Your basket is currently empty!
Tag: Sherco TVS Factory team
-
Harith Noah completes Stage 3 under rain in P33 : Dakar 2023
Ha’il (Saudi Arabia) 3 Jan 2023: Sherco TVS Factory Rally team’s Harith Noah, the only rider from India, finished a difficult Stage 3 successfully in the Dakar 2023 here on Tuesday.
Today’s stage from Alula to Ha’Il was marked by heavy rainfall. The riders got very cold. The 670 km route, including 447 km of special.
The 29-year TVS talent from Kerala started the day in a steady fashion and was in P41, about 40km into the Selective Section and by Way Point at 288km mark, he made up six places to take 35th position. He consistently improved positions in the next 200km and was running in 32nd position before finishing the stage at P33. Thus, he retained his Overall ranking of P32. However, Noah struggled today in the rain and mud and he was tested by the very technical course and the weather conditions as he had to do a the over 150km transport section under thunder showers. He looks forward to being able to fully express himself on the desert tracks.
Harith Noah: “It was a 447-km special and I felt alright. I expected difficult navigation but finally it was pretty straight forward. Rain towards the end of the stage with a lot of water covering the tracks. The liaison after the stage was 160 km in thunder storm. Looking forward to the 425-km stage tomorrow,” said the TVS talent on social media.
The degradation in weather conditions has made it no longer possible for the organisers to guarantee the best safety conditions for the competitors, so the riders have been halted at CP 2 (after 335 km) and CP3 (after 377 km). It appeared like Harith Noah already passed the 335 mark at that time. And thus the times were maintained for the riders who have reached the finishing line. For the others, calculations will be made for each of the riders in accordance with the average accomplished on the first part of the stage in order to attribute a finishing time to them.
Harith Noah is the fastest rider from India at Dakar, having finished 20th in the 2021 edition at Saudi Arabia. He took part in all the editions in Saudi Arabia after making his Dakar debut here in 2020. He is sponsored by TVS, Sherco, Scott Sports India and Camelbak. Noah is a five-time Indian National champion in Supercross participating TVS Racing team colours.
Today, the Dakar navigated through lands steeped in history, setting off from one of the centres of Nabatean civilisation on the way to Ha’il, which was a crossroads of commercial routes linking Europe to Asia. For the Dakar riders, drivers and crews, who had to tackle sometimes torrential weather conditions through the majestic canyons surrounding the sandy and sometimes rocky tracks, the challenge also involved having the capacity to focus on navigation where many criss-crossing tracks made it easy to get confused. Daniel Sanders proved to be a master at this game, displaying perfect regularity to win a fourth stage on the Dakar, just like Guerlain Chicherit, who began his roll of honour in 2006! Heavy rain shortened the stage to 377 kilometres for many of the riders, drivers and crews.
OUTLINE
It may be obvious, but fighting to win the title on the Dakar first and foremost requires thoughtfulness. It is not sure that Ricky Brabec forgot this major rule, but the American had an encounter with misfortune and joined the list of major favourites who have exited the race prematurely. The Honda rider fell after 274 km. With painful cervical vertebrae, he was transported to hospital, both conscious and able to move, in Ha’iI for further medical examinations. Following Sam Sunderland, within the space of three days, the rally has lost two of its former winners. Nevertheless, the pretenders for the crown continue to take their place, starting with Daniel Sanders, who posted the best intermediate times throughout the special before winning for the fourth time in his career on a stage of the Dakar, also taking the lead in the rally. The Australian’s lead in the general rankings was limited by the efforts of young Mason Klein, who benefited from the new rules awarding bonusses to the openers, to limit the damage and allow them to have a chance at outright victory (see stat of the day). Whilst the leaders in the bike race were relatively spared by the rain and hail which swept through the region, the weather conditions forced the organisers to shorten the special in order to preserve the emergency intervention capacities -
Harith Noah survives a fall to finish 34th in Stage 2: Dakar 2023
Al-Ula (Saudi Arabia), 2 Jan 2023: Sherco TVS Factory rider, Harith Noah, the only Indian at Dakar 2023, overcame a crash at the 40-km mark, and made a splendid recovery to finish the gruelling Stage 2 in 34th position for an Overall ranking of 32 in the Rally GP bikes category of the Dakar here on Monday.
“It was a tough day today. The digital Roadbook did not work from Km-5 and I had to manually scroll it. Today’s stages were all rocks, rocks, rocks and more rocks. It was not easy for me. I had two crashes and hurt my elbow pretty badly but fortunately nothing is broken,” said Harith Noah.
“I spent the afternoon taking care of myself so I could recover and be ready for another long day tomorrow with 447 km (of competitive distance),” the Red Bull India rider added.
The stage was won by Mason Klein of USA, the training partner of Noah followed by Sebastian Buhler of Hero MotoSports Team Rally. Hero, the Indian manufacturer had a good day with two of their riders in the top-5 as Ross Branch finished Stage 2 in fourth place.
Harith Noah during the Stage 2 of the Dakar 2023 between Sea Camp and Al-‘Ula, Photo ASO/DPPI After leaving the Sea Camp where the Dakar had been based for a long weekend, the riders, drivers and crews headed into the inner reaches of Saudi Arabia. Harith Noah, confronted with the morning coolness and took on the terrain when it was still damp. Though the Kerala rider likes the hard terrain, he had a crash at the 40-km mark. Today’s race in the mountains, required the competitors to tackle narrow tracks and climb up to an altitude of 1,300 metres through a pass at the midway point of the stage. After the fall, Noah struggled with the terrain which was typical enduro. He slipped to 47th position at that point but later made up places at every Way Point and finished the 588-km stage in 34th place. Following his P24 in Stage 1, he now has an Overall ranking of 32. “The restorative night will be very important for him knowing that tomorrow will also be a big day,” said a Sherco team member.
The program for today went from Sea Camp to Al-Ula, it included 430 km of special. Like yesterday, the terrain was technical and tricky, with rocky sections, canyon crossings and a section in the dunes. Yesterday, in the reverse order, Noah started in the front, being the third to open the route.
Harith Noah, (behind), the Sherco TVS Factory rider, who has consistently passed many bikes after his fall, in action near Al Ula on Monday. Photo ASO/DPPI Noah’s Sherco teammate Lorenzo P7
Lorenzo Santolino had a good stage, making no mistakes, he finished 7th, 3.10 minutes from the leader. The bike performed well in some difficult terrain that tested riders and machines, it included technical sections and complicated navigation. Lorenzo rode a very smart race.
“It was a very long stage with a lot of slow rocky sections and some very rough tracks where it was difficult to maintain a high pace, but I felt comfortable. In these conditions my Sherco and I complement each other very well; this allows me to race without taking too many risks because tomorrow the course is 668 km long”.
Rui Gonçalves 35th
Rui Gonçalves started 35th this morning, he rode a good part of the special in the dust but he still managed to finish 22nd just 16 minutes behind the leader, this is a very good result and is very encouraging for the future.
“Today was a bit long and very technical, a lot of canyons and a lot of rocks and I knew that starting back in the field would to be difficult because I was going to be riding in the dust. I tried to keep a constant pace and not to make any mistakes. I was able to gain a few positions which will allow me to start a little further ahead tomorrow. I will try to move up in a few places every day. I thank everyone for the support I am receiving from the team at the start of the race”.
Tomorrow, the riders will set off for a 668-kilometer stage including 447 kilometers of special which will take them from Alula to Ha’Il.
Ranking for the day:
Lorenzo Santolino: P7 (3.10 mins)
Rui Goncalves: P22
Harit Noah: P34.Cumulative ranking:
Lorenzo Santolino: P13 (10.18 mins)
Rui Goncalves: P25
Harith Noah: P32.Feature photo caption: Harith Noah in action during Stage 2 on Monday, Jan 2 at Dakar 2023. Photo: Florent Gooden, ASO/DPPI
-
Brilliant 24th by Harith Noah in Stage 1: Dakar 2023
Yanbu (Saudi Arabia), 1 Jan 2023: TVS Racing team’s Harith Noah, the only Indian at Dakar 2023, began the gruelling Dakar with a brilliant 24th position in the first stage here on Sunday. The Sherco TVS Factory team rider clocked 4 hours, 39 min and 08 seconds astride a Sherco 450 in the Rally GP class. He was 24min, 58 sec behind the Stage winner Ricky Brabec of USA after his training partner Mason Klein (USA), who was leading much of the time, was penalised.
The 29-year TVS talent finished in 24th position. A good result for the only rider from India, a five-time National champion. Starting 3rd this morning, with no tracks to guide him, he had excellent navigation and was able to make wise choices while remaining consistent throughout the stage.
The first real day of racing for this 2023 Dakar occurred on the day after the prologue. A 603 km stage around Sea Camp included 368 km of special that alternated between rocky technical sections, sandy tracks, and dunes. This was the first of the 14 stages of the event that is being held for the fourth consecutive year in Saudi Arabia. Many riders received penalties for speeding in the open connecting sections.
The contrast between the prologue on the beach and the first stage could not be starker. Today’s special followed the outline of the coast from 30 km inland on its way to Yanbu and beyond. The entire field was on high alert in the first part of the 368 km course, featuring the scattered rocky sections where defending champion Sam Sunderland crashed out of the race. From there on, the faster stretches between valleys and sandy tracks enabled Carlos Sainz and Daniel Sanders to let their raw speed do the talking. As a reward for their efforts, the drivers, riders and crews are taking the coastal route back to the Sea Camp for more than 200 km.
Testing competitors right from the off, the 368-kilometer timed special comprised a challenging mix of terrain, made up predominantly of gravels tracks, but with some sand and dunes thrown in to give riders a true taste of conditions at this 2023 event.
The Redbull rider, Noah, is sponsored by TVS, Sherco, Scott India and Camelbak India.
After the first stage Harith Noah said: “I started 3rd, it was the first time I started so upfront with just two lines in front. I am happy to have finished and not get lost a lot. Respect to all the riders opening the stages. Not easy.
“I am going to change the suspension setup a little for tomorrow on the bike. Will be a long day with 430km SS,” he added.
Yesterday, the 29-year from Shoranur said: “The Dakar 2023 officially started, I was full of focus and will do my best for another season. It was a 13-Km prologue day to define the starting order of phase 1. In P47, felt good to get the first race nerves out the way. Took it easy and safe. The first Stage will have a special stage of 367 km. It will be interesting as I will be starting at the very front, hope I don’t get too lost.”
The 2023 Dakar Rally continues tomorrow with the 589-kilometer stage two. Riders will face another long timed special, with 430 kilometres raced against the clock.
Lorenzo Santolino finished in 11th place. Confident from the start this morning, he was able to make the most of his Sherco 450 and rode a good part of the day with the leaders.
“A very nice and fast mixed stage starting at the seaside, then it moved on to a sandier area of open desert and canyons with rocky and technical tracks, the last part of the special consisted of dunes.
“I felt very good, I managed to pass several riders, I tried to not waste too much time overtaking them in the dust and concentrated on keeping a good rhythm. I’m happy to have reached the finish line, I was confident in my navigation, however I’m still a bit lacking in riding rhythm in the dunes”.
Rui Goncalvez was less fortunate than his two partners. A clutch problem penalized him on the many technical parts of the stage, he gave everything he had in the special to limit the loss of time, compensating for the mechanics with pure physical effort, he arrived at the finish very tired. He had to draw on his reserves. The instruction for tomorrow will be to ride clean and save his energy, the race is still very long. He is 41st.
Sherco Factory team Classification day 1 :
Lorenzo Santolino: P11Harrith Noah: P24
Rui Gonçalvez: P41
-
Stunning 3rd for Harith Noah in SS2 at FIM Baja Aragon
Teruel (Spain), 24 July 2022: Sherco TVS Factory Racing rider Harith Noah recorded a stunning top-3 in one of the stages in a field of 163 riders and successfully completed the cross-country rally in Overall fifth place, in Baja Spain Aragon, the fourth round of the FIM Bajas World Cup that concluded here on Sunday. In the FIM 450cc class for bikes, Noah was placed fourth.
Achieving a career-best third in SS2 in the FIM Bajas World Cup round, the rider from Kerala, put in excellent performance and missed the podium by a few minutes as he finished 5th overall. Astride a Sherco 450, the 29-year TVS Racing talent is taking part in the prestigious annual event that is now a round of both the FIA and FIM Bajas World Cup. Beginning the 6-km prologue cautiously trailing in 16th, Harith Noah switched up pace and moved up 13 places with a stunning ride in SS2 that launched him to P3. However, tough and dangerous terrain curtailed his further dash to the front as he had to be content with an 8th place in SS1 (02:45:56.0). “The track was a bit dangerous as the cars had passed already and that made many rocks pop out on to the track. Focus was to complete the stage safely,” said Noah, who attacked once again on the last Sector for which he preserved his best. Clocking 2:07:26.0 on the last day, he sealed the fourth place in the stage for an overall fifth.
He finished the last day’s ‘competitive special’ of 159 km between Banon and Teruel and moved up to a brilliantly in the Overall classification in Group 1 (Category 1) of the FIM Bajas World Cup for 450cc bikes. He clocked a total time of 8hours, 07minutes and 33.0seconds. With his Sherco teammates Lorenzao Santolino and Rui Goncalves finishing second and third, Noah made it three bikes in top-5 for the Sherco-TVS combo that missed the top-spot by just about 5 minutes.
Performing consistently on all three days, Harith Noah dished out high-standard riding to shoot into top-3 on Saturday, the Day 2. “For the first time I am back on the rally bike after the last Dakar. I felt so good to be back riding at an international event. The hard-pack tracks made it fun to slide around and I enjoyed it. It was a great experience and like always, I have learned a lot and hope to fine tune my skills from this rich experience,” said the Shoranur star. “It was a great feeling to be able to finish one of the stages with the front pack and the bike proved to be good,” the 29-year star told INDIAinF1 from Spain.
The gruelling race that traversed over 400 km in the Selective Sector on Saturday morning with another 200 plus km in the evening presented a technically tough route but Harith Noah who thrives on routes that offer difficult navigational challenges, took to his liking and posted a stunning 5:50:09.0.
The Kerala rider is the fastest Indian at the Dakar as he beat CS Santolsh’s record and joined KP Aravind, in the elite club of three from India, that finished Dakar successfully. Harith Noah will be back to his training for the 2023 Dakar next January.
-
Aishwarya Pissay, only woman in FIM WC Baja Aragon
Teruel (Spain) 21 July 2022: Petronas TVS Factory Racing’s star Aishwarya Pissay, the only World Cup winner from India in motorsports, is all set to re-launch her international campaign with the Baja Aragon, the fourth round of the FIM Bajas World Cup to be held here from Friday.
Come July, the beautiful region of Aragón gets busy and Aishwarya Pissay, the Indian pride, is the only woman in the FIM field and being a World Cup Baja winner, adds to the competitive nature of the event as she arrived in Teruel on Tuesday. After her accident in Jordan Baja in March 2021, the talented rider, a product of TVS, worked hard on rehabilitation and bagged another National title in the last one year, before plunging into high-performance training abroad for about 90 days this year, under her acclaimed mentor Michael Metge and his team.
On Friday, more than 70 motorcycle and quad riders will take the start of the race, including 18 motorcycles and eight quads competing for points in the FIM Bajas World Cup. Pissay will be part of Team Sherco TVS which registered four riders. Lorenzo Santolino, who was third last year, Rui Gonçalves, Harith Noah and Aishwarya Pissay, the winner of 2019 World Cup Baja winner, make up the Sherco-TVS team.
For the 26-year old Bengaluru lass, a five-time Indian National rally champion, who became the first Indian woman to make her international debut at Baja Spain in 2018 at the age of 22 years, this will be her third Baja Aragon Spain. The Indian rider supported by Scott, Ultrahuman, IIFL and Micro Labs, looks to turn the tables astride a Sherco 450 Enduro, the same bike that she trained hard in France and Spain fine-tuning her physical fitness and riding skills. “It was a high-performance training not just focussing on physical fitness and mental conditioning but identifying and fine-tuning certain riding skills and consistently learning the terrain and the art of Road Book. Staying focussed and calm are some other interesting aspects that I enjoyed,” said Aishwarya, who continues to get support from Surana College, her alma mater.
“I have learnt a lot in the training sessions abroad under Metge and to be able to utilise these skills and continue learning is my goal. I am not looking at World Cup right now but my focus is on the Baja for the next three days. I will take it event by event,” said the 26-year old, who rose like a phoenix after the life-threatening accident at the same Baja on the last day in 2018. “Every incident has taught me lessons and made me stronger. Now I am well-prepared and ready for the event,” the confident TVS talent, said ahead of the grueling event.
Administrative and technical checks will take place in Teruel on Friday while the six-km Prologue will be run from 5pm (8.30 pm IST) in order to determine the starting order for the first selective section the next day.
On Saturday, July 23rd, riders will tackle two selective sections and a third on Sunday morning for a total of 435 competitive kilometres and 342km of liaison, the transport section.
-
All 3 Sherco TVS riders arrive at the finish: A sherco report of Dakar 2022
Jeddah, 15 Jan 2022: We want to honor our riders who gave everything they had until the very end. There were smiles and fatigue at the finish, but the feeling of having completed a great Dakar and of having taken the brand new 450 SEF Rally to the finish was outstanding. After two weeks of racing and more than 8,000 kilometers covered, our 3 riders have reached Jeddah and the finish line of this 2022 Dakar. At the end of a final special where they once again had great performances (LS P9, RG P11, HN P23), Lorenzo Santolino finished in 11th place overall, close to a top 10 in which he remained for almost the entire race. Rui Goncalves finished 24th. Unluckily, our Portuguese rider encountered several minor technical problems, which caused him to lose a lot of time. This was disappointing when you see the excellent times, he was able to produce throughout this Dakar. Despite a solid race and following a technical incident Harith Noah ends up out of the standings, in the experience category. This 2022 Dakar was punctuated by many strong moments. Rui Goncalves climbed on the podium of stage 4, while Lorenzo Santolino remained in the top 5 in the general classification until the start of the 2nd week. Embarking on the incessant yoyo of the specials, he ended up downgrading, but he left his mark on this edition alongside the big names in the discipline. It is obvious that he is a potential major contender. Harith Noah pushed and learned every step of the way. He paid attention to instructions and became consistent. He was approaching the top 20, until his retirement on stage 10. This was a major test run for the new 450 SEF Rally, which will have made its debut in the sands of the Sahara. The valuable feedback from the riders allowed the whole team to work hard during these 15 days to continue development and bring all the machines to the finish. We will have the opportunity to meet the Sherco Factory Rally team throughout this season with Lorenzo Santolino still riding the 450 SEF Rally in the other events of the new FIM World Rally Championship. -
Harith Noah completes Dakar Rally 2020 in Dakar Experience class
Haradh (Saudi Arabia) 17 Jan 2020: Indian rider and Dakar debutante Harith Noah completed the Dakar Rally, albeit in a lesser Dakar Experience class for those who have not finished a stage, as the Keralite finished the 12th and final stage in a noteworthy 27th place as the 42nd Dakar Rally which was held for the first time in Saudi Arabia came to a conclusion.
The Sherco TVS rookie was forced to switch on to the Dakar Experience category, a new class which was introduced this year to allow those who have not completed a stage to rejoin the rally and complete it. CS Santosh the first rider to take part in Dakar and who also became the first Indian to complete the Dakar Rally successfully had to withdraw from this year’s rally midway as his team Hero MotoSports took a decision to withdraw from the rally as a mark of respect to the Paulo Goncalves, who died following a crash in the 7th stage. KP Arvind of TVS Racing is the second Indian who has completed the Dakar Rally in 2019, in his third attempt, but had to pull out due to an injury, which gave Harith Noah a chance to make his debut.
Harith Noah action on Day 2 finishing overall 65th on Monday. Photo by Sherco TVS Rally team -
Harith Noah finishes Stage 11 in 25th position in Dakar Experience category
File photo of Harith Noah on Day 2. Photo by Sherco TVS Rally team Quddiya (Saudi Arabia), 16 Jan 2020: Dakar debutante Harith Noah of Sherco TVS Rally Factory Team did a commendable job in the 744-km penultimate Stage 11 of the 42nd Dakar Rally in the Bike category finishing 25th in the 100-rider field. The Indian will be looking forward to complete the last stage on Friday to become the third Indian to compete the Dakar. However, he is taking part in the Dakar Experience category after failing to enter the third stage due to a bike issue.
But the new rule allows him to complete the rally. Noah timed 4 hours 48 minutes and 12 seconds to complete the 379-km Special Stage on Thursday.
Meanwhile, the Empty Quarter, a vast expanse almost as big as France, boasts long, unbroken successions of dunes stretching for 80 kilometres. In contrast with yesterday, when the prevailing winds messed with stage 10 for cars, the weather today made the terrain far more hospitable as the increased humidity meant fewer competitors got stuck. The return trip to Haradh was raced at a much higher pace. This area serves as the crossroads from which the Dakar will leave the Empty Quarter and set course for Riyadh and Qiddiya.
In the Moto class, Pablo Quintanilla left nothing in the tank. The Chilean pulled out all the stops to topple Ricky Brabec, claiming his second stage in three days by a few seconds ahead of Matthias Walkner, who also threw caution to the wind. However, the overall leader will start the closing stage of the Rally with a healthy margin, as will Ignacio Casale, who left the win to Rafał Sonik in the quad category.
In the Cars category, Carlos Sainz seems to have the race in the bag despite Stéphane Peterhansel and Nasser Al-Attiyah unleashing their full might in a last-ditch attempt to claw back some time. While the Frenchman beat the Qatari by just a few seconds in today’s stage, it is Al-Attiyah who holds the provisional second place overall by a mere six seconds. The SSV race saw bigger gaps. “Chaleco” López put in a stunning performance today, but the overall is Casey Currie’s to lose. Meanwhile, Andrey Karginov added a new stage win to his tally as Kamaz blew the opposition out of the water with a 1-2-3-4 in Haradh.
Performance of the Day
The 25-year-old Jamie McCanney, racing in his first Dakar and second rally altogether, did not want to put the cart before the horse. The up-and-coming Brit, who caught the attention of Yamaha when he became junior enduro world champion, is getting stronger as the Dakar goes on, scoring his first top 7 finish yesterday before going one better on the road to Haradh, finishing in sixth place at only six minutes behind the winner. It was an auspicious performance by the Manxman, who is sitting within the top 15 overall within striking distance of the “best rookie” distinction.
Star of the day: 80
The number of stage wins by Stéphane Peterhansel in the greatest rally on Earth following his fourth triumph in 2020 in Haradh. The Frenchman, a six-time champion on a bike and seven-time champion in a car, has won 33 and 47 specials in these classes, respectively. He is the most prolific competitor in Dakar history by far. Trucker Vladimir Chagin, with 63 stage wins, is a distant second.
Woman rider of the Day
GasGas Factory Racing’s Laia Sanz took an important step closer to achieving her goal of finishing a 10th Dakar by completing stage 11 from Shubaytah to Haradh. Despite coming close to a fall, Laia finished the penultimate 379-kilometre special in a time of just over four-and-a-half hours, placing 18th for the day on her GasGas RC 450F.
The 12th and final stage of the 2020 Dakar Rally takes place tomorrow, with competitors departing Haradh and racing north-west to the finish line in Qiddya. With a strong result on the 374-kilometre special Laia can progress into the top 15 in the overall event classification.
Provisional results: Dakar Rally 2020, stage 11
1. Pablo Quintanilla (Husqvarna) 4:09:22
2. Matthias Walkner (KTM) 4:09:31 +0:09
3. Luciano Benavides (KTM) 4:12:10 +2:48
18. Laia Sanz (GasGas) 4:33:14 +23:5225. Harith Noah (Sherco TVS) 4:48:12 +38.50
Provisional standings: Dakar Rally 2020 (after stage 11)
1. Ricky Brabec (Honda) 38:33:28
2. Pablo Quintanilla (Husqvarna) 38:47:24 +13:56
3. Toby Price (KTM) 38:56:02 +22:34
17. Laia Sanz (GasGas) 42:19:43 +3:46:15 -
Harith Noah finishes Stage 10, the first leg of the marathon stage in 32nd place: #Dakar2020
Harith Noah of Sherco TVS Rally Factory Team on Wednesday. A DDPI image Shubaytah (Saudi Arabia), 115 Jan 2020: Indian rally-raid rider and Dakar debutant Harith Noah of Kerala garnered another stage successfully completing the Stage 10 in 32nd position on Wednesday in the Dakar Experience class of the Moto event.
Completing the first leg of the Marathon stage without any hiccups, the 29-year-old Sherco TVS Rally Factory Team rider is on the way to become the third Indian to complete Dakar, thanks to the new Experience class, which allows riders to finish the rally without qualifying for a ranking. Noah has missed Stage 3 due to a technical issue with his bike and will not be eligible for an overall ranking but is allowed to complete the rally in Dakar Experience class.
Sponsored by TVS, Sherco and Mountain Dew, Noah clocked 2 hours, 44 minutes and 41 seconds for the special stage today and is withing 33 minutes of the top riders.
The other Indian at the Dakar, CS Santosh, of Hero MotoSports Team Rally has withdrawn from the competition following the death of his teammate Paulo Goncalves on Jan 12.
-
Harith Noah finishes Stage 9, a creditable 29th: Dakar Experience category
#83 Koitha Veettil Harith Noah of Sherco TVS, Sherco TVS Rally Factory team during the Stage 4 on January 8, 2020. Photo – DPPI Media Wadi al Dawasir (Saudi Arabia), 14 Jan 2020: The lone Indian rider left in Dakar Rally, Harith Noah of Sherco TVS Rally Factory Team, did a creditable job finishing 29 in the 9th stage as the 42nd Dakar Rally resumed here on Tuesday after the cancellation of the Monday’s Stage 8, mourning the death of Paulo Goncalves of Hero MotoSports, the other Indian team which withdrew from this year’s rally as a mark of respect and mourning for team member who died due to cardiac arrest on Sunday following a crash.
The other Indian rider, the first from India to complete the Dakar, who was doing well in 35th place at the half-way stage will not be able to complete the rally due to the Team’s decision to withdraw.
Harith Noah, who could not start on Day 3, due to some technical issue with the bike, will not be eligible for an overall ranking and he is taking part to complete the rally in the new `Dakar Experience’ category that was included this year to allow those who have failed a stage to rejoin from the next day but without any ranking. Noah, however, did a splendid job clocking 4hours, 2minutes and 33 seconds for the 410-km Special Stage of the 886-km Stage 9 from Wadi al Dawasir Haradh.
The Rally was temporarily paused for all motorcycle class racers as a mark of respect to the deceased Portugese rider who tragically lost his life on Day 7.
