Aravind KP Recovers on the Sidelines as 2020 Dakar Rally Approaches

-       Made his Dakar Rally debut in 2017 and recorded a 37^th overall finish in 2019.

-       Currently recovering from two fractures in his right ankle.

-       Has been out of action for almost a year now.

-       At 33-years-old, still has a lot of riding left in him.

For some people the fear of missing out means being out of sync with the latest that pop culture has to offer. For someone like TVS Racing’s Aravind KP, the fear is a reality as he will not be competing in the first Dakar Rally of the new decade next year.

Two fractures in his right ankle that have kept him off a bike for almost a year means India’s second ever finisher at the Dakar Rally will now have to watch as his compatriots CS Santosh (Hero MotoSports Team Rally) and Harith Noah (TVS Racing) along with his other teammates get to play in the ‘sandbox’ of Saudi Arabia.

But Aravind takes heart in the fact that recovery is plausible, if not inevitable. “The shelf life of a modern-day rider has increased,” said 33-year-old Aravind to Zigwheels. “Sports science and medicine has advanced so much that riders are competing at a much higher level than before and for longer.

“Plus, the training techniques of the big factory teams means that there are up to 15 riders who can contend for the top three. It’s all about putting up with suffering. The rider who can suffer the most and still be the fastest gets to the top.”

Mental Prep

Physical training aside, Aravind has worked a lot on mental and cognitive training in order to both be a better rider and put up with situations like these.

Not to mention such all-round training has led to changes in his riding style. “I used to be very aggressive on the bike at first, a bit like Harith (Noah) is now,” said Aravind. “But over time I came to focus more on maintaining momentum rather than using just sheer force.

“That’s the reason why confidence on a fast rally bike takes time to develop and only after that are you able to sync navigation with riding.

“Fortunately, I have teammates who are not just good riders, but great human beings and they help to teach me what things I should focus on more than others.”

Aravind certainly has come a long way in his riding prowess, and that showed when he recorded a 37^th place overall finish in this year’s Dakar Rally. It was a great way to rebound from the disappointment of the 2018 edition when he was holding steady inside the top 30 before crashing out of the rally.

“Sometimes I feel I don’t want to race again,” said Aravind. “I mean if you think about it, I am lucky enough to have even taken part in one Dakar Rally.

“But when I start to get active again, the momentum just comes right back and knowing that I can do better drives me to stay at it.

“I can’t get disheartened at crashing out and getting injured, this is the nature of the sport. Every rider will fall multiple times over the course of a Dakar Rally and maybe get injured badly, it happens.”

Something tells me that it won’t be long before we see Aravind back to doing what he does best.