When it comes to tough
off-road rallies like the Dakar Rally, once is not enough. Indian off-road
racing phenomenon CS Santosh will be participating in the 2016 edition of the
Dakar Rally to be held in Argentina-Bolivia . He had participated in the rally
last year and had completed the gruelling race.
The 2016 Dakar Rally will be
held from January 3 to 16, 2016. After a commendable performance in the
previous edition of the rally-raid and making India proud, CS Santosh has
created a record of being the only Indian to participate and successfully
complete the daunting race. In 2016, Santosh will be hoping to raise the bar
and outperform not only his record but also the fierce competition in the most
difficult and dangerous rally.
Commenting on his previous
experience in 2015 Dakar and looking forward to the 2016 edition, CS Santosh
said, “I'm looking forward to adding a second Dakar under my belt and to be
competitive for a good position at the end of those 15 days racing. I am
thankful to Red Bull India and Ceat Tyres, for their support and encouragement
for making this adventure possible.”
Be it dirt tracks or rocky
terrains, slippery slopes or dunes in the dessert, Santosh is prepared more
than ever before and is determined to put India on the world map of off-road
rally racing through the formidable Dakar Rally. Winning numerous accolades
over the years, including Maruti Suzuki Desert Storm, Maruti Suzuki Raid de
Himalaya, Fox Hill Supercross, Asian Motocross Championship and many more, he
is undoubtedly the country’s most accomplished rally-raid rider. Santosh has
become an inspiration for the aspiring young racers in India, which he
considers as a bigger achievement, creating template for the still budding
sport in the country.
Like previous editions, 2016
Dakar continues to pose formidable challenges for the participants. The rally
will run over a total distance of over 9,000 km out of which over 4,500 km will
mark the 13 competitive stages that will be run against the clock. Making
things even tougher for riders like CS Santosh, are the two marathon stages in
which no outside mechanical assistance will be allowed at the end of the day.
This means, after a long hard day of riding, the riders will have to service
and repair their bikes without any help. The 2016 Dakar starts from Buenos
Aires and finishes in Rosario -- the hometown of iconic Argentinean footballer,
Lionel Messi.
The 2016 Dakar will spend two
nights above 3,200 metres (approx 11,000 feet). On the 5th competitive section,
riders will have to deal with several high passes on their way to Bolivia,
including a crossing at 4,600 metres (over 15,000 feet), which will be the
highest point of the Dakar story in South America so far. With Peru not on the
agenda for the 2016 Dakar, the organisers of the rally-raid have introduced
several new sections that will pose severe navigational challenges for the
riders, who are first out on the tracks ahead of the quads, cars and trucks.
A total of 152 moto riders
will come under the starter’s orders on the departure ramp at Buenos Aires. CS
Santosh has been allocated competition number 56 for this 2016 Dakar, which is
the same as last year. The Indian ace will be blazing new trails in the
toughest race on the planet astride a Suzuki 450 Rally, which has been
specially prepared to survive the rough challenges of the 2016 Dakar.
Source: Suzuki
Motorcycle