JOIN USTop show by TVS riders
After successfully completing the Merzouga Rally in Morocco recently, Abdul Waheed Tanveer added another feather to his cap with a win in Group A (upto 450cc) at the Raid de Himalaya.
The TVS rider had a near perfect strategy en route to his victory, while team-mate R Nataraj came in second.
It has been a hugely successful year for TVS Racing so far with victories in the Dakshin Dare, Desert Storm and it just got sweeter with their riders putting on a brilliant show at the Raid de Himalaya.
The Hosur-based team came close to sweeping the top three spots in Group B (upto 250cc), with Shivamogga’s Rajendra RE clinching the title ahead of Imran Pasha. However, the rising star on the women’s circuit, Aishwarya Pissay, the only woman rider on the team, narrowly missed out on third spot.
Aishwarya, though, did have her time in the sun, triumphing in the Ladies Class.
Tanveer, from Mysuru, explained that the physical demands of the Raid were tough to handle considering the fluctuating weather, but that he was well prepared.
“These are extreme conditions that we race in but prepare really hard, physically and mentally, before the event.
“I took it easy to begin with but then upped my pace slowly. Stage three was probably the hardest considering the altitude and sub-zero temperatures but it was a challenge I enjoyed thoroughly and built a five-minute lead, that I didn’t relinquish,” divulged Tanveer at a press interaction on Tuesday.
For 22-year-old Aishwarya, it was her second Raid after not getting past the first stage in last year’s edition when an early crash put her out of the reckoning.
This time around, the Bengaluru rider raised her fitness levels and it showed in her admirable performance.
“Over the last year, I worked on my fitness and, if it wasn’t for a crash in the final stage, I could’ve closed in on third and given it a go.”
DH News Service