By
Shevlin Sebastian
It
is 9 a.m. on a weekday in the town of Sauve in Southern France. Two
young men set out on cycles. Harith Noah and Michael Metge chat as
they ride on and on… more than 100 kms. They return, break for
lunch, take a nap and in the evening they go to the gym.
Both
men have been in strenuous training for the past several months. And
the reason is simple. They are going to take part in one of the most
demanding races on the planet: The Dakar Rally. The 13-day event
begins on January 5. The distance to be traversed is 7800 kms.
Despite the name ‘Dakar’ (which is in Senegal), the rally is
taking place in Saudi Arabia, albeit for the first time.
In
the bike category, more than 250 riders are expected to participate.
From India, there are two Indians: one is the Shoranur-native Noah
and the other is CS Santosh from Bengaluru. Noah is a member of TVS
Racing which is in partnership with French motorcycle manufacturer
Sherco. And the team is called Sherco TVS Rally Factory Team. Noah
will be riding the company-built RTR 450, which can attain speeds of
over 170 km per hour.
A
few days ago, Noah returned to Shoranur to spend Christmas with his
parents, Mohammed Rafi KV, a businessman, and Susanne, an artist and
farmer. Noah is a lean muscular man with not an ounce of fat anywhere
on his body.
Their
house is set in a sylvan setting of 12 acres, where there are
numerous trees as well as a few paddy fields. Two dogs run around
happily. A cat stretches his body on the verandah and enjoys a lazy
yawn. Noah looks relaxed but he does admit he is feeling nervous. “It
is one of the biggest races of my career,” he says. “My target is
to perform well and finish the race. I am keen to get the experience,
so that I can do well in future.”
It
was his father who unwittingly ignited the passion in him. On Noah’s
16th birthday, Rafi gifted him a motorbike. Within a week, Noah
learned to ride and took part in a local race and came last. That was
the only time he has come last. Today, in his house, there are more
than one hundred trophies. He has been a National Supercross Champion
several times in the SX1, SX2 and Class 2 categories.
Noah's
international rally debut was in the 2018 Rallye du Maroc in Morocco
which he completed even though he sustained an ACL (anterior cruciate
ligament tear) and meniscus injury during the second stage of the
race. He took everyone by surprise when he finished seventh in his
comeback race, the 2019 Baja Aragon. In between all this, he secured
a degree in sports science from Manchester Metropolitan University.
Meanwhile,
Rafi brings out the gear. There is a helmet, gloves, goggles,
earplugs, to cancel out the noise, a body armour jacket, knee braces
and riding boots. “It does not mean that when you fall, you cannot
get injured, but it protects you a bit,” says Noah. “The trick is
to try to roll when you hit the ground, but it is not a foolproof
method.” Thus far, the 26-year-old has undergone two collar bone as
well as knee surgeries. “This is part and parcel of racing,” he
says, with a smile. “But I am ready now, to do my best.”
(The
New Indian Express, Kerala editions)
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