Budding Aspirations

We catch up with Aravind KP of TVS Racing who will become the second Indian rider to compete in the mother of all Raid Rally events, the Dakar, in 2017

BikeIndia ( BI): You have spent a lot of time doing motocross and offroading. Please tell us what made you choose this genre instead of circuit racing?

Aravind KP (AKP): Circuit racing was never exciting for me and it felt a little boring because it was almost repetitive of what you do, lap after lap. In motocross, the thrill of jumping over the obstacles was like… you know… as a kid I have watched those motocross races on sports TV and I really fantasised about it and after the rider won, they were treated like gods. And that is what gave the power to the rider to make the crowd go mad and that is what inspired me. The thrill of dirt-track and motocross is simply good because every lap you do something different, like every lap you come round the same corner but each time you take it differently. The inputs are different, the way you approach a jump, everything will be different, which is not the case with circuit racing.

BI: Aravind, you became the first Indian rider to win a motocross championship overseas. How did you feel after winning the championship?

AKP: At first it didn’t really hit me that I was the first Indian to win a

championship abroad. It wasn’t that easy; it was really hard, because it was on a bad day that I won the championship. I went down in the practice and I had a big cut on my hand. I had to get eight or so stitches, and then I got back and raced and finished second in one race and third in the other. That is when I sealed the championship and it was like, someone said, that it is on your bad days when you win your championship. It was really overwhelming and exciting and it was a big opening for me.

BI: Now that you are on your way to Dakar, tell us something about how you are preparing yourself mentally to tackle this massive challenge. AKP: Mental preparation-wise, I would like to say that I have been in the sport for a long time now and there is a

lot of conditioning that happens at events like the Raid-de-Himalaya and Desert Storm. Every element in these events is also very challenging and equally dangerous. I have done the Raid twice now and I have had my fair share of falls there also, and that has taught me a lot. There are a lot of similarities between Dakar and Raid and that is what conditions us, although the Raid and Desert Storm are not as scary as Dakar. I am preparing myself for that. I am doing a lot of research by watching a lot of participants’ videos of Dakar and asking a few friends I know and just getting to know more about Dakar before I head there to participate.

BI: How has the support by TVS Racing been?

AKP: TVS Racing has given me all the support. I joined TVS Racing in 2006 as a novice rider and from there it has been a great journey with them. Everything I am is because of TVS Racing, I must say. If it weren’t for TVS, I wouldn’t be here today. All my championships, and even the one in Sri Lanka, would not have been possible it if weren’t for TVS. The Dakar is one of the biggest challenges that we are going to conquer as a team.

BI: What is the biggest challenge,

‘Everything I am is because of TVS Racing, I must say. If it weren’t for TVS, I wouldn’t be here today’

according to you, that a person faces when they enter motocross?

AKP: Usually, the first challenge they face is the lack of proper off-road tracks to practise. Secondly, the safety gear. Today it is easily available in India, but there was a time when it wasn’t. But the biggest thing is that there is no support from most of the manufacturers other than TVS, who are one of the oldest with 33 years of racing experience. There has not been anyone else with this kind of consistency in racing in India. I think the other manufacturers should do at least 25 per cent of what TVS are doing to showcase Indian talent and even export this talent to international championships so that we can win at that level too. Another thing is that if riders start very young, we too have the potential to match the riders from other parts of the world. We also need media support and awareness because even my neighbour doesn’t know what exactly I do. He keeps asking me when I will be

racing Rossi! I have to tell him that I am not into that form of racing.

BI: Apart from Raid-de-Himalaya, have you been active in any other form of raid rally?

AKP: Yes, I have won the Dakshin Dare. I have been riding in Dakshin Dare for almost three years now and I won it last year. I have also done Desert Storm. Apart from these I haven’t really participated in any raid-rallies abroad, but this year I will be doing the rally of Morocco which is like a preparation for Dakar.

BI: What are the difficulties and challenges a rider faces when they attempt something like the Dakar?

AKP: The first challenge is that a rider is exposed to the elements like weather, elevation changes, extreme temperatures, and desert crossings, etc. So, basically, everything at Dakar is a big challenge for most newcomers. And

all of this combined with the fact that you are riding alone makes it a painful experience because there is hardly anyone around you. These are the basic challenges that a rider has to face while competing at Dakar.

BI: What will be your focus for Dakar next year? Will you focus on learning or will you aim straight for a win or a place among the top 10?

AKP: Right now, my focus is on getting my bike to the finish-line first and I will do my best; I’ll leave the result to Dakar. I am not expecting much apart from finishing the rally in good form and I have been working hard and will continue to do so. I am sure that when I finish, I will be in a good position.

(Bike India wishes Aravind and TVS Racing the best for the Morocco Rally and hopes that they do India proud at Dakar next year.)