‘Finishing Dakar has been my long-standing dream’

K. P. Aravind, Sherco TVS Factory Rally Team, is gearing up in earnest for the 2019 Dakar Rally.

K. P. Aravind: ‘I set my sights on the finish line at Dakar 2019.’

It is that time of the year again, for the ultimate test of man and machine — the Dakar Rally — to commence.

Touted as the biggest event of the International Rally Raid calendar, finishing Dakar has been my long-standing dream. But it has eluded me so far. I am gearing up for the challenge, once again, as part of the Sherco TVS Factory Rally Team.

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The team has showcased tremendous performance in the 2018 international racing calendar this year with crucial wins to our credit. With a little over a month to go for Dakar 2019, there is anticipation and excitement lingering in the air.

Learning experience

Dakar 2018 was a great learning experience for me; it was cut short, unfortunately, by an injury. Over the past year, I have been augmenting my recovery with physical and motorcycle training in India and France.

K.P. Aravind is determined to complete the rally this time around.

 

The PanAfrica Rally 2018 was an exciting platform to make a comeback, but I could not finish the Rally due to unfortunate circumstances. This was a reality check of my readiness for the Rally, and helped double my determination. With the support of the team and my mentors at TVS Racing , I have been able to enhance my fitness levels and focus on my training while being monitored regularly to ensure speedy recovery.

Single-minded focus

With a single-minded focus, I set my sights on the finish line at Dakar 2019.

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This year, I intend to challenge my inhibitions to race towards the finish line. The support and faith of my team has been a motivating factor. Over the past two months, I have focused on developing mental strength and channelling all my learning of over 13 years into giving the best for Dakar. I am training hard to build physical endurance and packing more time on my Dakar machine. My fitness regime is a mix of gym, swimming, running and cycling.

Ultimate test

Dakar 2019 will be different than the previous Rallies, as it will be held in a single country — Peru.

It will run a course of 5,000 km across 10 stages, 70 percent of which will be sand dunes, increasing the dependence on the road book manifold. This is a challenge the team has been looking forward to and preparing hard for all through the year.

It will be my ultimate test and I am determined to make it memorable.