Santosh, Aravind in the fray as Dakar Rally starts Peruvian run
LIMA: Every off-roader dreams and dares to live for it but only a limited number qualify and a handful finishes it. The Dakar Rally again became the epicentre of the motorsport world on Sunday as the gruelling 5,000 km, 11-day rally raid was ceremonially flagged off by the Magdalena del Mar beach on the shores of the Pacific Ocean here.
From Monday, competitors took part in more than 3,000 km of Special Stages in their quest to complete the toughest and most prestigious motorsport rally in the world that will be held entirely in Peru this time.
When it comes to Indian motorsport, CS Santosh has earned a special place in the offroading scene, being the first Indian to compete and complete the Dakar.
The 35-year-old biker from Bengaluru has now taken part in four Dakars, completing three with last year’s 34th place his best.
“The Dakar is a complex rally that brings new challenges every year. You can never be fully prepared for all outcomes. For me, the challenge now lies in fulfilling my own potential and climbing up the ladder, in pursuit of speed,” says Santosh, who along with Spaniard Oriol Mena (Best Rookie of Dakar 2018) and Joaquim Rodrigues of Portugal form the Hero Motosports Team Rally using the Hero 450RR rally bike.
With more than 70 percent of the rally run in the dunes, Dakar 2019 will bring with it the sort of challenges unseen in previous years. Though participants will be spared the high altitudes and cold weather, navigation through the desert and not missing the corner points will be their real test.
KP Aravind, is the other Indian among the 149 participants in the two-wheeler category.
Having failed to finish the last two editions due to injury and crash, Aravind wants to make this edition count and boost his CV.
“I am quite excited like everyone who is going to participate in Dakar. This time the circuit is more demanding as it is mostly dunes. The stages are longer so that will add to the challenge. So it will be tougher,” says the 33-year-old Aravind, who competes for Sherco TVS Rally Factory Team.