Harith Noah overcomes a nasty fall to finish P12
Grandola (Portugal), 3 April 2024: Ace Indian rider and Dakar 2024 Rally2 winner, Harith Noah of Kerala, managed a tough day and overcame a nasty fall to finish Day 1 in the BP Ultimate Rally Raid Portugal stage 1 successfully on Wednesday. Despite the fall and a technical issue, the Sherco TVS Rally Factory team rider finished overall 12th and 5th in Rally2 class.
“A technical problem in the prologue followed by a crash in stage 1, but I am healthy and ready for tomorrow. Although in terms of km it wasn’t much, it felt like a long day separated into the prologue, first part of stage 1 and second part. A lot of water puddle and very wet areas made it difficult. Learned a lot and feel a little more calm for tomorrow…,” said Noah after the 100km first stage.
Jatin Jain the other Indian also completed the tough Day 1 after he struggled with his bike and finished Overall 55 and P32 in Rally2 class.
After setting the fastest time in the morning Prologue, Tosha Schareina (Honda) claimed victory in the inaugural stage of the bp Ultimate Rally-Raid Portugal, just ahead of compatriot Lorenzo Santolino (Sherco). António Maio (Yamaha) will head into the second day as the leading Portuguese contender.
Tosha Schairena leads Day 1
Tosha Schairena, a rider for Honda’s official team led by Ruben Faria, made a triumphant return to competition and kicked off the bp Ultimate Rally-Raid Portugal in stellar fashion. The Valencia-based rider admitted, “The start was quite tough, with the sandy sections where I encountered quite a few difficulties. Then, the terrain hardened, and I pushed harder. Despite some minor errors, overall things went well, and the strategy of starting further back proved to be correct.”
Also familiar with the course characteristics, compatriot Lorenzo Santolino (Sherco) was one of the standouts of the day, finishing the stage in second position, just ahead of American Honda rider Skyler Howes.
António Maio (Yamaha) showcased an impressive performance, being the fourth fastest of the stage and the best among the Portuguese riders, with the GNR (National Republican Guard) soldier stating, “The course was a bit different from what I was expecting, but it was enjoyable. I didn’t make any navigation errors, and it was important to finish the first day with good sensations.”
Chilean Pablo Quintanilla (Honda) secured the fifth position, ahead of Sebastien Bühler (Hero). The Portuguese-German, residing in the village of RelÃquias, approximately 80 km from Grândola, expressed satisfaction at the end of the first 100 timed kilometers: “I enjoyed the course quite a lot, and the only issue I had was having to backtrack two or three times to ‘fetch’ the waypoints. But it was a good stage to start.”
Despite being the fastest in the stage, benefiting from experience on similar terrains around his hometown (Durban, South Africa), a penalty pushed Bradley Cox to seventh place. Nevertheless, the KTM rider emphasized, “I really enjoyed riding here. It’s tough but fun, even when we encountered a lot of mud.”
Portuguese rider Bruno Santos (Husqvarna) finished eighth overall and first in the Rally2 class, while Argentine Manuel Andújar set the fastest time among the Quads, with a 6m39s advantage over Lithuanian Antanas Kanopkinas.
A single selective sector contested south of Grândola, spanning 193.04 kilometers, is the challenge that teams face in tomorrow’s stage (Wednesday), the second of the bp Ultimate Rally-Raid Portugal. A course traversing the Alentejo cork oak forest, with some sandy sections.
