Harith Nova Makes History: First Indian to Win Dakar Rally

# Balail Uwm

31 January 2024, 06:49 PM IST Photo | www.instagram.com/harithnoah8

Palakkad: Malayalee player Harit Nova made history in the Dakar Rally, which is an extremely tough off-road racing competition. Harit Nova won first place in the Bike Rally 2 category in the Saudi Arabian desert. This is the first time that an Indian has won the Dakar Rally. Harry also finished 11th in the overall bike race category (GP Rally + Class 2 Rally). It is also the best Indian sport.

TVS Sherco rider Harith has taken part in the Dakar Rally before but this is the first time he has won the championship. Harith’s victory came after two weeks of intense competition through the desert. Harith became champion by finishing four minutes ahead of Romain Dumontier, who took second place in the Rally Two category. He missed out on a top ten finish by just six minutes in the overall category.

This is Nova’s fifth Dakar Rally. It is a 12 stage competition. Harith continued on his journey despite his physical handicaps during the first week. Then, by the end of the second week, Harith had come a long way and reached the top. Harith’s best performance was 20th place in the previous Dakar rallies. It was also the best ranking ever by an Indian. Harith Nova’s progress is to correct his own record.

Meanwhile, the Hero Motor Sports team from India also proudly finished second in the bike rally category. Rider Rose Branch competed for Hero Motor Sports. This made Hero the first Indian manufacturer to finish on the podium in the Dakar Rally.

Class and overalls

The Dakar Rally Racing position will be determined by considering the Rally GP and Rally Class 2 categories. GP Raleigh However, this category only includes those who have demonstrated proficiency in this area. FIM based on competence in the field. Permission must be obtained from the Championship Committee to compete. Harry was ranked 11th in this category. Meanwhile, Harith won the Class Two, Rally GP category. Those who are not registered on the rider list can also compete.

Her mother and father are German from Shonur

Harit Nova is a native of Shornur in Palakkad district. Susanna’s Mother is German. Harith’s father, Shornoor Kulapulli, met Mohammad Rafi in Kunnath Kalam when he came to study in Kerala Kalamandalam. Then they got married. Harith was born in Germany. He later returned to Shonur. He studied till 7th standard in Nadu and then in Kodaikanal. He started liking bike racing while studying in Kodaikanal. My father Rafi was the biggest encouragement.

He participated in the National Championship in 2011. TVS the next year He joined the group and won the National Group Championship. In 2014, the National SX One champion, three times national champion, national supercross champion in 2018 and 20th place in the Dakar Rally in 2021. The actor has participated in a number of international competitions. Harith Nova was injured during the 2023 Dakar Rally and was admitted to a hospital in Riyadh.

The Dakar rally is not so easy

Balikeramala can be said to be the Dakar Rally. Completing the game itself is a big challenge. It is a 15,000 km long race through the desert. Racing will be on rocky, grassy, ​​dune and hilly roads. A journey that requires extreme adventure and extreme thinking. The competition began in Paris in 1978 as the Paris Dakar Rally. The competition is being held in Saudi Arabia from 2020. There are seven categories of vehicles such as cars, bikes and trucks to be used for the competition.

Many will stop at the first stage due to accident or otherwise. It is an extremely difficult journey of around 15,000 km. Just to be able to finish the race is something to be proud of. One has to travel around 600-700 km in a day through rough roads.

More than a year of preparation

This is a competitive category that requires a lot of preparation. It takes more than a year of hard work. In addition to cycling exercise, physical exercise is also necessary. Breathing habits and exercise are necessary. Competitors are only allowed a certain amount of water during the journey. So efforts should be made to avoid dehydration.

Only Harith from India has successfully completed the Dakar Rally. Many others have tried but none of them have been able to complete it. Harith finished in 2021 and won the championship this year. Apart from Harry, 11 other people had completed racing in class two.

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