The only Indian rider at the 2022 Dakar Rally, Harith Noah, had to pull out on Stage 10 after his RTR 450 rally bike was struck down with mechanical issues. But this isn’t the end of his Dakar journey yet. Read on to find out why.
- Yamaha’s Van Beveren takes bikes lead
- Al-Attiyah continues to lead in cars category
Mechanical woes for Harith Noah
Harith Noah went into the 2022 Dakar Rally on the back of a record-setting 2021 edition that saw him become the only Indian rider to finish the event in the top 20. Riding for the Sherco factory team, he showcased good consistency this year in the face of several obstacles.
He’d been nursing a shoulder injury since crashing on Stage 4. To further add to that, he also found out that he’s been riding with fractured ribs since Stage 7, where a rock hit him in the chest. Stage 9 was particularly difficult as he lost his bike’s rear brake early on. While he finished 31st on road, the team elected to change his engine and take on a 15min penalty. This placed him 27th in the overall standings.
But the technical woes returned just 35km into Stage 10, and this time Noah had to pull out and was flown back to the bivouac. However, he can continue his journey under the Dakar Experience class, though he’ll be out of contention for overall victory as the resulting penalty drops him to 115th overall. But he will be able to fight for individual stage ranks in the remaining two stages.
Hero MotoSports remain in top 20
Stage 10 was one of the fastest stages in this year’s edition. It was a particularly emotional day for the Hero MotoSports squad as it marked two years since their star rider Paulo Goncalves tragically lost his life while competing at Dakar.
Joaquim Rodrigues admitted that he had a tough time staying focused. He was able to complete the stage in 14th place but dropped down to 31st after incurring a penalty for missing a waypoint. Aaron Mare enjoyed an error-free stage to finish 14th.
Both riders remain in the overall top 20, with Rodrigues holding on to 15th place and Mare gaining a position to move up to 16th.
Price, Peterhansel win Stage 10
KTM rider Toby Price took his first win this year. He’d earlier won Stage 5 on the road, but was penalised for speeding. His teammate and reigning Dakar champion Kevin Benavides had to retire due to a mechanical problem.
Yamaha’s Adrien van Beveren now takes the lead in the bikes category, as GasGas’ Sam Sunderland struggled and could only complete the stage in 17th place. Honda rider Pablo Quintanilla moves up to second overall, just over 5 minutes behind van Beveren.
In the cars category, Stephane Peterhansel handed Audi their third stage victory. The team scored a 1-2 finish, with Carlos Sainz securing the second fastest time. Sebastien Loeb finished two places ahead of Nasser Al-Attiyah to further slash the latter’s lead. But Al-Attiyah still holds a hefty 32 min 40sec advantage heading into the final two stages.
Also see:
Dakar 2022: Hero holds on to top 20 in Stage 9, Noah struggles