Dakar 2022: Harith Noah continues impressive run

Bengaluru, January 4: TVS Rally Factory rider Harith Noah KV continued to impress in FIA Dakar Rally 2022, finishing a respectable 29th on the shortened Stage 3 at Al Qaisumah in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday (January 4).

As per a Media Release, Noah, representing India, improved his overall ranking to 31st in RallyGP class, the premier category in the Moto section of Dakar 2022, where 142 bikes took the start.

Joaquim Rodriques of Hero MotoSports Team Rally won the shortened Stage 3. It was the Portuguese rider's maiden Dakar stage win.

"It was a technically tough ride and I'm happy to have finished it. After the crash on the first day, it was pretty cool with navigation yesterday and I finished safe and sound. The marathon stage was cancelled today, and it was a good day for me. I did the shorter special section without any hiccups and I'm taking it day by day," said Noah, who clocked 12 hrs, 29 min and 46sec.

Starting on a loop around Al Qaysumah, the TVS talent initially took the 214kms link section to take the start of the 255kms special, but lost a few minutes after the first way point.

However, astride a Sherco 450 SEF rally, he made up many places with steady navigation in the next special sections, and consolidated his position before returning along a 166kms link route for a respectable finish.

The 28-year Sports Science graduate from Shoranur, Kerala, who made his debut in 2020, is competing in his third Dakar Rally. His best -- an overall 20th -- came in the last edition.

The 44th Dakar Rally which began with a Prologue on the New Year's day is slated to conclude on January 14 after 12 stages. The rest day is on January 8 at Riyadh.

Organised by Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO), it is the third year that the most-demanding off-road rally is being held in Saudi Arabia.

The special stages which started start in Ha'il and will end in Jeddah, is slated to go through canyons and cliffs in the Neom region, passing by the Red Sea coastline, into stretches of dunes surrounding Riyadh, with a lot more action on sand dunes in the Empty Quarter.

The total distance of the route is nearly 7,500 kms. Only an elite few, who were successful in another qualifier, join the world's best at premier break-or-make event in the cross-country rally world.

The risks for the most-demanding off-road races get bigger every year as the talent pool also gets deeper, with organisers ASO out to contain top speeds by keeping the roadbooks tight and tough, meaning navigation is crucial.

The highly competitive field will try their hardest to complete all stages from Jeddah to Ha'il and Riyadh then back again with a slew of fascinating stories set to play out across the respective vehicle categories.

It is presumed that in Dakar, every finisher is a winner and Noah, who became the fastest rider at Dakar, representing India, is looking for a safe finish.

With more than 1,000 competitors lining up across all categories in the Saudi Arabian deserts, the 2022 FIA Dakar Rally promises to be another epic rally-raid adventure over the sand dunes with a host of established global stars and talented young racers out to impress.