How Harith rallied to a historic Dakar finish

Harith’s 11th place finish is the best ever by an Indian, beating his 2021 record of 20th, the only other time he finished the rally in 5 attempts

There was a clear instruction from Harith Noah to his team – to not inform him about his position after every stage of the Dakar Rally. Having not finished the world’s longest, most dangerous yet celebrated rally in the last two years, the Indian rider’s only aim was to finish the 7,600km rally-raid this time around.

Having not finished the world’s longest, most dangerous yet celebrated rally in the last two years, the Indian rider’s only aim was to finish the 7,600km rally-raid this time around. (TVS Racing)

“Overall, I had no idea where I was or that I was in the fight for first spot. Whenever I go to Dakar my objective is just to finish,” Harith said from his home in Shoranur, Kerala.

The Dakar is the Everest for all rallyists, a summit they want to conquer putting their lives at risk, a race they want to win not against competitors but against their own bodies and machines. Finishing the two-week long race after driving and riding over sand, mud, camel grass and rock, ignoring dehydration, cramps, pain and exhaustion – it is the ultimate endurance test in the world of motorsports.

So, when the 29-year-old crossed the finish line in 11th Harith could not believe his ears. “I was like no way. It was crazy and unbelievable. I was out of words. A night before I thought to myself whether I should ask my position but I decided against it. If I knew I was ahead (of competitors) I would take it easy which is when you normally crash as you think you are ahead,” said the Sherco TVS Rally Factory rider.

Harith’s 11th place finish is the best ever by an Indian, beating his own record of 20th he achieved in 2021, the only other time he finished the rally in five attempts. The other Indians to have completed the Dakar are CS Santosh, who was the first one to compete and complete the rally, and KP Aravind. Harith also finished first in Rally 2 class. While Rally GP category is reserved for pro and factory riders, Rally 2 is for everyone else.

Riding a 450cc rally bike for 400km on sand and rock demands riders to stand crouched on the bikes for better part of fast stretches to get a better view of what's coming while zooming at over 70kmph. One lapse could be fatal –79 people have died in Dakar till date of which 33 were competitors. Serious injuries are also par for the course.

But unlike previous editions where the Kerala rider returned with broken bones or torn muscles, for the first time Harith came back home without physical injuries. But there were other issues. “I fell ill after the first day of the chrono stage,” said the Red Bull athlete.

For the first time, Dakar introduced a 48-hour chrono stage in addition to the two marathon stages in the first week. During the two-day stage, riders had to stop at 4pm on Day 1 at the nearest of the eight scattered bivouacs. There was no catering, no crew and no toilet. Harith, who halted at the fourth bivouac, was handed a tent, a sleeping bag, canned food and only six litres of water in the middle of the desert until he rode out again next morning at 7 am.

“I had fever, throat pain and cold as my clothes and gear were wet due to sweat and never dried in the cold of the desert night. I had to wear the same gear the next day to finish the stage,” said Harith, who despite the problems finished the chrono stage in 12th.

"Marathon stages are difficult but the chrono stage was even more physically as well as mentally. I had issues with fuel too. At one stage I barely made it to the next refuelling point. I rode conservative, trying to save fuel. That was very difficult mentally because you want to ideally open the throttle all the way especially when it is flat and straight but couldn't to save fuel. That was definitely a strange stage because I have never done anything like that before."

All the five Dakars that Harith has competed in have been in Saudi Arabia, after it shifted from South America. According to him, the one thing that is getting more and more difficult is the navigation. Unlike earlier editions, riders are given roadbooks – mounted on the handlebar of the bike – on the day of the stage. They have to constantly look at the roadbook for directions before setting their eyeballs on the horizon.

“Almost every day there was trouble with navigation. From my first year to now, navigation difficulty has increased drastically because of which the average speed of a stage gets reduced which makes it harder. If you go fast, you can make errors and get lost which is physically and mentally exhausting. Also, this year the stages were definitely more rocky,” said Harith, whose Indian father owns a bakery while his German mother is a painter.

Having endured a tough first week, Harith’s results kept improving in the second, especially in Stage 10 of 12 where he finished an incredible fifth – the highest finish by an Indian in a stage. Steady riding the next two days meant that Harith finished the gruelling rally in 54 hours, 24 minutes and 44 seconds on his 450 SEF Rally, just 02:54.36 slower than overall winner Ricky Brabec of the United States.

“I am proud of myself to have finished the Dakar. The result is great and unbelievable. It really hasn’t sunk in to be honest. It really helps my confidence, makes me believe that I can do it,” said the sports science graduate.

Asked where will he ride next, Harith quipped: “I am not even going to think of a motorbike for some time now. I am enjoying eating parotta and curries and heading to Goa for a much-needed break. I need the beaches.”