The 44th FIA Dakar Rally will be held from January 2 to 14 in Saudi Arabia and it is very likely that Noah will be the only cross-country rider to represent India in the most-demanding off-road rallies of the world.
After training with Sherco star Michael Metge in France recently, Noah is fine-tuning his navigation skills in Spain and will be leaving for Jeddah in December last week.
Noah, who finished his maiden Dakar in the experience class in 2020, became the fourth rider from India to take part in Dakar.
He excelled with a stunning effort in 2021 to become the first top-20 rider representing India.
New post (TVS Racing’s Harith Noah preparing hard for his third Dakar challenge) has been published on INDIA in F1 – https://t.co/Vnhfvtg1mW pic.twitter.com/sa01h3CBZq
— Indian Motorsports Website (@indiainF1) November 30, 2021
“I’m in the best shape physically after over six months of training and riding at the beach in my hometown in Kerala post last Dakar. Since September, I’ve been here in Europe to focus more on roadbooks and navigation training. Two weeks ago, the team went to Morocco again as it is a good place to train with the long road books similar to the Dakar,” said the five-time national champion in Supercross, who recently competed in Rallye du Maroc as part of his preparations for Dakar 2022.
“The bike is brand new and I’ll be riding a nimble, lighter machine that is easier to ride and much more comfortable in technical sections. Navigation is another area I’m focusing on and the goal is to finish the rally,” added the Sports Science graduate.
The 44th FIA Dakar Rally proper will begin in Ha’il. Riyadh, the capital, will host the rest day, following which the field will head back towards Jeddah for the finale.
Dakar 2022 is also part of the FIA and FIM World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies.
In line with the FIA reforms, the Amaury Sport Organisation has been designated as the promoter, consisting of five legs in the 2022 season.
The prologue will begin at Jeddah on January 1 with a trek to Ha’il, located at the crossroads of the historical trade routes of Saudi Arabia.
A 19 kms mini-special will spice up the long transfer.
“Sand in all shapes and colours”, promised David Castera, the Race Director, as Saudi presents a different route with more sand than last year with over 8,000 kms and wind up in Jeddah. The competitive distance will be 4,300 km of specials.
TVS confirmed that Noah will be riding a RTR400 rally spec as a private entry.
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