INDIA in F1

Tag: CS Santosh

  • Harith Noah makes splendid recovery in Stage 2; Sunderland takes overall lead: #Dakar2020

    Harith Noah makes splendid recovery in Stage 2; Sunderland takes overall lead: #Dakar2020

    Harith Noah makes a grand recovery on Day 2 finishing overall 65th on Monday. Photo by Sherco TVS Rally team

    Al Wajh (Saudi Arabia), 6 Jan 2020: Despite a heavy crash that caused an eye injury on Day 1, Harith Noah of Sherco TVS Rally Factory Team finished Stage 2 on Day 2 with flying colours with an impressive recovery from 111th on first day to 51st on second day that brought him an overall ranking of 65 on Monday. The other Indian, experienced ace, CS Santosh of Hero MotoSports Team Rally, too had a fruitful outing on Day 2 as he finished 53rd for an overall ranking of 47. Noah clocked the 367-km Special Stage in 4 hours 54min and 46 seconds while Santosh took 4:59:44.

    Indian ace CS Santosh (with bike/Competition No: 50) said, “It was a really difficult day for me with all this pain in my hand from yesterday’s crash. The stage was really rocky and all the impact was coming onto my hand making it really difficult to hold the bike. I will get this checked now and hopefully will have a better stage tomorrow.”

    Harith Noah gets a blown eye bandaged on Sunday for rest before taking off for Stage 2 on Monday. FB @HarithNoah8

    Meanwhile, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Sam Sunderland has finished second on stage two of the Dakar Rally, moving himself into the provisional race lead. Luciano Benavides enjoyed another solid day in Saudi Arabia, finishing fifth. Matthias Walkner and stage one winner Toby Price finished in eighth and 15th places respectively after opening much of the special.

    Stage two at the 2020 Dakar Rally presented riders with several new challenges. The pre-coloured road books used for the first time this year were only given to competitors 25 minutes before the start of the timed special. Also, with the day marking the first half of the event’s Super Marathon stage, riders were only allowed 10 minutes to work on their bikes at the end of the day, with no outside assistance permitted.

    As the fifth rider to enter the day’s 367-kilometre special, Sam Sunderland was able to maximise his advantage and push right from the start. The 2019 FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Champion was able to improve his position throughout that stage to ultimately post the second-fastest time. Sam now enjoys a lead of just over one minute in the provisional overall standings.

    Sunderland wins overall first place after finishing second in Stage 2 on Sunday. Photo by KTM Factory Racing Team

    Sam Sunderland: “It was a really tough day today and it felt very long. There was a huge mix of terrain with high speed tracks and then slower technical sections. In and out of the canyons there were a lot of lines visible and that made navigation more of a challenge. I made a couple of mistakes, but I think everyone did out there today. All-in-all though I had a good run, just trying to stick to a steady rhythm and build up my pace as the race goes on.”

    Luciano Benavides continues to show great pace and consistency at this year’s event. The young Argentinian, in only his third Dakar, placed fifth on the day’s special to elevate himself to seventh in the overall standings. With a strong start position for stage three, Benavides is confident of another good result.

    Luciano Benavides: “It’s been a good day for me – I finished inside the top five and I’m really happy with my rhythm here in Saudi. I enjoyed the stage today but came very close to crashing at one point. Luckily, I was able to stay on and from there I decided to bring the bike home safely and make sure it is good for tomorrow.”

    Despite being the third competitor into today’s stage, Matthias Walkner was able to use his skill and experience to carefully navigate the technically demanding route, making the minimum of errors to complete the stage in a solid eighth place. Now lying an excellent fourth overall, the Austrian rider will enjoy an advantageous start position for the second half of the Super Marathon stage.

    Matthias Walkner: “I had quite a good day today – the navigation was tough but I was able to push on from the start and at about 45 kilometres I was able to catch Toby. From there I opened the piste to the halfway point. We then rode in a group of four until the finish, which can be tricky as the dust from any riders in front makes it difficult to see stones and rocks hidden in the soft sand. Thankfully I was able to look after the bike and it’s all ready to go for tomorrow.”

    Winner of the first day, Toby Price had the unenviable task of opening stage two. That, combined with the limited time to acquaint himself with the road book, made navigating the stage extremely tricky from the front of the pack. Despite the disadvantages, the reigning champion put in a good ride to 15th place and now lies ninth in the provisional overall standings, seven minutes and 34 seconds down on Sunderland.

    Toby Price: “Today was always going to be tough, leading out from the start without having had much time to read the road book. The stage went ok, I lost some time to the others but the most important thing is I looked after my bike and the tyres so should be in good shape to close down on the leaders again tomorrow. There’s still a long, long way to go, but the bike is working great, things are looking good and I’m happy.”

    After a tough day in the Saudi Arabian sand, KTM Factory Racing’s Mario Patrao completed stage two in 41st place. An error early on cost the Portuguese rider some time and he was then forced to ride in a group until the finish. Despite the challenging day, Mario was able to bring his KTM 450 RALLY home in one piece and now looks forward to stage three.

    Mario Patrao: “It was a difficult stage for me today, I made a mistake at kilometre six and was then caught by some other competitors. Riding in dust for the rest of the stage was really tricky as it’s so difficult to see any rocks or other dangers. To stay safe, I hung back a little, which cost me some time. Overall, the bike is good and I’m ready for tomorrow.”

    Tuesday’s stage three of the 2020 Dakar Rally will see riders complete a looped course starting and finishing at the city of Neom. Of the 504 kilometres covered, 427 will be timed special, leading competitors towards the border with Jordon and rising to the highest point in this year’s rally at an altitude of 1,400 metres before returning to the bivouac.

    Provisional Results Stage Two – 2020 Dakar Rally
    1. Ross Branch (BWA), KTM, 3:39:10
    2. Sam Sunderland (GBR), KTM, 3:40:34 +1:24
    3. Pablo Quintanilla (CHI), Husqvarna, 3:41:31 +2:21
    4. Kevin Benavides (ARG), Honda, 3:42:50 +3:40
    5. Luciano Benavides (ARG), KTM, 3:42:54 +3:44

    Provisional Overall Standings (after stage two) – 2020 Dakar Rally
    1. Sam Sunderland (GBR), KTM, 7:05:22
    2. Pablo Quintanilla (CHI), Husqvarna, 7:06:40 +1:18
    3. Kevin Benavides (ARG), Honda, 7:06:54 +1:32
    4. Matthias Walkner (AUT), KTM, 7:07:22 +2:00
    5. Ricky Brabec (USA), Honda, 7:09:33 +4:11

    Hero MotoSports– 2020 Dakar Rally
    14. Paulo Goncalves (Portugal) Hero 3:48:42;
    25. Sebastian Bühler (Germany) Hero 3:59:13;
    47. CS Santosh (India) Hero 4:59:44.

    Sherco TVS– 2020 Dakar Rally
    16. Adrien Metge, (France) Sherco TVS 3:57:42;
    19. Johnny Aubert, (France) Sherco TVS 3: 59:14;
    23. Lorenzo Santolino; (Spain) Sherco TVS 3: 57:35;
    65. Harith Noah (India) Sherco TVS 4:54:46.

  • CS Santosh, Harith Noah take the ceremonial start; Santosh says he aims to finish Dakar 2020

    CS Santosh, Harith Noah take the ceremonial start; Santosh says he aims to finish Dakar 2020

    Key points:

    Ø  342 vehicles have been cleared to start the 42nd edition of the Dakar after three days of technical and administrative scrutineering at King Abdullah Stadium: 114 motorbikes, 23 quads, 83 cars, 46 SSVs and 46 trucks.

    Ø  The podium ceremony, held in front of Saudi fans on the shores of the Red Sea, brought down the curtain on the riders, drivers and crews’ stay in Jeddah.

    Ø  Now that the formalities and celebrations are done and dusted, the race will head north to Al Wajh, where the first stage will end after 752 km, including a 319 km special that will throw the competitors in at the deep end.

    Jeddah, 4 Jan 2020: Indian rally-raid star and ace rider CS Santosh of Hero MotoSports Team Rally and Harith Noah of Sherco TVS, the two Indians at Dakar this year, rolled off the ceremonial podium on Saturday in front of thousands of enthusiastic fans assembled in the beautiful setting of the Corniche area of Jeddah, facing the majestic Red Sea, to give a cheerful send off to the competitors.

    The 36-year old Santosh will be on his Number 50 Hero 450RR bike, he said: “I am quite kicked about this all-new adventure that the Dakar 2020 is offering. It’s going to be tough and from the first impressions we have got, the navigation is going to play a key role here. I have worked hard on my navigation throughout last season and the trainings and my speed has also improved a few notches. I am feeling quite confident and well prepared for the new challenge. We have got a really good team bonding going on and Paulo has been sharing a lot experience with all of us so it has really helped. I could not finish the last Dakar so I am going to try and finish what I started last time.”

    The rally racing team of Hero MotoCorp, the world’s largest two-wheeler manufacturer, began its campaign at the 42nd edition of the most-grueling cross-country rally on the planet, the Dakar Rally, which came to Saudi Arabia this year. Meanwhile, the Sherco TVS Racing Rally Factory Team will have Indian Harith Noah along with Adrian Metge, Lorenzo Santolino and Jhonny Aubert.

    Johnny Aubert of Sherco TVS takes the start. Photo DPPI/ F.Flamand

    Noah said: “I like Saudi. The people are good, the food is good and I am cannot than my team TVS enough.” Sherco TVS Racing Rally Factory Team are back for a 6th consecutive time to conquer the world’s toughest Rally Race Dakar. “This year, the race is set to be the most challenging yet, with the riders taking on perilous terrains and soaring temperatures of the middle East as we #DareToDefy the dreaded dunes of Saudi Arabia,” added the 26-year-old Noah, from Shoranur, Kerala. He won three National titles in Indian Supercross and is making his Dakar debut replacing the injure KP Aravind for TVS team.

    This year Hero has a four-rider team including Santosh and first-time in Hero colors, Paulo Goncalves (Competitor no. 8) along with Joaquim Rodrigues (Competitor no. 27) popularly known as JRod, and the latest addition to team, 25-year-old Sebastian Buhler (Competition no. 32).

    The wealth of experience of Paulo, the youthful exuberance of Buhler, the focus of JRod and the intensity of CS Santosh, ably supported by an experienced assistance crew, the team composition strikes just the right balance for exciting prospects at the Dakar 2020 riding on the back of some strong performances, intense training sessions and a battle tested Hero 450 RR.

    Having completed all the administrative and technical checks successfully, the Team is now raring to kick start their Dakar 2020 campaign with the first stage on January 5. The first stage will take the rally from Jeddah to Al Wajh with a 319 km special stage and a total run of 752 kms including the liaisons.

    A COLOURFUL PODIUM

    Simply making it to the start podium ceremony is already a victory in itself for many competitors who have spent time, energy and resources preparing for the Dakar as well as possible. For them, it was a well-deserved evening before getting down to business. The families of Jeddah, used to strolling on the Corniche, enjoyed a show that interspersed the presentation of competitors and their vehicles with musical sequences and aerial acrobatics against a colourful background articulated around a series of imposing containers. The big favourites burst onto the scene after nightfall to the beat of the band Canadien covering songs such as “Born To Be Wild”, “You Can Leave Your Hat On” or “Baby You Can Drive My Car”. Local star Yazeed Al-Rajhi unsurprisingly received the most thunderous applause. The Toyota driver called on his fans to come see him on the podium in Qiddiya in two weeks… where he hopes to be top dog for real this time round.

    FROM BROTHER TO BROTHER IN THE METGE FAMILY

    Adrien Metge replaces his injured elder brother Michael in the Sherco TVS team. Photo: dakar.com

    The starting list officially confirmed that Michael Metge will not be starting what would have been his eighth (and possibly last) Dakar due to a knee injury. Sherco decided to replace him with his own brother Adrien, who has been part of the team for several years but was poised to sit out the 2020 edition. It was a dramatic twist of fate for the younger of the two Metge brothers, who had to get ready for the rally with less than a week to spare: “Thank goodness we’re brothers and are the same clothing and boot size… I’m even wearing his jacket with ‘Michael’ printed on the back!” Moments before climbing onto the podium and bringing his bike back to the secure enclosure, the biker with race number 11 already felt comfortable enough in his new role to talk about his objectives: “Last year I was a bit frustrated because I finished 22nd riding with a broken scaphoid and after being slapped with a big penalty, although my pace was good enough to crack the top 10. I hope I can keep it up after training year-round. I still feel every bit as strong even though I haven’t raced a lot this season.” Meanwhile, a few thousand kilometres away, Michael is already his brother’s most fanatical supporter.

    NASSER AL-ATTIYAH: “WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THIS RACE AGAIN”

    The three-time Dakar winner stands out as the big favourite after crushing the opposition throughout the season with co-driver Matthieu Baumel at his side. Seeing the Dakar set up shop in the Middle East has boosted his already sky-high confidence and motivation. “We are here to defend our title. We’ve won three times, but I know it will be hard with this new Dakar in the Middle East. The landscapes are really beautiful here, I know some regions well.  I did two races here, in 2008 and 2011, and I won both. But it won’t be easy for anyone, we need to understand this race, which is completely new for everybody. It’s a mix of terrains that reminds me of Africa, Morocco and South America. I never really thought the Dakar would one day come to our region when I started the career, and now I’m just a thirty-minute flight from home! It would be a dream to win here.”

    Wolfgang Fischer, Team Manager, Hero MotoSports Team Rally: “We are quite excited to be at the Dakar 2020 for our 4th year now. For this new adventure in a completely new continent and terrain, we also have an exciting new combination of riders with Paulo, a Dakar legend in our ranks on one hand and an exciting young prospect in 25-year-old Sebastian Buhler on the other, who already has achieved a Top 20 finish in the last years Dakar. For Buhler, it was a fortunate as the two time Top 10 finisher for the team, Oriol Mena was forced to sit out of this Dakar due to injury. Joaquim has also completed his recoverynow and has comeback strongly to win the PanAfrica Rally while Santosh also recorded his best ever performance with a 5th place finish in the same rally. So, the Team has shaped up really well both mentally and physically and we are in a very positive frame of mind starting this Dakar. We can never predict an outcome in the Dakar, especially this year as it’s a new environment for all the teams, so our first aim still remains to get the riders and bikes safely across the finish line every day.”

    Paulo Goncalves (Comp No: 8): “I am really excited to be a part of this new chapter of the Dakar. I have had the privilege of racing in two continents with the Dakar, and now coming to the 3rd continent of Asia, I feel honoured and blessed to be able to do this. We have had really good preparations; the Team has bonded like a family and that’s a very good thing going for us. I am very happy with my Hero 450RR and quite confident about our prospects. In the end, the first job of any rider is to bring the bike home and that’s what I will be focusing on. It is a new challenge for everyone, so patience and keeping our heads cool is going to be the key here. Looking forward to my first Dakar with Hero MotoSports Team Rally!”

    JRod of Team Hero Motosport takes the start. Photo DPPI/ F.Flamand

    Joaquim Rodrigues (Comp No: 27): “It’s a completely new challenge and I am quite excited about it. My recovery has been good and I am back to my 100% so that’s a really good feeling to have. I had a good last season, got some good experience under my belt and the win at the PanAfrica Rally boosted my confidence. We have really come together as a team in the last season with Paulo coming on board. I am quite happy with our preparations and the bike is looking good too, so we are in a good place. I am going to do my best to get my Hero home every day.”

    Sebastian Buhler (Comp No: 32): “It’s going to be my first-time racing with Hero MotoSports Team Rally and I am really happy to be a part of this team. We have a great environment within the team and I have learnt so much from all these guys. To be able to ride and work with these guys and the Dakar legend Paulo, for a young rider like me, that’s a great opportunity and I am trying to make the most of it. My focus is to get as much experience out of this opportunity and try to get to the finish line in every stage.”

  • I expect to see a lot more Indian fans on the stages, says CS Santosh: Dakar 2020

    I expect to see a lot more Indian fans on the stages, says CS Santosh: Dakar 2020

    CS Santosh…..on a charge. File photo – Anand Philar

    Jeddah (Saudi Arabia), 31 Dec 2019: 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. Five years after his debut, the rider from Bengaluru has finished three out of five Dakar rallies managing his best performance of finishing 34th in 2018. His most-recent appearance unfortunately ended as soon as Day 5 after a severe crash last year.

    The 36-year-old returns in an even stronger Hero team, thanks to the arrival of experienced Paulo Gonçalves (2nd of the Dakar in 2015). A recruitment that delights the Indian, eager to carry on the learning. On a new territory, closer to India, he also knows he’ll be a lot more followed by both the media and the huge Indian community living in Saudi Arabia.

    “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. Last year I started really well with a 20th spot on Day 1, but had to quit after crashing during stage 5.

    “I say this every year but I’m still hoping to finish in the Top 20. I’m still chasing that number but of course I have to start by finishing. The fact of going on unknown territory is really interesting. We won’t just have dunes but also a lot of rocky tracks. I have to adapt to different conditions. To win you need to be a good overall rider. Saudi Arabia is a lot closer to India and the time difference is the same. I know that there will be a lot more media attention and I also expect to see quite a few Indian fans on the stages. Having Paulo (Gonçalves) with us gives the team more ambition. I learn a lot from him, not just on the technical side but also on the bike setting.”

    Dakar Village

    With just a few days to go before the drivers and crews battle it out on the tracks and in the dunes, the Dakar Village systematically marks an important meeting of conviviality for all and provides an opportunity to experience what the Dakar is all about. This year the Village will be installed along the Red Sea for three days, precisely on the North Corniche of Jeddah.

    The 6,000m² site is built for fostering encounters between the rally participants and the public. The Dakar Village is a great occasion for visitors to attend autograph sessions with the competitors, demonstrations and various activities designed to get the spectators into the race in their own way.

    Visitors will be able try their hand behind the wheel thanks to virtual reality and a driving simulator. They will also have the chance to discover the Dakar Museum where cars from the Dakar’s past and future will be on display. The organisers have also thought about children who will have a go with pedal cars on their very own circuit.

    At night, the Dakar Village will transform into an open-air theatre for a spectacular show featuring Saudi rider Shadi Al Daheri.

    The Dakar partners (Motul, BF Goodrich, Aquafina, Mercedes-Benz Trucks, Honda, Red Bull, Rebellion, Kärcher, DExt Official Dakar Shop) will be present in the village for the three days with games and quizzes as well as thousands of prizes to be won.

    (Santosh Interview courtesy #Dakar2020)

    File photo of CS Santosh in action. Photo – Hero Motorsport
  • Red Bull Ace of Dirt event, a first in India: Red Bull athlete CS Santosh on show at Kolar

    Red Bull Ace of Dirt event, a first in India: Red Bull athlete CS Santosh on show at Kolar

    Red Bull athlete CS Santosh at the press conference in Bengaluru Wednesday. An INDIAinF1 image

    Bengaluru, 13 Nov 2019: Red Bull Ace of Dirt, a first of its kind race comes to India where different off-road disciplines come together to compete in an elimination format to be the last man standing. The city of Bengaluru will witness a never-seen-before bike race on November 14th at the Big Rock Dirtpark, a one of its kind, self-designed track by Red Bull Athlete CS Santosh. The winner of Red Bull Ace of Dirt will get a once in a lifetime opportunity to train with ace motorcyclist and Red Bull athlete, CS Santosh

    32 selected riders will battle each other on a specially laid course which consists of Motocross, Dirt track and Enduro sections all put together to offer a unique challenge to make it to the final top 4 to compete for the win! But they must make it through the semi-finals round that will offer a unique challenge where all will compete on identical Hero Xpulse bikes which will eliminate any advantage or disadvantage their own machines would have had!

    Commenting on the event, Red Bull athlete CS Santosh said, “I am excited to have this opportunity with energy drink giant Red Bull to dream up this event with this unique concept here in India on a new format of racing that we have not previously had. We are also delighted to have Hero MotoSports join hands for this event as part of their vision to promote Motor Sports and Off-Road biking culture in India. All these major partners coming together to offer a complete ecosystem for the event, is a great support to the event and motor sports in the country. Ultimately, this format will allow all different types of riders to compete together and develop good overall skills that will one day be a platform to transition into cross country rally racing and on day to the Dakar!

  • CS Santosh launches Recky, an app to connect world’s motorcyclists

    CS Santosh launches Recky, an app to connect world’s motorcyclists

    Santosh launches Recky app on Thursday.

    Bengaluru, 22 August 2019: India’s No.1 off-road motorcyclist CS Santosh launched on Thursday, Recky, a mobile application pegged to be the world’s most user-friendly activity recording App that connects world’s motorcyclists.

    Ideated and tested by CS Santosh, first Indian to complete the deadly Dakar Rally, Recky is a feature-rich App focused on simplifying the experience and making it affordable and accessible for developing countries.

    Recky allows you to take pictures in-app along your ride and automatically drops markers for where you’ve taken these pictures. These pictures show up once your ride is complete. The App provides the user vital information along with dark, light, topography and satellite map-views for free. “The whole idea was to provide the fast-growing biker community a platform to connect and explore various adventure biking routes in the world,” stated CS Santosh.

    Key features like record your ride, experience the ride, explore rides, get directions and user profile makes Recky fun and engaging. Apart from getting pin-point directions, the App displays elevation, top speed and distance.

    Privacy being paramount in today’s era, the creators of the App will ensure the data is not shared and the app does not track the rider until the user opts to record the activity.

    Once the ride is complete, the user can save it as ‘Private’ or opt ‘Followers’ (for your followers to see) or choose ‘Everyone’ option (for the general public which appears on explore rides). Others using Recky can then play the ride again to see directions, pictures and stats. The user can search for other riders, follow them, have them follow you to build a community and see their preferred ride.

    “Our Ride Explorer, displays all public rides and rides from your followers in one map-view, at all times. No need to click and find or search, it’s all map-based zooming and panning. Pan across to any country and find rides there instantly as riders populate them,” explained CS Santosh.

    While the directions to a ride are currently a list, it will soon be turn-by-turn navigation. “We’ll soon provide the users the option to create a ride-summary like no other in the world – this will be the most entertaining element for the user and for the user’s social media followers,” he added.

    About CS Santosh: CS Santosh is an Indian off-road and enduro motorcycle racer. Having spent more than a decade in racing motorbikes across challenging terrains in different countries, he is a multiple National Supercross and Motocross champion. In 2008, he became the first Indian in the Asian Motocross championship, to have qualified with the fastest time in Moto II in Iran, where he finished fourth, the highest ever by an Indian rider on the international circuit. He also became the MRF Supercross Challenge champion and won the Gulf Dirt Track championship for the second time. In 2012, he participated in the Raid-de-Himalaya which is the only Indian motorsport event listed on the off-road rallies calendar of FIM (Federation Internationale Motorcyclisme), Geneva, Switzerland. He won it in his maiden attempt in record time. It ranks among the top ten toughest motorsport rallies of the world and was a milestone in his racing career. He also finished 2nd in the Cavalry Supercross the same year. The following year, he became the first Indian to debut at the World Cross Country Rally Championship in 2013 but an unfortunate fire accident injured him badly during the 3rd Stage. He was running in the top 10 in his class. With third degree burns, he had a long recovery period that lasted till the end of the year.

    The Dakar Rally being the world’s toughest off-road motorsport event, is very selective about their participants. One has to earn an invite to get an opportunity to take the challenge. CS Santosh became the first Indian to compete in the history of this magnanimous motorsport event. He finished the Dakar at 36th position, the two weeks at the Dakar were the hardest two weeks of his life physically, mentally and emotionally. Last year, Santosh finished the 2018 Dakar Rally to become the first Indian to complete the rally raid thrice. His 34th position in the bike category was his best-ever finish at the Dakar.

     

  • Sherco TVS Rally team in stunning 3rd place, Aravind 53rd, Santosh crashes out: Dakar Stage 5

    Sherco TVS Rally team in stunning 3rd place, Aravind 53rd, Santosh crashes out: Dakar Stage 5

    Sam Sunderland tops Moto section after Stage 5. A Red Bull KTM image

    Arequipa, 11 Jan 2019: Aravind Prabhakar of Sherco TVS Rally Factory team just crossed the line finishing the Stage 5 with a splendid job to finish in 53rd place overall, after he broke into the top-50 for the first time in fifth stage. But top Indian rider CS Santosh crashed out in the tough fifth stage.

    Lorenzo Santolino is in 3rd place. In the Moto Section of the Dakar Rally 2019, Sherco TVS Rally Factory team member Lorenzo hit the highest spot in the most difficult section of 776-stage Fifth Stage to put the Indian team on a high pedestal.

    He clocked 4 hours 15.48sec and just 4 minutes away from the leader on the top spot. Other Indian team riders Oriol Mena and Joaquim Rodriques are in 16th and 18th places, riding for Hero MotoSports Team Rally.

    Adrien Metge and Michael Metge are in 24th and 29th places, respectively. The two Sherco TVS riders have displayed tremendous show to bein the top-30 on a stage which is one of the toughest in the Dakar 2019.

    The riders and drivers of the Dakar will have fully deserved their rest day, on completion of the 5th stage, which was made up of the longest and most varied timed sections on the rally.

    The start took place for everyone in Tacna, which is the furthest point from Lima that the riders and drivers have reached this year. They started the journey back to the Peruvian capital by crossing a long zone of fesh-fesh before tackling the first tracks of the day, winding through sumptuous canyons, much to the delight of photographers and skid enthusiasts.

    The long first portion came to a close in the dunes of Ilo, where the bikes and quads experienced a double dose of sand. In the meantime, the cars, SxS and trucks got to grips with a second part of the special, made up of 137 extra kilometres, with the formidable fesh-fesh already visited the day before on the menu, a terrain for the brave!

    After a discrete start to the rally, Sam Sunderland reminded everyone of the reasons why he won the Dakar in 2017. The official KTM rider managed to extricate himself from a closely fought battle at the forefront of the stage to pick up his first victory of the year and close in to less than one minute from Ricky Brabec in the general standings. Sébastien Loeb also performed masterfully in the car race to take his second stage victory since the start in Lima, finishing more than 10 minutes ahead of Nasser Al-Attiyah who reinforced his leadership of the general standings. Stéphane Peterhansel now trails the Qatari by 24 minutes. In the quad category, NicolásCavigliasso continues to ride a dream Dakar with another incontestable triumph, pushing his lead in the general standings on to almost 50 minutes and allowing him to approach the second half of the rally in peace of mind. However, it is a much closer affair in the truck race following another victory for Eduard Nikolaev who is still within reach for his team-mates Dmitry Sotnikov and AndreyKarginov in the general standings.

    Saturday January 12 is a rest day for all 2019 Dakar Rally competitors. Riders will relax in Arequipa for the day before heading out to the bivouac on Saturday evening to prepare for Sunday’s stage six that will take them back to San Juan de Marcona.

    Provisional Results Stage Five – 2019 Dakar Rally

    1. Sam Sunderland (GBR), KTM, 4:11:48
    2. Xavier de Soultrait (FRA), Yamaha, 4:15:11 +3:23
    3. Lorenzo Santolino (ESP), Sherco, 4:15:48 +4:00
    4. Adrien van Beveren (FRA), Yamaha, 4:16:14 +4:26
    5. Andrew Short (USA), Husqvarna, 4:16:24 +4:36

  • CS Santosh in 41st position, Aravind KP in 78th after 511-km of Stage 4

    Moquegua (Peru), 11 Jan 2019: Sherco TVS Rally Team is vying with Hero MotoSports Team Rally and the battle between the Indian teams seem to have tilted, only if it is for a short tiem, in favour of TVS, as TVS’ Lorenzo Santolino beat Oriol Mena to take the top-10 spot pushing the Hero to 11th spot which can be taken again anytime.

    After the 511-KM Stage 4, the riders are leaving San Juan de Marcona to fight more dunes and sandy terrain to Moquegua for the Stage 5.

    Micheal Metge is in 17th place after the Stage 4 while his brother Adrien Metge is in 21st place. So all the three Sherco TVS bikes are on target and the Indian rider KP Aravind is on 78th place.

    CS Santosh of Hero MotoSports Team Rally is in 51st position after Sage 4.

  • Both Indian riders CS Santosh and Aravind KP safely complete the challenging Stage 3: Dakar Rally 2019

    Both Indian riders CS Santosh and Aravind KP safely complete the challenging Stage 3: Dakar Rally 2019

    Oriol Mena rides into top-10 after Stage3. Photo by Antonin Vincent

    San Juan de Marcona (Peru), 10 Jan 2019: On a highly-challenging Stage 3 of the 2019 Dakar Rally, Hero MotoSports Team Rally rider Oriol Mena has ridden an excellent 8th place, moving himself to the top-10 in the provisional overall standings on Wednesday after the end of the 798-km tough terrain run.

    Lorenzo Santolino of Sherco TVS Rally Factory team who also went into top-10 in the day, finally finished the Stage 3 in 11th place. Teammates Michael Metge was in 13 and his brother Adrien Metge was 18th.

    Joaquim Rodriques of Hero MotoSports finished the day and Stage 3 in 46th place while the top Indian rider Santosh CS, also riding for Hero, was place 64th after the tough and challenging stage three. “Today’s day started really good for me and I rode with really good feeling up until km 70 after which I had problems with my clutch. I lost a ton of time but I’m happy to have made it back to the team. I finally got 37th for the day,” said Santosh about the Day 2 performance in his social media post.

    Day 2 action of Aravind KP image courtesy Twitter @TVS_Racing

    The other Indian and the fourth Sherco TVS rider, Aravind KP, focussed on navigation with a keen intent to finish the stage, ended up 81 after Stage 3 even as 124 riders completed the stage.

    The rally will now move to the Marathon stage, where no assistance is allowed overnight and the competitors will be left to their own devices and faculties to manage their bikes and themselves.

    Recapping the day, Santosh said, ”It was an extremely difficult stage, throwing a fair share of challenges. I had the wrong lens on for today’s stage and it set me up for the struggle for most of the first part. So, I decided to ride without my goggles, which was really difficult to do. Had a few crashes, lost my way around a waypoint, so in all a very tough day. I am glad to have seen the back of it and still be in the race. ”

     

  • Aravind KP 60th after Second Stage while Santosh slips to 37th: Dakar Rally 2019

    Aravind KP 60th after Second Stage while Santosh slips to 37th: Dakar Rally 2019

    Aravind KP during the first stage to Pisco on Monday. A Sherco TVS image

    Pisco (Peru), 8 Jan 2019: Aravind KP of Sherco TVS Rally Factory team did a commendable job in the 553-km Second Stage of the Moto section of the Dakar Rally 2019 as he nudged ahead with a steady ride to occupy 60th position on Tuesday. After the first stage he was in 71st position.

    Meanwhile, CS Santosh of Hero Motosports Team Rally had a tough second stage but managed to stay on course as he slipped to 37th place with a time of 4 hours, 06 minutes and 20 seconds.

    Both the Indian teams saw their riders in the top-20 with Sherco TVS team’s Lorenzo Santolino and Adrien Metge in 14th and 15th positions respectively while Oriol Mena of Hero Motosports Team followed them in 16th place. Santolino did 3:43.34 while Adrien clocked 3:45.33. Oriol Mena timed 3:46.51.

    Joaquim Rodriques of Hero Motosports is in 34th place (4:03.04). Michael Metgi of Sherco TVS slipped to 69th clocking 5:05.29.

    Here is a tweet by senior motorsports editor Sirish Chandran

     

  • Santosh in creditable 20th after 331km of Stage 1; Aravind 71st: Dakar Rally

    Santosh in creditable 20th after 331km of Stage 1; Aravind 71st: Dakar Rally

    Adrien Metge of Sherco TVS rally team during Stage 1 Lima to Pisco on 7 Jan 2019. Photo by Antonin Vincent

    Lima, 7 Jan 2019: Michael Metge of Sherco TVS Rally team is placed in 12th while Oriol Mena of Hero Motosports Team Rally is in 14th place at the end of Stage 1 after covering a distance of 331km in the Moto section of the Dakar Rally 2019 which began in Peru on Sunday.

    Santosh CS, is standing a creditable 20th after the first leg, and is doing better than his Hero Motosports teammate Joaquim Rodriques who is three places behind him in 23rd place after the first leg.

    Right behind him in 24th and 25th places are the other Indian team members of Sherco TVS Rally Factory team. Adrien Metge is in 24th place while Lorenzo Santolino is in 25th place. The second Indian in the field, Aravind KP, also of Sherco TVS Rally team is going steady in 71st place with the sole aim of finishing the Dakar in his third attempt.

    Santosh took a time of 1 hours 6 minutes and 49 seconds, a difference of 9:13 minutes to the first to cover the 331-km first stage while Aravind took 1hr 24.23 to be classified in 71st place out of a total of 135 participants who were classified after Stage 1.

    Meanwhile, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing have completed a successful stage one of the 2019 Dakar Rally with Sam Sunderland, Toby Price and Matthias Walkner all finishing well inside the top 10. Luciano Benavides put in a solid performance to claim the 15th fastest time of the day with KTM Factory Racing’s Laia Sanz and Mario Patrao placing 31st and 36th respectively.

    Provisional results after Stage 1: Joan Barreda Bort, Monster Energy Honda Team 2019, 57 minutes, 36 seconds; 2. Pablo Quintanilla, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 59:10; 3. Ricky Brabec, Monster Energy Honda Team 2019, 1:00.28; 12. Michael Metge, Sherco TVS Rally Factory Team, 1:04.25; 14. Oriol Mena, Hero Motosports Team Rally, 1:04.43; 20. Santosh CS, Hero Motosports Team Rally, 1:06.49; 23. Joaquim Rodriques, Hero Motosports Team Rally, 1: 07.50; 24. Adrien Metge, Sherco TVS Rally Factory Team,  1:07.52; 25. Lorenzo Santolino, Sherco TVS Rally Factory Team, 1:08.29; 71. Aravind Prabhakar, Sherco TVS Rally Factory Team, 1: 24.23.

    edited 8jan19 at 1pm