Sherco-TVS pick Karnataka rider Aravind for Dakar Rally

With the good news of a recovery from an injury sustained in the PanAfrica Rally, Mangaluru rider KP Aravind has once again been named as one of the four riders and the only Indian for the 2019 Dakar Rally.

The gruelling rally will be run only in Peru from January 6 to 17, 2019. In previous editions, the Rally would cover Bolivia and Argentina, apart from Peru.

This will be Aravind’s third Dakar event and he will ride the Dakar-spec RTR 450 Rally motorcycle. The other three riders in the team are the French Metge brothers, Adrien and Michael, and Enduro champion Lorenzo Santolino (Spain).

After recovering from the injury in the PanAfrica Rally in Morocco, Aravind has been training in Spain for a few weeks now. “Dakar is the ultimate challenge for any rallyist and I am glad to be a part of it for the third consecutive time,” he said.

“The past 10 months have been a journey of ups and downs but I have focused on my fitness and recovery to ensure that I am ready for Dakar. The next month or so will be crucial to my preparation as I will be training in Morocco with my teammates."

“Conquering Dakar 2019 is my single-focused goal for now and I am determined to finish the Rally more than ever,” he added.

The Rally will begin in Lima and cruise through the terrains of Pisco, San Juan de Marcona, Arequipa and Moquegua.