While all eyes were fixed on Marc Coma as he emerged victorious at the 2015 Dakar Rally, a 31-year old Bangalorean rode past the chequered flag, creating history and marking an important milestone for the motorsports scene in India. Nursing a fractured toe and bruised shoulders, Chunchunguppe Shivashankar Santosh or CS Santosh, as he popularly known, became the first Indian to participate and successfully complete the notorious Dakar Rally.
Having ranked 51st in the final stage, CS Santosh finished 36th in the overall rankings of the 2015 Dakar Rally. Riding a KTM 450 Rally Replica for Team Kini Red Bull, Santosh completed the shortened 101-kilometre long final stage of the Dakar Rally just 33 minutes behind the race leader.
Widely regarded as the world’s toughest cross-country endurance rally, the Dakar rally is a 9,295-kilometre long event, which is conducted over the harshest of terrains across three countries - Argentina, Chile and Bolivia. Over the years, the Dakar Rally has proven to be the ultimate test for endurance riders, and the fact that just 79 of the 168 riders who started the rally crossed the chequered flag is a proof of its arduousness.
Santosh’s journey in the 13-day long event was no cake walk as he had to endure the inhospitable conditions while tending to a hairline fracture in the big toe of his left foot, bruised shoulders as well as an injured nose; all a result of crashes along the stages. Speaking about his campaign at the Dakar Rally, Santosh said, "I've shown that it's possible, an Indian can do it too. I hope there will be more of us in the future." Well, we sure hope it does.
