Pilots ride off the ceremonial podium in Jeddah
HSB / Jeddah
Hero MotoSports Team Rally, the rally racing team of Hero MotoCorp – the world’s largest two-wheeler manufacturer, began its campaign at the 42nd edition of the most gruelling race on the planet – the Dakar Rally – in Jeddah today.
This year again Hero MotoSports Team Rally will field a four-rider team including first-time in Hero colours, Paulo Goncalves , Joaquim Rodrigues S Santosh and the latest addition to the team, 25-year-old Sebastian Buhler .
The confident quartet rolled off the ceremonial podium today, in front of thousands of enthusiastic fans assembled in the beautiful setting of the Corniche area of Jeddah, facing the majestic Red Sea, to give a cheerful send off to the competitors.
The wealth of experience of Paulo, the youthful exuberance of Buhler, the focus of JRod and the intensity of C S Santosh, ably supported by an experienced assistance crew, the team composition strikes just the right balance for exciting prospects at the Dakar 2020 riding on the back of some strong performances, intense training sessions and a battle tested Hero 450 RR.
Having completed all the administrative and technical checks successfully, the Team is now raring to kick start their Dakar 2020 campaign with the first stage on 5th January. The first stage will take the rally from Jeddah to Al Wajh with a 319 km special stage and a total run of 752 kms including the liaisons.
C.S Santosh said “I am quite kicked about this all-new adventure that the Dakar 2020 is offering. It’s going to be tough and from the first impressions we have got, the navigation is going to play a key role here. I have worked hard on my navigation throughout last season and the trainings and my speed has also improved a few notches. I am feeling quite confident and well prepared for the new challenge. We have got a really good team bonding going on and Paulo has been sharing a lot experience with all of us so it has really helped. I could not finish the last Dakar so I am going to try and finish what I started last time.”
Paulo Goncalves remarked “I am really excited to be a part of this new chapter of the Dakar. I have had the privilege of racing in two continents with the Dakar, and now coming to the 3rd continent of Asia, I feel honoured and blessed to be able to do this. We have had really good preparations; the Team has bonded like a family and that’s a very good thing going for us. I am very happy with my Hero 450RR and quite confident about our prospects. In the end, the first job of any rider is to bring the bike home and that’s what I will be focusing on. It is a new challenge for everyone, so patience and keeping our heads cool is going to be the key here. Looking forward to my first Dakar with Hero MotoSports Team Rally!”
Joaquim Rodrigues was of the view that “It’s a completely new challenge and I am quite excited about it. My recovery has been good and I am back to my 100% so that’s a really good feeling to have. I had a good last season, got some good experience under my belt and the win at the PanAfrica Rally boosted my confidence. We have really come together as a team in the last season with Paulo coming on board. I am quite happy with our preparations and the bike is looking good too, so we are in a good place. I am going to do my best to get my Hero home every day.”