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Confident Santosh set to take the Dakar by storm

CS Santosh heads into the Dakar on the back of a stupendous year. As the Bengaluru lad termed it, the year has been “one of the best years so far.”

By Chitrangada

Bengaluru rider CS Santosh is set for his fourth appearance at the Dakar Rally.
Bengaluru rider CS Santosh is set for his fourth appearance at the Dakar Rally.

Bengaluru, December 20: Off-roading motorsports is still a niche in the country, but CS Santosh has fought against all odds, making a mark in the sport and breaking several barriers en route. The first Indian to feature in the Dakar Rally, known as the toughest one, Santosh is set to take the dunes by storm once again as he gears up for his fourth appearance in the Dakar in January. In the previous edition, Santosh finished the race for the second time. Riding with Hero for the first time, the Bengaluru rider secured a 47th place finish.

Heading into the 40th edition of the Dakar, Santosh, who has not lost his humour and desire to enjoy the race, opened up about his preparations for the upcoming Dakar, his year and more.

The 34-year-old heads into the Dakar on the back of a stupendous year. As the Bengaluru lad termed it, the year has been “one of the best years so far.”

Known as the mother of all rallies, the Dakar rally is set to be held from January 6 to January 20th and will cover a distance of 9000kms. The rally will kick off in Lima, Peru, then run through Argentina and Bolivia, before finishing in Cordoba, Argentina, completing 13 stages en route. The Dakar will be held in South America for the tenth successive year and the Indian rider is going through rigorous training before he leaves for the event on December 30th.

On his fourth appearance in the Dakar:

This is the first Dakar that I’m actually excited about it. All the other Dakar’s I was either not prepared, or wary heading into the rally. But this is the first time I’m actually prepared and I’m looking forward to.

Preparation for this year:

This year the focus is on overall development. Earlier I didn’t pay much attention to the road books but now I am reading them well. I have paid attention to my physical aspect as well this year. Basically I have taken everything into account, focussing on not just one, but the overall development for Dakar this year.

Like I did a session today and I was really pissed off. They put me on a bicycle and I had to achieve a heart rate which was 170 and that is really tough. But they push you to your limits and make you do things your not comfortable during training. There are images and road book instructions which I remember and then I have to tell them. Their job is to take me out of my comfort zone and give me challenges which I don’t like. I’m a rebel and for me to conform and listen to people is tough.

On the year 2017:

2017 has been really good. When I think about it feels like its a long year, but its already over. I started by finishing my first Dakar with Hero. which was great because they came in for the first time and it was good to have both riders finish at the Dakar. Then I came into the Desert Storm where I got hurt. But it wasn’t too serious. After I got hurt I was racing in a powerboat within two weeks. I had a surgery done but I was in a boat in just two weeks! I had a very strong team. Then I went to Merzouga, where I finished 17th and that was my best finish till then. Then I went to Morocco and finished 13th. It’s been the best year I’ve had so far.

Does Dakar get easier every year?

No. I don’t think about so. I don’t think about the Dakar. Now I’ve forgotten about it. But as soon as you’re about to begin and you’re there on the first day you realise its not going to be easy. The first day reminds you how tough its going to be.

You need to be smart, you need to assess risks, I’ve been careful over the years and I’ve been consistent. But this year I’ve tried to push that and come out of my shell and push the speed which I know I have.

Biggest challenge for you at the Dakar:

For all of us I think its the number of kilometres we need to put in. Its 9000 kms and varying terrain and conditions. Everybody has something that they like and something they don’t. There are places where you have to struggle and get through it. In a race like the Dakar, everybody makes mistake and you have to minimise those mistakes.

On the new bike this year, the Hero RR450:

The first time I rode my bike with the Hero it was the old version. It was difficult to ride. The new bike is easier to ride. During the Dakar its like you have a relationship with your bike and if your struggling with it then its tough. The first time we had a lot of difficulty. We were discussing the issues and the guys promised us a new bike! The new bike is easier and we enjoy the race. We’ve changed a lot of things. The last bike was a very reliable machine, one we could finish the race for sure, but we needed to make it easier.

This year its a huge step in evolution and its much much better. Its a fantastic motorcycle. Before you could feel the weight of the bike, with only one fuel tank, but now we have three fuel tanks and the weight is more centralised and you don’t feel the weight so much. The surface is never even so its much easier on this bike. On this bike I’ve done two rallies and its being doing really well.

On being mentally prepared for the rally:

The Dakar is an endurance event. We have road books for whatever kms we do and there are notes and we need to pay attention to the notes and understand what is important and what is not. While you’re riding it takes a lot of energy to follow the notes and not make mistakes. Most often people make mistakes and get lost in Dakar and there are crashes or chances of crashes and its mentally draining.

Its very important to have good mental conditioning and be self aware, be aware of what’s happening. Most of the time when you’re tired you switch to autopilot. You just go through the motion without thinking. But now I make sure I’m more self aware, how the bodies doing, how the mind is processing. Depending on that I either push or I back off.

Which stage is technically more challenging?

I have no clue. For sure its going to be tough most of the days. I don’t like to look at the stages and think about it because then I’ll lose sleep right now. I don’t want to start thinking about the Dakar right now, because then I’ll start thinking about the stages and how I’ll be riding. You can’t predict the outcome so no point thinking from now. I just go in there and face whatever challenge is there. Whatever challenge is there I know I can handle it.

On your target this year at Dakar:

In the two rallies I wanted to be in the top 20, and being the top 15 in the world is a huge step. And being the first guy to go to the Dakar, and being one who performs in the Dakar, is different things, it often doesn’t happen in the same generation. But for me its a huge task. But I think I have achieved some amount of success. I’m not going to sit here and say I’m going to win the Dakar. It’s not going to happen. But I can achieve a result which I can take home and say I’ve earned something. That’s what I want to do.

First I want to finish top 20. My real goal in the Dakar is first to finish and second is to come on television! You know like they show you the highlights of the guys who are riding and one of those should be like this is the fast Indian, and to achieve that I have to be in the top 20 in one of the days. If I can do that that’s going to be really cool.

On the venue this year:

When you go to Argentina it’s the best. It’s like everyone’s on holiday, they have barbecues, they are in a festive mood, and when you’re struggling it feels good to see this, its a big distraction, in a good way. It takes your mind of the race because your suffering so much. I think Argentina really loves the Dakar and Peru also its going to be really crazy.

What I hustle for all year round! #heromotorsports #givesyouwings #sidvin #scottmotosports #mylife #traveldiaries #lifeon2wheels #instapic #dakar2018 #49 #fastindian

A post shared by CS Santosh (@cssantosh) on

First time in Peru:

Yes the dunes are always going to be difficult. Every year when we go to Morocco, Merzougar, we ride on the dunes. But its another matter in Peru. Apparently its the highest dunes in the world, and we have high altitude dunes also. So its going to be a different challenge, specially for the first six days.

On compatriot KP Aravind:

We are compatriots but first its you and you go there and you’re competitors. KP is very strong, he’s really fast on the dunes. I don’t know what his mentality is going to be. When I think about it India is like three decades behind Europe and the rest in this sport. Though now its improving. In KP’s case I think he will be concentrating on finishing the rally.

Story first published: Wednesday, December 20, 2017, 19:53 [IST]
Other articles published on Dec 20, 2017
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