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The 2018 edition of the Dakar Rally will begin in Peru on January 6 and marks the beginning of the most anticipated off-road endurance event in the world. Organisers and competitors alike have prepared for the 40th edition of The Dakar in earnest and will be keen on giving their best once the rally is flagged off.
The Sherco TVS Factory Rally team has been the first Indian Manufacturer in the Dakar rally, participating since 2015. The team has undoubtedly been showcasing improved performance in the International Rallies of 2017.
Here are five things you need to know ahead of their adventure at the ultimate test of Man and Machine – The Dakar Rally:
#1 The Legend of the Dakar
Known to be the world's toughest off-road endurance event, the Dakar Rally originated thanks to Thierry Sabine, a French rider who got lost in the Tenere desert while participating in the Abidjan-Nice rally in 1977. He then decided the desert would be the perfect location for a Rally and founded the Dakar Rally in 1978.
Originally, the route went from Paris in France to Dakar in Senegal (Africa), hence the name, but since 2009, the Rally has been held in South America, with the competitors starting in Peru and finishing in Argentina through some extremely challenging terrain.
The Rally is frequented by both amateur and professional participants, but the event is a haven for amateurs as they make upto 80% of the competition. With dangerous terrain involved, the vehicles used for the rally are more often than not, genuine off-road vehicles rather than modified on-road vehicles.
#2 Sherco TVS and their history at Dakar
Established in 1987, TVS Racing has always been a trailblazer in the Indian racing context and is the leader in the two-wheeler industry. TVS Racing has been the backbone of the TVS Apache series, which adapts learnings from the race-track. The racing team is a pioneer in two-wheeler motorsports in the country, having a legacy of 35 years, and has been instrumental in the growth of the sport in India.
They made history by becoming the first Indian Factory Racing team to participate in the iconic Dakar Rally in 2015 when they partnered with Sherco Motorcycles. Never ones to rest on their laurels, they continued their quest for improvement and recorded a 13th place finish and a 22nd place finish through riders, Joan Pedrero and Adrien Metge respectively at the Dakar 2017.
2017 was a landmark year for Indian motorsport enthusiasts as TVS Racing rider Aravind KP became the first Indian to represent the TVS Sherco Factory Rally team at the Dakar Rally.
#3 Preparations for the 2018 Dakar
Sherco TVS Factory Rally team is all set for the 2018 edition of the Dakar Rally, having prepared thoroughly in the months leading up to the event. The team have imbibed learnings from the previous editions of the Dakar in order to better their previous performances.
The team for 2018 comprises riders such as Joan Pedrero from Spain, Adrian Metge from France and Aravind KP from India. This year, the Rally will see them riding across hostile terrain in Peru, Bolivia and Argentina. They have been focused on the event and have done well in build-up events. Pedrero and Metge finished first and second at the PanAfrica Rally while the former also finished fifth at the Oilibya rally in October.
Aravind impressed one and all at the Oilibya and Pan-Africa rallies as well, finishing 15th and 12th respectively and has worked to improve physically and mentally for the Rally, and having read the terrain road-books better, is better prepared to do better on last year's performance.
#4 Meet the Riders
Joan Pedrero leads the charge for the Sherco TVS Factory Rally team. Having finished fifth twice at previous Dakar editions, the Spaniard is intent on bettering his performance last year, when he finished 13th. Having won the Pan-Africa Rally and finished in the top five at both the Rally of Morocco and the Merzouga Rally, he is in perfect shape to capitalise on the momentum he has generated.
Having won a stage at the Dakar in 2014 with the Sherco TVS Factory Rally outfit, he will represent the team's ambitions at the 2018 Dakar. The team's performances in Africa were impressive and Pedrero is aiming for a top-10 finish in what would be his 10th appearance at the rally.
The other international rider is Adrien Metge, who finished 22nd at the 2017 Dakar Rally. Hailing from a family of Rally riders, Metge is really comfortable in rallies and is a versatile member of the Sherco TVS Factory Rally team. The Frenchman has been solid in the Rallies leading up to Dakar 2018 and has trained keeping in mind the weather and terrain in Peru, Bolivia and Argentina specifically to enable him to give his all.
Discussing the rally, he's worked on negotiating the sand dunes in Peru carefully while the altitude in Bolivia is his biggest concern. The terrain in Argentina is uneven and he expects negotiating the rocky areas to be gruelling.
India's Aravind KP, a 17-time National Championship winner, has been participating in rallies for TVS Racing since 2006. Originally from Mangalore, he has been preparing and training for the 2017 Dakar with experienced European riders in USA. Having dropped out of the 2017 rally in the third stage, Aravind's prime target for the 2018 edition, his second, is to finish.
#5 The bike - RTR 450
Jointly developed by TVS Racing and Sherco Motorcycles, the RTR 450 is a competitive and lightweight machine equipped with a powerful, reliable 450 cc engine. Talking specifically about the engine, the bike's 450 cc, 4 stroke DOHC, 4 valve technology has been designed specifically for the tough terrain of the Dakar rally.
The physically striker features of the bike include its shock absorbers and the wheel. The beefy shock absorbers have been designed to provide 21 mm travel room at the front, specifically aiding the rider in negotiating harsh terrain. The front wheel of the RTR 450 is a 1.60 x 21" Aluminium rim steel spoke tyre while the back wheel is 2.15 x 18".
The mechanical features include the Akrapovic Titanium exhaust system, one of the best in the world, aimed at giving the bike a performance edge on the circuit. The bike's cockpit is extremely competent and multi-functional, and provides all information pertaining to the route and weather conditions to the rider. Finally, the bike's LED headlamps help the rider ride in the night, without any hiccups.
In terms of their bike for the Dakar 2018, they have worked to improve the exhaust and suspension and added more power, making it easier for the riders to manoeuvre the bike in the rough and tumble terrains of South America.
