INDIA in F1

Tag: Sherco TVS Factory team

  • Harith Noah’s Dakar ends as bike refuses to start; CS Santosh improves to overall 44th

    Harith Noah’s Dakar ends as bike refuses to start; CS Santosh improves to overall 44th

    CS Santosh during the Stage 3 on Tuesday. Photo DPPI/ Flamand

    Jeddah, 7 Jan 2020: Ace Indian rider CS Santosh of Hero MotoSports Team Rally finished Stage 3 at 51st position to end the Dakar 2020 Day 3 with an overall ranking of 44 in the Bike category on Tuesday.

    The 36-year old Bengaluru based Santosh said at the end of Stage 3: “Today was a long stage and there was a lot of dust. I spent a lot of time to find the right way and made many mistakes. But I am very happy to finish the stage.”

    And then, the only other Indian, Harith Noah of Sherco TVS Factory Rally team ended his Dakar campaign as he failed to start Day 3 due to mechanical issues as his bike did not start on Tuesday morning, the third day. However, he would continue in the new category `Dakar Experience’ but will not be eligible for rankings in the competitive class.

    Today stage was on the loop around Neom. The fast tracks in the first 100 kilometres mostly led competitors on a slalom between the giant rocks of Wadi ash Sharmah that give the impression they have been there since the dawn of time. The riders, drivers and crews then made their way through landscapes typical of neighbouring Jordan as they swept round the Jabal ash Shifa Mountains. In the final section, the rocky terrain required the utmost caution from all the competitors.

    Harith Noah suffers technical issues and could not start Day3. A Sherco TVS image

    Meanwhile, Ricky Brabec wanted to make a statement of intent on the loop around Neom and rose to the challenge seamlessly. Despite tricky terrain and difficult navigation, the American methodically left his rivals in his wake to triumph with a big lead over the rest of the pack, allowing him to take command of the rally.

    In the quad race, Giovanni Enrico finally put an end to the supremacy of Ignacio Casale and picked up his first stage victory. In the car race, it was far from the first time for Carlos Sainz as he tasted victory for the 33rd time on one of the legendary rally’s stages, permitting him to take over the lead in the general standings, in front of his runner-up on the day and one of his most consistent rivals, Nasser Al-Attiyah.

    The contest was also close in the SSV race, which was today won by Gerard Farres thanks to a fine finish in the last few kilometres. Andrey Karginov did not give a sniff of a chance to Siarhei Viazovich for stage victory and is now putting pressure on his Byelorussian rival in the general standings.

     

  • 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.

  • Kids in India see that there is a path to the Dakar, says Harith Noah #Dakar2020

    Kids in India see that there is a path to the Dakar, says Harith Noah #Dakar2020

    Jeddah, 28 Dec 2019: As the Dakar Rally travels to Saudi Arabia INDIAinF1 features TVS’ Harith Noah, who will be taking part in Dakar2020. Harith Noah Koithaveettil, born on January 29, 1993, will be making his debut in Dakar 2020, thanks to his team TVS and sponsors Sherco and Mountain Dew. In preparation for Dakar 2020, Noah took part in the 2018 Morocco Rally and 2019 Baja Spain. He will be the second Indian in fray in the Moto section along with first Indian to finish Dakar, CS Santosh, who will be making his sixth Dakar. The event will be held from Jan 5 to 17, 2020.

    Harith Noah in action for a superb win that got him the National Supercross title in his come-back year at Pune on 4 Dec, 2017. INDIAinF1 file photo

    Year after year, India is opening more and more to the Dakar. It all started in 2015 when Santosh CS became the first Indian to start and finish the race. Since then two major Indian brands, Hero and TVS got involved in the rally. Santosh was the pioneer, Aravind Prabhakar followed in his footsteps and now Harith Noah will be the latest to discover the Dakar.

    The young man is from Kerala, but born in Germany, he conquered multiple national titles in motocross and supercross  and has been fully focused on cross-country rallies for the last two years. His path to the Dakar was a long one. It started on his 16th birthday when he was given a motorbike. A weekend later, he was racing and although he finished last of that first race, his passion grew.

    His first encounter with the Dakar came thanks to the video tapes his dad would bring back from his business trips all over the world. He was 5 years old then and far from imagining that he would be on the start line of the 2020 Dakar. Part of the Sherco TVS factory team, Noah who now spends most of his time training in France, will be riding alongside references such as Michael Metge, Johnny Aubert and Lorenzo Santolino. After listening to the precious tips of his elders, the former student and bachelor in sports science knows that at 26, he has time and that only finishing will be his goal for the first year.

    “I got my first bike in 2009 and on the next weekend I was racing in the paddy fields by my house in Kerala. I fell in love with it immediately. Two years later, I became National Supercross champion in the privateer class. My focus was really on supercross, not the Dakar and then TVS got involved. My first big rally was in Morocco in 2018 but sadly I injured the anterior cruciate ligament of my knee. I managed to finish but was ruled out for quite some time. After surgery I was able to come back for the Baja Spain this season. It was really unfortunate that Aravind (Prabhakar) couldn’t come back on the Dakar after breaking his leg while training. I know that in India, we don’t have the skill level of the top factory riders. I’m well aware of that. I’m not looking for a result, just to finish. Fitness-wise, I feel really good and I’m confident in my capacities. I know it will take time to be good. Michael (Metge) tells me that to do good, I have to be patient and gain experience. Of course the Dakar has gotten bigger in India thanks to Santosh and the fact that Hero and TVS are present. It’s opened the eyes of a lot of riders. The kids see that there’s a path to the Dakar. I also expect to see a lot of Indian fans in Saudi Arabia because there’s a big community there.”

  • Sherco TVS Rally Factory team fields KP Aravind, Abdul Wahid for Afriquia Merzouga Rally

    Sherco TVS Rally Factory team fields KP Aravind, Abdul Wahid for Afriquia Merzouga Rally

    Dkar 2019 file photo of KP Aravind (16jan19 stage9) who became the second Indian to complete the Dakar rally. A TVS Racing image

    Casablanca (Morocco), 25 March 2019: Aravind KP, fresh from his Dakar exploits, will be taking part in the 10th edition 10 of the Afriquia Merzouga Rally along with another Indian Abdul Wahid for the Sherco TVS Rally Factory team. The other Indian outfit Hero Motosports Team Rally entered Spaniard field Oriole Mena and Joaquim Rodrigues of Portugal.

    You can read the exploits of Aravind KP in the TVS blog here.

    The event was presented at a press conference in Casablanca, Morocco on March 21. This provided an opportunity to arouse envy among the competitors, before setting off on a very discerning race in the heart of the dunes of Merzouga.

    The Afriquia Merzouga Rally is increasingly becoming a must-do event for rally-raid die-hards. Held from 31 March to 5 April, the race – under the high patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI for the third time – offers a precious experience for all those who dream of toughening up for a future participation in the Dakar. Tagged with the “Dakar Series” label, the Moroccan rally allows for being selected for the marquee event while the winner will get a free entry.

    It promises to be a very competitive rally, especially as for this 10th edition, the five stages will take place in the region’s most iconic areas, which is ideal for perfecting a competitor’s knowledge of the dunes and navigation ability. For the competitors, the rally is also an opportunity to enjoy their passion in a grandiose setting and friendly atmosphere, in the purest Moroccan tradition.

    This year again, the Afriquia Merzouga Rally will ensure that the environmental impact is almost zero, as noted last year in an impact study. The organisers have been sensitive to this aspect for the past several years through concrete actions such as oil recovery – in partnership with Afriquia – and the dematerialization of official documents. In addition, several social actions are carried out for several weeks with the local population.

    Edo Mossi (Afriquia Merzouga Rally Sporting Director): “This is the 10th year of the rally and the 4th under the aegis of A.S.O. with the Dakar Series label. All rally organisers know how hard it is to offer rally-routes that remain so challenging every year. We decided to return to the stages that had stood out in the past, all the sectors that had stirred so many emotions. This is a “Best Of” edition, of what we do best in the region. The rally-route promises to be exciting and will certainly enhance the attractiveness of the competition. ”

    David Castera (Dakar Director): “The Afriquia Merzouga Rally is one of the best preparations for all competitors who dream of participating on the Dakar. The five stages of this 10th edition offer an ideal opportunity to improve racing skills and also improve navigation skills. Participants who take up the challenge will inevitably catch the rally-raid bug. We wish them good luck and hope to see them soon on the Dakar!”

  • The feeling of finishing Dakar is yet to sink in: Aravind KP

    The feeling of finishing Dakar is yet to sink in: Aravind KP

    A proud Aravind with Indian flag as his team celebrates. A TVS Racing image

    Bengaluru 18 Jan 2019: Sherco TVS Rally Factory Team’s Aravind KP has successfully completed the 2019 edition of Dakar making him the only Indian to finish the gruesome rally at 37th position. This is KP’s third appearance at Dakar and this successful attempt to finish the rally has brought glory to the team and the country. This edition of Dakar has been touted as one of the toughest in the history of the rally and only 55% of the bikes completed the gruesome rally this year. The 11-day rally saw riders battle with fesh fesh, sand dunes, beach and rocks with complex navigation at every stage.

    After a steady start in the early stages, Aravind KP picked up his pace in the second half of the rally and climbed up the rankings. Despite a few crashes during the intermediate stages, he fought hard and got to the finish line. KP faced a tricky situation in the penultimate stage of Dakar, when his bike broke down in the sand dunes. He sought help from some spectators and reached the finish line defying all odds.

    Commenting on his achievement, Aravind KP says, “The feeling of finishing Dakar is yet to sink in fully as I have been dreaming and waiting for this moment for 3 years now. It’s difficult to express my feelings at the moment but I am overjoyed to be at the finish line. With multiple injuries in the run up to Dakar, I always knew I had to push myself beyond the comfort zone to finish the rally. The route this year was extremely challenging but I was ready to fight it out and finish one stage at a time. I would like to thank my team especially my mechanic Prakasham for ensuring my motorcycle was in the best shape at the beginning of every stage. I am also grateful to my mentors at TVS Racing & Sherco for believing in my dream and supporting me all along. Dreams do come true if you truly believe in them. I hope my achievement inspires young Indian riders to chase their Dakar dreams and work hard to put India on the world motorsport map.“

    KP’s teammates – Michael Metge and Adrien Metge finished the rally at the 25th and 22nd positions respectively. Michael had a good start at the rally but had a setback on the second day due to fuel outage. He picked up pace in the next stages and broke into top 15 in the third stage. His grit became intense with each passing stage and he won the ninth stage against all lead riders. Adrien Metge strived hard and picked up pace in the first two stages but an unfortunate fall in third stage left him with a sore wrist. His bike fell in the seventh stage and the navigation system got damaged but he continued his journey to finish the rally. Lorenzo Santolino, rookie at Dakar was the fastest rider of the team this year and broke into top 10 in the third stage. Unfortunately, he had to exit the rally in the sixth stage due to a heavy crash.

    Selvaraj, Team Manager, TVS Racing said, “I would like to congratulate all the racers and the team for their outstanding performance at the rally this year. With each passing day at the rally, the level of difficulty shot up manifold and so did our determination. Aravind KP is a talented rider and has a razor sharp focus on his goal and that’s precisely the reason why we chose him to represent us at Dakar. At TVS Racing, we spend a lot of time with the racers to identify their potential and strive to give them every opportunity to prove their mettle. We believe success doesn’t come to anyone overnight, it is an ongoing journey and one might have to overcome many obstacles before achieving glory. It is a red letter day in the history of TVS Racing and we are honoured to be a part of this success story.”

     

  • Sherco TVS team’s Aravind KP conquers Dakar, becomes only Indian to finish Dakar 2019

    Sherco TVS team’s Aravind KP conquers Dakar, becomes only Indian to finish Dakar 2019

    Lima, 17 Jan 2019: Aravind KP had done it. The Indian conquered the Dakar 2019! “The will to win, the desire to succeed! The urge to reach your full potential, these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal EXCELLENCE,” the powerful words of Chinese Social reformer Confucius come to mind, at this historic moment for India and for TVS Racing, as Aravind became the only Indian to finish the Dakar Rally this year.

    In a short period of cross-country rallying, the Indian giant, who had been promoting two-wheeler racing in India for decades, partnered with the French outfit and took part as Sherco TVS Rally Factory Team in Dakar Rally 2019 and Aravind KP became the second Indian to complete Dakar Rally. CS Santosh, who bowed out in Stage 5 this year, is the first Indian to complete Dakar in 2015.

    On Thursday, Aravind Prabhakar, as listed in the Dakar timings, rode his number 48 bike across the finish line of Stage 10, the last stage to reach another milestone in his life, perhaps the biggest, completing Dakar in his third attempt. In the first year in 2017, he had a wrist injury and failed to finish the second time too in 2018.

    Aravind did consistently, as he was keen not to allow any obstacle to stop him this year, and in the second half, he stepped up the game and negotiated the tough terrain with admirable regularity to steadily progress to the front, hitting the top-50 before reaching the top-40. After finishing the 359-km Stage 10 in 1hr, 48:16 to be placed in 42nd position. Finishing in 37th position overall, the TVS rider took 49 hours, 48 minutes and 43 seconds for the 10 stages of Dakar, all held in the single country, Peru this year.

    Joaquim Rodriques of Hero MotoSports Team Rally finished stage 10 in 12th position, closely followed by Adrien Metge of Sherco TVS Rally Factory Team in 13th, while Hero’s Oriol Mena was 17th and Adrien’s brother Michael struggled but managed to finish last as 75 of the 78 bikes completed the Moto section of the last stage of Dakar. Michael Metge was the hero for India team yesterday as he won the penultimate Stage 9 with brilliant riding.

    Overall, Hero MotoSports Oriol Mena had a top-10 finishe with 9th position while his teammate Joaquim Rodriques finished 17th. Younger of the Metge brothers Adrien finished three places ahead of Michael in 22nd position. And Aravind KP did a creditable job managing at top-40 place in 37th overall. All the results are provisional.

    “I was overjoyed. I was overwhelmed. It was the shortest stage, but it was the longest for me because I was hoping to get to the finish line and have been counting every kilometre. I came in with a lot of setbacks but I put in a lot of hardwork and with a positive attitude, I turned everything around me.

  • Big day for Sherco TVS Factory team as Michael Metge wins Stage9; Aravind 39th overall

    Big day for Sherco TVS Factory team as Michael Metge wins Stage9; Aravind 39th overall

    Michael Metge with the Sherco TVS Factory team after winning Stage 9 on January 16. A TVS Racing image

    Pisco, 16 Jan 2019: The lone Indian left in the Dakar Rally 2019, Aravind KP of Sherco TVS Racing Factory Team successfully completed the penultimate stage on Wednesday and is all set to complete the Dakar with only one day left.

    Arvind (Prabhakar) did a wonderful job in all the sections except in wp4, WayPoint4, where he lost time, to gain positions in the 409-km Stage 9. He crossed the finish line gaining valuable positions in a time of 6hr, 25 minutes and 22 seconds. The Indian was 55th in the stage for an overall 39th position with only one stage to go to complete Dakar 2019.

    Aravind KP negotiates the Stage 9 dunes. A TVS Racing image

    However, his Sherco TVS Rally Factory teammate Michael Metge is the real hero of the day winning the stage in 3:46:38. It was quite a memorable day for the TVS Team as their top rider Michael Metge won the penultimate stage of Dakar 2019. Michael dominated the stage today ahead of all the top 10 riders as he pushed himself right from the start. The team dedicates this stage win to teammate Lorenzo Santolino, who had to retire due to a crash in Stage 6. Michael’s overall ranking is now at 22nd and he intends to finish Dakar with another dominating performance. The stage saw a mass start in waves of 10 like the first marathon stage. The riders had to ride through another loop in Pisco, full of tricky sand dunes, the ones that had resulted in many key riders to quit the rally in Stage 2.

    The loop around Pisco explored the Ica desert from an entirely new perspective. It started with an 80 km dune sector, followed by a series of coastal dunes separated by the Subida de los Burrosascent and, to cap it all, another sequence of dunes with three fearsome massifs in the final 100 kilometres —more than enough to throw sand in the gears of the top riders and drivers, as Adrien van Beveren, Stéphane Peterhansel and Sébastien Loeb came to know.

    Stage nine of the rally saw another motocross style mass-start with riders setting off in waves of 10, determined by their finishing positions from the previous day’s stage. Heading into the dunes for the 313-kilometre timed special, the first group of riders stuck together for the majority of the stage.

    Aravind’s teammate and Michael’s younger brother Adrien Metge was more cautious in his approach due to physical strain and he finished at 20th position. He is right behind Michael in the overall rankings at 23rd. India’s Aravind KP got off to a blazing start taking the lead for the first 190 kilometres. KP faced bike issues in the middle of the stage but thanks to some help, he was able to complete the stage. His overall ranking stays at 39th position.

    Commenting on the stage win, Michael Metge says, “It’s an unbelievable feeling to win a stage at Dakar. The stage was challenging as there was lots of dunes and fesh-fesh. I started in the second line at the wave start and I pushed all the way through the stage. Soon I caught up with the first riders and I went past the leader quite quickly. Full credit to the team mechanics for preparing my bike, which has been performing beautifully in the sand dunes. I dedicate this win to my wife and 2 children, who are my pillars of support.”

    Aravind KP says, “It was a mixed day for me but that’s what Dakar is about. I started really well taking the lead in the mass start. But things changed halfway, when my bike had some issues. These were tense moments as I wanted to complete the stage at any cost. Thank god for the local help who assisted me in restarting the bike and finish the stage. This is the spirit of Dakar and I am lucky to have experienced it.”

    The team will ride back from Pisco to Lima in Stage 10, which will be a 358 kilometres journey.

    Provisional Results Stage Nine – 2019 Dakar Rally

    1. Michael Metge (FRA), Sherco, 3:46:38
    2. Daniel Nosiglia (BOL), Honda, 3:48:38 +2:00
    3. Pablo Quintanilla (CHL), Husqvarna, 3:50:06 +3:28

  • TVS Racing’s Aravind KP 39th after 575-km Stage 8: Lone Indian left in Dakar Rally 2019

    TVS Racing’s Aravind KP 39th after 575-km Stage 8: Lone Indian left in Dakar Rally 2019

    WALKNER Matthias (Aut); KTM Factory Team during the Dakar 2019 Stage 8. Photo Florent Gooden / DPPI

    Pisco, 15 Jan 2019: In what has been a very successful day for the Sherco TVS Rally Factory team, all the three remaining riders finished another demanding stage with the lone Indian rider Aravind KP improving his overall position with a creditable 39th position overcoming the 575-km section from San Juan de Marcona to Pisco with a cool head and challenging navigation in the Moto section of the Dakar Rally 2019 on Tuesday. Aravind continues to impress with his consistency and finished the stage without any hiccups. He battled with low visibility initially but was able to ride smoothly post the refuelling point into the dunes.

    He clocked 5 hours, 30 minutes and 10 seconds and is in 39th position after Stage 8 as Dakar Rally comes to the closing stages with only two stages remaining. The other two Sherco TVS riders, the Metge brothers, had one more successful day finishing in 11th and 16th places.

     

    Aravind KP (Stage 7) of Sherco TVS team. Image courtesy Twitter @TVS_Racing

    While elder brother Michael timed 4:13.36 for his 11th Adrien clocked 4:27.52 for 16th as they finished the tough 575 km stage dubbed as `Super Ica’. At 360 kilometres, the timed special was the longest of the event and took competitors over fast, open pistes for the first half, before once again challenging them with the mountainous sand dunes of the Ica desert. In the overall standings, Michael is 24th and Adrien is 26th.

    Sherco TVS Rally Factory Team conquered Stage 8 with a strong performance by all riders despite multiple challenges. The team had to find their way through dense fog at the start point wherein the visibility dropped to as low as 5 metres. This was just the beginning of an eventful day for the team as after the fog, they had to battle against the dust left behind by the cars and trucks. The cars and trucks had opened the race ahead of the bikes in Stage 8. This was the longest special stage of 360 km in this edition of Dakar.

    Michael Metge was at his best despite difficult weather conditions and finished the stage in the 10th position. Michael picked up his pace once he hit the sand dunes and his overall ranking is now at 24th. Adrien finished Stage 8 in 14th position despite a minor wrist injury. His strong show has taken him to the 26th position (overall).

    Aravind KP says, “The low visibility at the start was a concern for me and I didn’t take any chances. I really enjoyed my ride once I hit the dunes and managed to improve my rankings. It was a very long stage and I am happy to have completed it.”

    The team will ride through a loop in Pisco in the next stage, which is also the penultimate stage for Dakar 2019.

    Oriol Mena and Joacquim Rodriques of Hero MotoSports Team Rally finished in 12th and 13th positions respectively after Stage 8. Mena took 4hrs 20.03 while Rodriques came home in 4:21.49. Indian rider CS Santosh crashed out in Stage 6 and made his exit from Dakar Rally 2019 leaving Aravind of TVS Racing the lone Indian in the field. In the overall standings, Mena is 11th while Rodriques is 18th.

    Matthias Walkner of KTM Factory Racing has claimed his second stage win of the 2019 Dakar Rally. Pablo Quintanilla of Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing team was second with third fastest going to Toby Price, also of KTM,who now sits at the top of the provisional overall standings with two stages left to contest.

    On the return journey to Pisco, the riders and drivers were served up a cocktail of sand for 360 km, before they get the chance to savour a flavoursome Pisco Sour! The day started with fesh-fesh and was followed by an intermittence of beaches for almost 80 kilometres. Before encountering the genuine chains of dunes to be crossed to reach the finishing line of the special, care had to be taken to avoid stalling in the formidable “subida de los burros”. The dunes of Ica, already partially visited during stage two, were more comprehensively explored, with the aim of submitting the participants to the most demanding of ascensions and descents, for example at the 300-kilometre mark on the special. To finish the route, a final portion of off-track racing required maximum awareness from the co-pilots.

    Provisional results after Stage 8:

    1. Mathias Walkner, KTM Factory Racing, 3 hours, 55 minutes, 25 seconds;
    2. Pablo Quintanilla, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory, 3:56:10;
    3. Toby Price, KTM Factory Racing, 3:56:38; 11.Michael Metge, Sherco TVS Rally Factory team, 4:13:36;

    12.Oriol Mena, Hero MotoSports Team Rally, 4:20:03;

    1. Joaquim Rodriques, Hero MotoSports Team Rally, 4:21:49;16. Adrien Metge, Sherco TVS Rally Factory team, 4:27:52;

    39.Aravind Prabhakar, Sherco TVS Rally Factory team, 5:30:10.

     

  • Aravind KP completes Stage 7 with 47th overall: Dakar Rally

    Aravind KP completes Stage 7 with 47th overall: Dakar Rally

    Aravind KP image courtesy @TVS_Racing twitter handle

    San Juan de Marcona, 15 Jan 2019: Visitors to San Juan de Marcona are usually looking for the best plan to discover the Nazca Lines. Stage 7 of the Dakar was completely different, with an assortment of difficulties to fray the nerves of all types of competitors. To add to this, the lone Indian survivor Aravind KP, had navigational issues. But he managed to overcome all the hurdles and accelerated his progress to the top-50 with a brilliant run as the fast men were in their element in the fast off-road sectors of the first 100 kilometres, only to suffer in the fesh-fesh and on the rough tracks on a plateau halfway through the stage.

    For the next 50 kilometres, the focus of Aravind, the Sherco TVS Rally Facotory team rider, switched to the dune surfers, with the Duna Grande and Duna Argentina sectors, later to transition to faster stretches near the end of the stage… all while dodging the navigational pitfalls in the vicinity of San Juan. He did a tremendous job to stay on course even as his teammates, the Metge brothers had a top-15 finish.

    Aravind, once again was in his elements and he put in a steady effort to end the day 46th. The Indian is now in 47th in the main standings after the 387 km of Stage 7. He was 46th in the Stage Classification.

  • Arvind KP rides brilliantly to finish Stage 6: Dakar Rally

    Arvind KP rides brilliantly to finish Stage 6: Dakar Rally

    Lorenzo Santolino is airlifted for treatment. A Dakar Rally image

    San Juan de Marcona, 14 Jan 2019: After a long wait of about 20 minutes, at 2.20am (IST) Arvind Prabhakar’s time was up on the Dakar site after the previous rider finished the WayPoint 7 and it was only a matter of time that Aravind KP finished the tough and challenging Stage 6 838 km with an impressive time. The Sherco TVS Rally Factory team rider was doing extremely well before losing time in the fag end. Nevertheless, he finished overall 48th, his bike number after a brilliant 44th in the stage classification.

    Meanwhile, his teammate, the top-flying rookie rider Lorenzo Santolino bowed out of the Dakar 2019, 33km into the stage as he was air-lifted for medical attention. The Sherco-TVS rider was one of the breakout stars of the Dakar so far, with his best-ever finish to the day coming just two days prior on Stage 5. He had to be airlifted to Lima where further assessment of his injuries will take place.

    The team had a day to forget with just a glimmer of hope coming from KP Aravind who rode extremely well to finish the day 44th, climbing up quite a few spots in the overall rankings. He is currently 48th and should aim to climb a few more spots. Michael was the better of the two Metge brothers finishing the day in 31st. That did bump him down a number of positions in the overall standings, to 36th in fact, but not as much as his brother Adrien who had a miserable day at the office. Adrien ended the day at 77th spot, which has seen him plummet down the overall standings to 33rd.

    Hero MotoSports had no casualties to report but their standings too were slightly hampered in the overall stage progression. Since Lorenzo’s crash, Oriol Mena has taken over as the top rider from an Indian team. He was 20th over the course of the day which has seen him slide down a spot in the overall rankings, to 13th. The day started off strongly for his teammate Joaquim Rodrigues but he stopped to help Oriol out as the latter ran his fuel tank dry. He had to rebuild the aux tank and thus finished the day in 30th. He is 25th in the overall tally now. Hero hopes both its riders will challenge for better results in the days to come.