Harith Noah survives a fall to finish 34th in Stage 2: Dakar 2023

Al-Ula (Saudi Arabia), 2 Jan 2023: Sherco TVS Factory rider, Harith Noah, the only Indian at Dakar 2023, overcame a crash at the 40-km mark, and made a splendid recovery to finish the gruelling Stage 2 in 34th position for an Overall ranking of 32 in the Rally GP bikes category of the Dakar here on Monday.

“It was a tough day today. The digital Roadbook did not work from Km-5 and I had to manually scroll it. Today’s stages were all rocks, rocks, rocks and more rocks. It was not easy for me. I had two crashes and hurt my elbow pretty badly but fortunately nothing is broken,” said Harith Noah.

“I spent the afternoon taking care of myself so I could recover and be ready for another long day tomorrow with 447 km (of competitive distance),” the Red Bull India rider added.

The stage was won by Mason Klein of USA, the training partner of Noah followed by Sebastian Buhler of Hero MotoSports Team Rally. Hero, the Indian manufacturer had a good day with two of their riders in the top-5 as Ross Branch finished Stage 2 in fourth place.

After leaving the Sea Camp where the Dakar had been based for a long weekend, the riders, drivers and crews headed into the inner reaches of Saudi Arabia. Harith Noah, confronted with the morning coolness and took on the terrain when it was still damp. Though the Kerala rider likes the hard terrain, he had a crash at the 40-km mark. Today’s race in the mountains, required the competitors to tackle narrow tracks and climb up to an altitude of 1,300 metres through a pass at the midway point of the stage. After the fall, Noah struggled with the terrain which was typical enduro. He slipped to 47th position at that point but later made up places at every Way Point and finished the 588-km stage in 34th place. Following his P24 in Stage 1, he now has an Overall ranking of 32. “The restorative night will be very important for him knowing that tomorrow will also be a big day,” said a Sherco team member.

The program for today went from Sea Camp to Al-Ula, it included 430 km of special. Like yesterday, the terrain was technical and tricky, with rocky sections, canyon crossings and a section in the dunes. Yesterday, in the reverse order, Noah started in the front, being the third to open the route.

Noah’s Sherco teammate Lorenzo P7

Lorenzo Santolino had a good stage, making no mistakes, he finished 7th, 3.10 minutes from the leader. The bike performed well in some difficult terrain that tested riders and machines, it included technical sections and complicated navigation. Lorenzo rode a very smart race.

“It was a very long stage with a lot of slow rocky sections and some very rough tracks where it was difficult to maintain a high pace, but I felt comfortable. In these conditions my Sherco and I complement each other very well; this allows me to race without taking too many risks because tomorrow the course is 668 km long”.

Rui Gonçalves 35th

Rui Gonçalves started 35th this morning, he rode a good part of the special in the dust but he still managed to finish 22nd just 16 minutes behind the leader, this is a very good result and is very encouraging for the future.

“Today was a bit long and very technical, a lot of canyons and a lot of rocks and I knew that starting back in the field would to be difficult because I was going to be riding in the dust. I tried to keep a constant pace and not to make any mistakes. I was able to gain a few positions which will allow me to start a little further ahead tomorrow. I will try to move up in a few places every day. I thank everyone for the support I am receiving from the team at the start of the race”.

Tomorrow, the riders will set off for a 668-kilometer stage including 447 kilometers of special which will take them from Alula to Ha’Il.

Ranking for the day:
Lorenzo Santolino: P7 (3.10 mins)
Rui Goncalves: P22
Harit Noah: P34.

Cumulative ranking:
Lorenzo Santolino: P13 (10.18 mins)
Rui Goncalves: P25
Harith Noah: P32.

Feature photo caption: Harith Noah in action during Stage 2 on Monday, Jan 2 at Dakar 2023. Photo: Florent Gooden, ASO/DPPI