India Baja 2017: Hero MotoSports’s Joaquim Rodrigues Wins On Debut

The 2017 season of India Baja, held in Rajasthan, witnessed major action, with Joaquim Rodrigues clinching victory for Hero MotoSports Team Rally in his first outing. Two Indian riders, Aravind K.P. and Abdul Wahid Tanveer, have brought laurels to the country by finishing second and third respectively. This performance means that both the Indian riders are eligible for the grueling 2018 Dakar Rally to be held between Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina.

The 2017 India Baja had challenging terrains, with the final leg spanning about 286 km, out of which 140 km made up the timed sections. The two special sections of the day ran for 88 and 52 km respectively, around the famous “Turkon ki Basti” in San region of Jaisalmer. The stage offers a fast yet difficult track to the riders with undulating terrain and thick bushes all along. Tanveer has become the third Indian contender to make it into the prestigious Dakar rally after CS Santosh and Aravind KP. The TVS rider qualified in spite of being third overall in Moto category because Rodrigues and Aravind have already competed in the Dakar Rally, which gives them an automatic qualification for the same. That said, we’re yet to confirm whether he’ll actually be a part of TVS’ 2018 Dakar entry. Tanveer is also eligible for direct qualification into the Merzouga Rally in Morocco next month.

Joaquim Rodrigues, riding for Hero MotoSports, had a consistent run in the last two stages and completed the Baja rally with a lead of almost 25 minutes, followed by Aravind KP of TVS Racing in second place. Aravind, who trailed Rodrigues by 18 minutes on day 1, made very strong efforts but the time difference proved to be too much for the Indian rider. Aravind’s team mate, Tanveer, maintained a good pace throughout the rally and finished in third place, almost 15 minutes behind Aravind, while R. Nataraj who was also part of TVS, finished fourth.

The 2017 Baja was Rodrigues’ maiden run and the victory also signifies the first win for his team, Hero MotoSports Team Rally, since its inception last year. Commenting on his win, Rodrigues said, “I’m very happy with this victory. I have to thank my team, Hero MotoSports Team Rally, for giving me the best bike and provide great support. I am happy for me and my team, and now look forward to Merzouga. It is always nice to win especially because I am new in this rally world. So it’s good to have my first win but I still have a lot to learn and we are on the right track,”

Speaking about the 2017 India Baja, CS Santosh opined, “I could not participate in this rally because of my injury from the Desert Storm rally as I needed at least three months to heal completely; I didn’t have time to ride the motorcycle. However, I’ve recovered now and looking forward to the Merzouga rally next month. It is a really good setting to have Baja India in Rajasthan. The inclusion of Dakar Rally qualification in this rally is a step in the right direction as it is a good platform for talented riders. I had to travel internationally to be able to qualify for Dakar but now things are much easier. This is a huge step for all of us in India and it also shows how important India is, on the world stage. Speaking about the bike, the set-up was same as the one for rallies abroad. For the first edition, the stages are good but I would like to see longer lengths in some of the stages and I feel subsequently every year, it’s going to get more challenging.” 

Results (Moto):

1. Joaquim Rodrigues 04:45:22s

2. Aravind K.P. 05:10:46s

3. Abdul Tanveer 05:25:44s

Also read: India Baja 2017 - Gaurav And Karan Win Xtreme Category