Trailblazers in Morocco: KP Aravind, CS Santosh in OiLibya Rally

KP Aravind, riding for Sherco-TVS rally team, was making his FIM Cross Country Rally World Championship debut at the OiLibya Rally Morocco . The former Raid de Himalaya champion consistently finished within the top-30 in all the five legs of the October 3-5 rally, completing it in 26th position on Friday. Aravind now has his eyes set on the Dakar Rally next year, and plans to make a memorable debut at the famed event in South America. (Sherco-TVS rally)

Published on: Oct 08, 2016 3:28 PM IST

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Published on Oct 08, 2016 3:28 PM

KP Aravind, riding for Sherco-TVS rally team, was making his FIM Cross Country Rally World Championship debut at the OiLibya Rally Morocco . The former Raid de Himalaya champion consistently finished within the top-30 in all the five legs of the October 3-5 rally, completing it in 26th position on Friday. Aravind now has his eyes set on the Dakar Rally next year, and plans to make a memorable debut at the famed event in South America. (Sherco-TVS rally)

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Hero MotoSports team rider CS Santosh, who has ridden in the famed Dakar Rally twice, had a blistering run in the last two days ― finishing 29th and 24th in legs 4 and 5, after starting from the back of the pack (65th) due to a time penalty he incurred after his bike stalled due to an electrical problem in the latter stages of leg 3. He was classified 60th in the final standings. (Hero MotoSports)

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The 31-year-old Santosh, who is based out of Bengaluru, was in the top-25 after the first two legs of the rally. He looked set for a top-20 finish before misfortune struck him on the third day. Making up 40-odd places in a field of world-class riders is impossible after starting from the back of the grid (65th). But that didn’t stop Santosh from trying. (Hero motosports)

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Aravind (left) was quick to thank his senior Sherco-TVS teammates as well as engineers after the rally. “They ensured my motorcycle didn’t face any major issues,” he added. “This rally was a fantastic learning ground and now Dakar is next.” (Sherco-TVS)

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Despite the disappointment , Santosh was glad he could get back and complete the rally with some good performances in the final two legs. “Overall it´s been as tough as expected, but there has been a lot of positive learning,” he said. “ It´s good to have problems now instead of having them in January (in Dakar).” (hero motosports)

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Aravind, who has always been a fast rider, seems to have picked up the fine art of pacing, which is an important quality for cross country rallies. Dakar is a much tougher proposition but the experience and confidence he has gained in Morocco will come in handy there. (Sherco-TVS Rally)