Riding a motorcycle for countless hours and days to a destination that doesn’t have a fixed route scares a lot of riders. That’s the Dakar Rally – the world’s most dangerous race for you. The rally is known for its 9000km hard-hitting route, a lot of tough special stages and the ability to break the vehicles as well as their riders and drivers. The 2017 Dakar Rally is a special one for us because there are two Indian teams and two riders associated with it. Here, we will talk about the top five riders who we should watch for at the 2017 Dakar Rally.
1: Toby Price
Toby Rice shocked the fraternity with his podium finish in his debut Dakar appearance in 2015. He finished third and in 2016 he shocked the world again with winning the motorcycle title. So it won’t be a surprise if this young Australian leads the standings again this year. His choice of machine is the KTM 450 Rally Replica and that’s the team he rides for. The Austrian manufacturer is betting big on this Australian. Honda, Husqvarna and Yamaha are keeping a close watch on this rider as well.
2: Stefan Svitko
Stefan Svitko is the first Slovakian to finish the Dakar Rally in 2010. Since then, he has finished the rally with consistently good results. He finished second behind Toby Price on his KTM 450 Rally Replica in 2016. He rides for the Slovnaft Rally Team which is a private team. The expectations from his team and his country is high this year as well.
3: Pablo Quintanilla
Pablo Quintanilla rides the Husqvarna FR 450 Rally for the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory racing team. The 30-year-old Chilean rider finished on the podium at the 2016 Dakar Rally. He has been a part of this extreme rally for the last three years but it was only in 2016 when he secured the third position. In October 2016, he was crowned the FIM World Champion and since then his countrymen are hoping he’ll take away the crown from Toby Price.
4: CS Santosh
CS Santosh is the first Indian to take part in Dakar Rally and is the country’s finest off-road racer. He ended his 2016 sprint in 36th position on a Suzuki 450 RMZ. However, in 2017 he will be riding for the Hero Motosports team on the Speedbrain 450 Rally motorcycle. Thanks to him, rallying and off-road racing is finding more takers in India. It has also led to manufacturers showing interest in this motorsport.
5: Aravind KP
Aravind KP is known for his 13 national titles in motocross and rallying. His performance in the national races earned him a spot in TVS Sherco’s Dakar Team. His machine is the Sherco RTR 450 and has spent many hours on the bike in France and Morocco before heading to Dakar. The 2017 edition is his first appearance in this gruelling event and he hopes to finish the race in good position.
