Harith Noah leads Rally2 general ranking; logs overall P11: Dakar Stage 11
Yanbu (Saudi Arabia), 18 January 2024: The 30-year old from Kerala, Harith Noah continued his good run at the mighty Dakar 2024 and managed to escalate his position to the top of the table in the overall general rankings of the Rally2 class with a splendid Stage 11 parformance in one of the most-demanding stages near to the end of this edition of the Dakar on Thursday. The riders took over part of the 2023 route with the same very rocky course that was very complicated and prone to causing punctures.
The top rider from India was cautious. After the stage, Harith Noah said: “I knew it would be a tough day with very rocky and difficult trails. I felt pretty good at first but once we started entering the rocks, I had two small falls. I tried to concentrate on navigation and stayed on two wheels for the rest of the stage. The race is not finished yet, there is still one more stage left tomorrow.”
Today’s course represented the most demanding sporting challenge of the second week of the race and was likely to disrupt the rankings in all categories. Spanning more than 400 kilometers, the special took place mainly on hostile and challenging terrain. This is the last physical challenge to overcome.
Harith Noah continued his momentum with another victory in Rally 2 and a eleventh place overall. He thus gained time over his closest competitor R. Dumontier, he now leads the Rally 2 standings.
At kilometer 12, his teammate Rui Goncalves fell, resulting in a deep injury to his left arm. After seeking medical assistance from the organization, he was quickly transferred to Alula Hospital. An intervention surgery was essential to treat his wound, and he remains under observation tonight. No Noah is the only Sherco rider left in the field.
Harith Noah is the last rider still in the race for the Indo/French outfit. He is currently in 11th position in the general classification. Tomorrow marks the final stretch to hope for a TOP 10 finish!
Stage 11 ranking
Harith Noah: P11
Rui Gonçalves: DNF
Provisional general classification
Harith Noah: P11
Rui Gonçalves: DNF
Tomorrow, is the last day of the 2024 Dakar, the riders will set off for 328 km including 175 km of special and 153 km of connection with an arrival in Yanbu.
