold on.“

    esert Queen Laia Sanz completes Stage 4 without any hiccups

    Laia Sanz has delivered another super-consistent ride through a fast and physically tough 337-kilometer special to complete stage four of the 2021 Dakar Rally. Gaining confidence as the rally continues, with four positive days of racing onboard her GASGAS RC 450F Rally now under her belt, Laia now looks ahead to a technically demanding stage five and what may well be the toughest challenge of the rally so far.

    • Laia safely completes longest stage of the 2021 Dakar Rally
    • GASGAS RC 450F faultless after completing four days of racing
    • Mixed terrain on stage five expected to be the toughest stage of the event

    Laia Sanz:“It was a really fast stage today, which I don’t normally like too much. But I felt ok, pretty good really. Staying safe was my priority today. I just rode my own stage and tried to do the best I could while also being safe and looking after my bike. I did make one small mistake close to the end of the stage but nothing major, so I’m happy. My bike was great, I’m really happy with the set-up we have, I just need some more stages to continue improving my feeling and confidence. Tomorrow will be a tough one again, but I’m looking forward and feeling better and better each day.”

    The fast and rocky terrain of stage four required patience and skill despite the higher speeds. Laia’s cautious approach ensured that she remained out of trouble and completed the stage successfully with her GASGAS performing brilliantly. A single navigational error that caught out many riders in the final kilometers of the stage was her only error of the day, with Sanz going on to place 27th. Completing the special just under 20 minutes down on stage winner Joan Barreda is a positive step forwards and extends her gap over the next-placed rider to over 30 minutes.

    Another tough day lies ahead for Laia as the special for day five of the 2021 Dakar Rally is expected to be as technically demanding as it is long. The 662-kilometer stage will feature a 456-kilometer timed section that will be made up of a wide variety of terrain including stony tracks and an area of soft dunes. Accurate navigation will be essential.

    Results (provisional): Dakar Rally 2021, stage 4
    1. Joan Barreda (Honda) 2:46:50
    2. Daniel Sanders (KTM) 2:52:59
    3. Luciano Benavides (Husqvarna) 2:53:12
    27. Laia Sanz (GASGAS) 3:06:38

    Overall Provisional Classification (after stage 4)
    1. Xavier de Soultrait (Husqvarna) 15:00:25
    2. Joan Barreda (Honda) 15:00:40
    3. Ross Branch (Yamaha) 15:05:49
    30. Laia Sanz (GASGAS) 16:19:57

  • CS Santosh out of Dakar; Noah, Ashish keep the Indian flag flying

    CS Santosh out of Dakar; Noah, Ashish keep the Indian flag flying

    Wadi Ad Dasar (Saudi Arabia) 6 Jan 2021: Ace Indian Rider #50 CS Santosh of Hero MotoSports Factory Rally Team crashed out of Dakar Rally 2021 in 813-km Stage 4 here on Wednesday, which saw over 8 riders crash out. Santosh fell and hit his head after crossing the third Waypoint, said initial reports, but was also conscious when he was taken to the Riyadh hospital. Initial reports said that the Bengaluru-based rider is out of `danger’ and stable.

    Santosh who started in 36th position made good times in the  first three waypoints making up places but unfortunately crashed out and and is said to have hit his head. Initial reports said that he was rushed to the hospital and is out of danger. Starting at 10.10 on Wednesday, and gained timeand placesin the first threeway points but crashed out at PK172, the fourth waypoint. He crossed first Waypoint PK43 in a time of 2:36 in 36th place and clocked 5:19 at PK80 to move up six places into 30 and made up another place timing 7:40 in waypoint PK125 to gain another place into 29 before the tragedy arrived as he fell and hit his head.

    That leaves the other two Indians #33 Harith Noah, a product of TVS Racing, riding as a privateer here with the support of Sherco Factory team and TVS, in his second Dakar. The German-born Keralite, who is a former multiple Indian Supercross Champion, completed the day with aplomb, nevertheless losing places, in a time of 4 hours, 11minuts and 41seconds, in 68th place in Stage 4 that saw him slip to 36th from overnight 27th place on Tuesday.

    Harith Noah began on a slow note today as he began in 27th position at 10:04 am. He clocked 00:02:07 in the first way point to lose three positions into 30th place and regained his 27th clocking 4min: 44sec and 7min 12sec in the next two to be back at 27th. Thereafter, he lost time before crossing the next two waypoints and issues in at the fag end to slid to 55th place and further went down to 68th clocking a timing of 4:11:41 with a 1hour 24minutes and 53seconds difference to the first placed Joan Barreda Bort of Monster Energy Honda Team 2021. After 17hours 27minutes 31seconds of riding on four days and completing four stages, Noah, is placed 36th overall. Noah is supported by TVS, Sherco, Scott India and Camelbak India.

    The other Indian Ashish Raorane finished seven places later, in 75th, although in a lesser Marathon class, where he is on his own without any assistance. The Mumbai Mariner, who had to stay late on Tuesday after he had to set right a leak, did a good job to finish the course today and keep in hunt for to achieve his dream of a Dakar debut finish. Ashish clocked 4:30:46 overall and is adrift of the top riders by  1hour 43minutes and 56seconds. Ashish is sponsored by Klim, Slipstream Performance, Dosmoto, Leatt, EBC Brakes, Gaerne, Hellraiser motorwear, Goodwill Enterprises. He is in overall 80th position after four tough days. But he is place 19th of 25 riders in Original Motul Malle class. Malle a French word for Box, reminds us that Ashish can carry only a box which has a tent and other necessary equipment that is allowed as per rules including a set of tyres and has only three service volunteers and has to do all the repairs himself after a tough day. So usually a comraderie is seen between riders who all help each other so that they can complete the rally and live their Dakar Dream. Ashish is also one of the 7 rookies in his class, G2.1 Super Production class and will be carrying the Indian flag in the absence of torch-bearer CS Santosh. Noah is astride a Sherco TVS Rally Factory prepared bike 450RTR Sherco.

  • Harith Noah beats Santosh for the 3rd day running in high-altitude dunes

    Harith Noah beats Santosh for the 3rd day running in high-altitude dunes

    By David Bodapati

    Stage 3: Bisha to Wadi Ad-Dawasir, (Saudi
    Arabia) 5 Jan 2021:     TVS Racing’s product and second-timer Harith Noah
    Koitha Veettil of Kerala finished the Dakar Rally 2021 Stage 3 successfully to finish in 27th position for the Day’s Stage 3 ranking, which got him an overall 31st position after 3 days of Dakar as he completed the 629-km in 3hour, 56minutes and 41seconds, just off 23minutes and 18 seconds from the Stage winner RedBull KTM’s Toby Price time of 3:33:23 on Tuesday.

    Harith Noah said: “Quite happy with how today went. Being able to ride Stage 3, unlike last year (where he crashed out) in itself seems like a step in the right direction. Yet another fast but long stage. Rode in the zone and focused on not making any significant mistakes in navigation and the stone sections. Rode with @camchapcc & @mauriziogerini42 up through the first few waypoints. After 150 km or so, it was just me and myself, until I reached the finish line. Tomorrow is another day, another stage.”

    Despite taking a looped stage of high-altitude, with its 403km Timed Special that took place south of the bivouac at Wadi Ad-Dawasir. Harith Noah faced another tough day of navigation and varied terrain, with soft sand dunes once again forming the first half of the special, before opening out into faster, sandy tracks. The German-born Keralite continued his stunning run on the dunes some of which were at a high altitude of over 1000m above sea level on the third day and beat compatriot and HERO MotoSport’s CS Santosh, the pioneer in Indian rally raid endurance and an ambassador of motorsport, who is on his 7th Dakar appearance.

    CS Santosh, who put in another consistent performance finishing exactly in the same position as yesterday, 36th in Stage 3, for an overall ranking of 34 after 3 days. He began with a 35th place in the pre-event Prologue and finished 43rd on the first day, then he leap-frogged seven positions to find the sweet spot of his bike to be placed 36th and sustained the same position today with 9 more stages to go. At this stage it is a right strategy as the goal is to finish and not try too hard to gain positions or risk losing momentum. “I started the stage with a lot of motivation today. It was a fast stage and the new bike started feeling really good and safe, so I am really happy with that. I am slowly building my confidence and if I can continue like this for the rest of the stages, I think I will be in a really good position by the time the rally finishes. So, today was a good start in the right direction for me,” said Santosh said on Monday after Stage 2 through a Social Media post. Astride a 450 Rally model Hero bike tuned by Factory Hero team, the Bangalore rider is taking part in the Bike category of G2.1 Super Production class. Santosh is sponsored by Red Bull, Hero, Sidvin, Genetic Nutrition, Scott, Big Rock dirt park, Dos moto design.

    Harith Noah, the Sherco Factory team supported rider, who entered as a Privateer, is astride a Sherco Factory 450RTR tuned by Sherco TVS Rally Factory team, also entered in the same class as Santosh in Bikes G2.1 Super Production class. Though TVS has not sponsored him this year, assistance
    is provided by Sherco TVS Rally Factory team. Noah is sponsored by TVS, Sherco, Scott India, Camelbak India.

    What Harith Noah expects 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,” the golden hair rider said before he left for Dakar. He was placed 43rd in the Prologue on the first day, a short distance initiation in the rally, and began the first stage with a stunning position of 31. The #33 number bike, a 450RTR, did extremely well to retain that slot consistently for three days in the overall ranking after over `15 hours of tough dune riding, with a focus on the finish. He finished Stage 1 in 31st place, Stage 2 in 32nd and delivered a superb run today with a 27th position in Stage 3. With nine more stages, the 27-year old from Shoranur in Kerala, who shifted to cross-country rally raid events in 2018 after  becoming 2017 Indian Supercross National champion, is all focussed on the finish. He first won the National Supercross as a privateer in 2011 forcing TVS to recruit him in 2012. Noah who studied in a Kodaikanal boarding school began his motorsports career in 2009 as a 16 year old taking part in Dirt Track events in God’s Own Country. After his shift, he took part in Morocco rally in 2018 and finished 7th in Baja Aragon in 2019. He finished Dakar rally despite retiring in Stage 3 based on a new rule then, which allowed riders to completed the Dakar without ranking, in a special class called `Dakar Experience Category.’

    Meanwhile, the third Indian in the fray, Ashish Raorane, albeit in a lower tier Marathon class, clocked 6 hours, 1min, 05seconds to finish 20th in his class among 27 bikers for an overall 84th place after three days and 81st placing in Stage 3 timings. It is a vast improvement in performance from 86 on Monday in both the overall and Stage positions. Ashish is astride a 450RTR KTM with Performance Tuning done by Bigrock Spain and assistance from Original by MOTUL. He is in the G2.2 Marathon class which is also called the Motul class which means that riders who have no assistance. The 39-year old knows that the Dakar is not a walk in the park but want to prove that ordinary bikers too can take part in big-time events. Ashish was inspired by Santosh, who became the first Indian to finish Dakar in 2015. The Mumbai based rider travels with his rider wife and took part in African Eco Race last  year to prepare for Dakar this year. He was forced to start his Dakar on November 3 from Mumbai for an event that is starting on Jan 3 to get his bike to Saudi in the Covid times. So we at INDIAinF1 hope that his 3-month struggle will culminate in a debut finish at Dakar, the mecca of  cross country rallying and Daddy of all rallies in the world. The toughest of them all!

    Ashish Raorane’s dream of making adebut in the Dakar became a reality because of sponsors like Klim, Slipstream Performance, Dosmoto, Leatt, EBC Brakes, Gaerne, Hellraiser motorwear, Goodwill Enterprises. At INDIAinF1 we salute all the sponsors and provide as much publicity as possible in their endeavour to support the sport and the sportspersons.

    Ahsish Raorane said: Stage 3 was really good today! I started off really well and was enjoying the dunes! The sand plateaus were extremely beautiful. But, after the dune sections it got rocky and I had a crash. Hurt my thumb a little bit but nothing major really. I was hoping to get some rest today as tomorrow is a really long day, but this oil leak happened so I got busy fixing that. Still have to do the rest of the bike before I sleep!

    Provisional Results Stage Three – 2021 Dakar Rally

    1. Toby Price (AUS), KTM, 3:33:23
    2. Kevin Benavides (ARG), Honda, 3:36:39 +3:16
    3. Matthias Walkner (AUT), KTM, 3:37:59 +4:36
    INDIAN RIDERS

    27. Harith Noah Koitha Veettil (privateer supported by TVS Racing, service by Sherco Factory) INDIA ; 450 RTR

    31: CS Santosh (Hero MotoSport Team Rally ) 3hour, 56minutes and 41seconds,

    Marathon – Original by Motul category

    81. Ashish Raorane (Privateer) INDIA 450RTR KTM; 6hours; 1minute, 05sec.

    In Marathon class:

    20. Ashish Raorane (Privateer) INDIA 450RTR KTM; 6hours; 1minute, 05sec.

    Provisional Standings (after stage three) – 2021 Dakar Rally

    1. Skyler Howes (USA), KTM, 12:05:48
    2. Xavier de Soultrait (FRA), Husqvarna, 12:06:16 +0:28
    3. Toby Price (AUS), KTM, 12:06:40 +0:52
    31. Harith Noah Koitha Veettil (privateer supported by TVS Racing, service by Sherco Factory) INDIA ; 450 RTR ; 13hr; 15.50.

    34. CS Santosh, (Hero MotoSport ) INDIA 13:42:40.

    84. Ashish Raorane (Privateer) INDIA 450RTR KTM; 20hours, 24minutes, 33sec. Bike number #82

    Harith Noah on Stage 3 in Dakar Rally on Tuesday. Courtesy Insta @HarithNoah8

    Hero MotoSportsTeam Rally CS Santosh riding with caution to preserve and sustain himself in the rocky second part of the Stage 3 on Tuesday in the Dakar Rally 2021. Image by Eric Vargiolu, DPPI
  • Toby Price bounces back to win Stage 3: Dakar Rally 2021

    Toby Price bounces back to win Stage 3: Dakar Rally 2021

    +January 5 th 2021 – 18:49 [GMT + 3] STAGE 3 DAKAR in SAUDI!

    Bisha to Wadi Ad-Dawasir, (Saudi Arabia) 5 Jan 2021: Totaling 629km, stage three of the 2021 Dakar Rally formed a looped stage with its 403km timed special taking place south of the bivouac at Wadi Ad-Dawasir. Riders faced another tough day of navigation and varied terrain, with soft sand dunes once again forming the first half of the special, before opening out into faster, sandy tracks.

    Starting down in 29th was always going to be tough for Toby Price, with the KTM 450 RALLY mounted rider having to catch and pass several rivals ahead in order to make up time. Using his formidable cross-country rally experience, the Australian was able to push hard right from the off, making light work of the tricky-to-navigate dunes near the start of the stage, before subsequently making up even more ground on the faster, desert tracks towards the finish. Clawing back valuable minutes on his competitors and claiming a 13th career Dakar stage win, Toby now sits third in the provisional overall standings, less than one minute down on the current leader.

    Toby Price:“Everything went well today – no crashes, the bike has been good, and I was able to find a good rhythm. It’s great to win another stage, but it’s a bit like a yoyo at the moment – it’s difficult to lead a stage out from the front as you can lose a lot of time, and then you have to push hard the next day to make it all up again. Hopefully one day we’ll catch a bit of a break, the navigation won’t be too tough, and I can stretch things out from the front. Right now, every day is crucial, and I think if it carries on like this, with everyone staying fit and their bikes working good, the battle for the win is going to go down to the very last day.”

    Pince Khalid Bin Sultan Abdullah Al Faisal , President of the Saudi Arabian Motor Federation and Jutta Kleainschmidt in Stage 3 on Tueday at Dakar Rally. Photo by Eric Vargiolu, DPPI

    After suffering a technical issue on Monday’s stage two, Matthias Walkner was the 32nd rider to enter today’s timed special. The Austrian put in a great ride, moving into the top three straight away, a position he successfully defended to the finish. Despite a sizeable deficit to the rally leaders in the overall standings, Matthias is focused on maintaining his efforts and pushing hard for stage wins as the event continues.

    Altitude has very little effect on the temperature in Saudi Arabia. The riders and crews competed for most of the 403-km special at approximately 1,000 metres above sea level, but the vast plateaux that stretched out to the horizon did not provoke vertigo like the mountains can. However, the wind that continues to gust over the region particularly transformed the dunes dotted about the first part of the route into steep steps that caught out a number of competitors. As it blew over the desert, it also removed any traces that may have pointed to the existence of tracks, sowing the seeds of doubt in the minds of many navigators, including the co-pilot of Carlos Sainz, who went round in circles a little too much on the Wadi to Wadi loop.

    Outline

    Multiple WRC champ Sebastian Loeb and co-driver Daniel Elena finish Stage 3 in sixth place in their Bahrain Raid Xtreme on Tuesday. Photo by Florent Gooden/ DPPI

    Today, the masters of the disciplines asserted their talents, such as Toby Price coolly displaying that no two days are alike to claim a second stage success this year. Despite all that, it is one of the emerging talents in the category, American Skyler Howes, who is proving to be the most consistent, taking the lead in the general standings after having completed the last Dakar in 9th position. When seeking references in consistency, look no further than Stéphane Peterhansel and Nasser Al-Attiyah: the two duellists have already opened up a significant gap on their closest pursuer, Mathieu Serradori, who trails them by 26 minutes. Meanwhile, Carlos Sainz lost half an hour today, which amounts to twice the deficit conceded by Sébastien Loeb, who now finds himself 45 minutes behind “Peter”. “Chaleco” López, another Dakar die-hard, increased his lead in the lightweight vehicle category by winning the 15th stage of his double-discipline career. In the truck race, Kamaz driver Dmitry Sotnikov is still the boss, even if Sarhei Viazovich picked up a second stage victory this year with his Maz truck. Lastly, Argentinean Nicolás Cavigliasso reacquainted himself with success and moved to within 6’41’’ of Giovanni Enrico, the rally’s quickest quad so far, by picking up his first stage win of the year.

    Performance of the day

    Henk Lategan posted the second best time on the special and sprang a surprise in the Saudi desert by putting several of the category’s established protagonists in the shade. Following an initiation in the basics of rallying in South Africa alongside his father Hein, he was also destined to drive. Following a spell on the Monte-Carlo Rally during which he was able to test himself against his idol Sébastien Loeb, the current South African cross-country champion has not taken long to achieve his first stage podium finish on the Dakar. The 26-year-old South African, a team-mate of Giniel de Villiers in the Toyota Gazoo Racing team, is accompanied in his Hilux by Brett Cummings, a former Original by Motul biker, whose navigational skills are likely to have contributed to today’s result. To cap it all, thanks to this performance, Lategan, the leading rookie in the general standings, now occupies 7th place… just behind his hero Loeb!

    A crushing blow

    Until a competitor crosses the finishing line, anything can happen and today Bernhard Ten Brinke gave an unfortunate illustration of exactly that. Lying in fourth position at the penultimate time check point, the Dutchman had less than 50 km to cover when an accident completely crushed his hopes. After rolling and damaging his Hilux, Ten Brinke initially hoped to gain help from another competitor, before eventually resigning himself to waiting for his assistance team. The hours lost on his return to Wadi will deprive him of any hopes of a final podium place, which he could legitimately have aimed for… had he driven a perfect race!

    Stat of the day: 38-37

    With his third special stage success of the year, including the prologue loop near Jeddah, Nasser Al-Attiyah now boasts a total of 38 victories. With such a score, he again moves ahead of his rival Carlos Sainz in the Dakar history books, this time for the number of stage wins in the car category, though it remains to be seen whether he will exceed his number of titles. This morning, the Qatari was faced with the tough task of opening the way, but he skilfully avoided the navigational pitfalls. Despite his three victories this year, Al-Attiyah is still a certain distance behind Stéphane Peterhansel who has 47, three less than the record holder in the category, Ari Vatanen (50 stage triumphs).

    The makings of a Classic

    Not so long ago, Ondřej Klymčiw and Petr Vlček took part in the Dakar on motorbikes and obtained their best respective results in 2017 (12th) and 2020 (38th / 4th in the Original by Motul category). This year, they are sharing the cockpit of a Škoda from the early 1980s, which is proving to be particularly at ease on the sandy tracks of Saudi Arabia.

    Quote of the day

     Xavier de Soultrait: “We enjoyed it a lot”

    The brand new Husqvarna rider posted the 6th best time of the day and is now on the provisional podium in the general standings, 1’28’’ behind Skyler Howes.

    “Again, it was a good day. We are quite good friends now, all the top riders, and I rode with some of them. We enjoyed it a lot because this year the Dakar is very nice to ride. The tracks are not dangerous. Sometimes it’s slow, sometimes it’s fast. It’s not boring at all and we can enjoy riding our bikes at the maximum. Again, it was a lot of work this year, because I needed to find a solution to ride again and I am very happy to have this result with this new Husqvarna”.

    Provisional Results Stage Three – 2021 Dakar Rally

    1. Toby Price (AUS), KTM, 3:33:23
    2. Kevin Benavides (ARG), Honda, 3:36:39 +3:16
    3. Matthias Walkner (AUT), KTM, 3:37:59 +4:36
    4. Skyler Howes (USA), KTM, 3:40:39 +7:16
    5. Sam Sunderland (GBR), KTM, 3:41:47 +8:24
    Other KTM
    8. Daniel Sanders (AUS), KTM, 3:44:45 +11:22

    Provisional Standings (after stage three) – 2021 Dakar Rally

    1. Skyler Howes (USA), KTM, 12:05:48
    2. Xavier de Soultrait (FRA), Husqvarna, 12:06:16 +0:28 
    3. Toby Price (AUS), KTM, 12:06:40 +0:52
    4. Kevin Benavides (ARG), Honda, 12:07:21 +1:33 
    5. Sam Sunderland (GBR), KTM, 12:10:15 +4:27
    Other KTM
    16. Daniel Sanders (AUS), KTM, 12:21:34 +15:46
    39. Matthias Walkner (AUT), KTM, 14:07:14 +2:01:26

  • Price and Sainz rock the Dakar

    Price and Sainz rock the Dakar

    Bisha (Saudi Arabia) 3 Jan 2021: The hectic pace of the first real special of the Dakar took a heavier toll on the competitors than its length. The hodgepodge of tracks in the first part of the course required a laser-like focus and got the best of riders such as Ricky Brabec. Next on the menu were tracks littered with rocks waiting to do a number on the tyres of any competitor who strayed from the right path, as Sébastien Loeb can attest following his bitter experience in the south of the country. Before reaching Bisha, the competitors who emerged unscathed from these early hazards caught a breather on the first sandy section of the race, which was much easier on their tyres… and on their nerves.

    Outlines: The first stage was a mixed bag for the defending champions. Ricky Brabec shipped 18 minutes to Toby Price after totally losing his bearings in the opening kilometres, while his predecessor as the winner of the race claimed his thirteenth career Dakar stage win. Meanwhile, Carlos Sainz nabbed victory in the car category, which saw outsiders Martin Prokop and Mathieu Serradori finish third and fourth, respectively. Cristina Gutiérrez and her T3 took the spoils in the lightweight vehicle category, signing one of those oh-so-rare female victories in the rally (see Performance of the day). In the truck category, 2020 champion lost over an hour and a half due to a mechanical, but this did not stop Kamaz from taking the reins of the general classification with one of his heirs, Dmitry Sotnikov. Finally, quad rider Alexandre Giroud was the only winner of the prologue who extended his victorious streak today.

    Performance of the Day: It seemed impossible. A fortnight ago, Cristina Gutiérrez had given up all hope of starting her third Dakar. However, just two weeks after RedBull Off Road Team USA called her up and put her behind the wheel of an OT3 light prototype, today she took the opening stage in the lightweight vehicle category. Most importantly, by beating former champion Reinaldo Varela, she has become the first female stage winner since German Jutta Kleinschmidt took her last triumph in 2005.

    9-time WRC champ punctured: Sébastien Loeb was probably hoping for more in his Dakar comeback. The man from Alsace started the first stage in a good position at the wheel of his BRX after finishing the prologue in tenth place. However, luck was not on his side in the opening stage. A series of three punctures ruined his pace, while a couple of navigational errors pushed him further down the classification. It was a calamitous stage for the French nine-time WRC champion, who is now almost 24 minutes adrift of leader Carlos Sainz in the general classification and has no choice but to go on the attack in the coming days

    Riders from 28 nations hog limelight: Bikers of the world, unite! No fewer than eight countries were represented in the leading group of the first stage, including an American, an Argentinian, an Australian, an Austrian, a Brit, a Czech, a Frenchman and a Spaniard. Bikers from Botswana, Chile, Poland and Slovakia also cracked the top 20. All in all, 28 different nationalities featured on the start list of the Dakar motorbike race this year.

  • 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.”