Sherco TVS Ropes In First Indian Woman Rider For Baja World Rally

Sherco TVS Rally Factory Team has roped in Aishwarya Pissay to participate in the upcoming Baja Aragon rally, which will be held between 20-22 July in Teruel, Spain. She will be a part of the four-member squad that consists of two French brothers - Adrien and Michael Metge, and Spaniard Lorenzo Santolino. Pissay will be leaving for Spain later this week to train with the team and get to grips with the RTR 450 rally motorcycle.

The Baja Aragon is not only one the toughest rallies in the world but also the longest-running cross-country event held in Europe. The upcoming rally will see riders cover a total of 827km. The 35th edition of the rally will pass through sections of Jiloca, Sierra de Albarracín, Cuencas Mineras and the Community of Teruel. This is the sixth time the rally is being hosted by the town of Teruel.

“This will be my first international Rally and I am overwhelmed as well as grateful to TVS Racing for giving me this opportunity. The Baja Aragon is a good training ground for any racer who has their sights set on the Dakar, as it tests their mettle among the international talent. I am excited to race alongside experienced International Champions from the Sherco TVS Rally Factory Team. The prospect of finally experiencing the RTR 450 is daunting but I look forward to packing time on the motorcycle and perfecting my technique,” said Aishwarya.

The Bengaluru-based 22-year-old has participated in many gruelling rallies in the past, some of which include the Raid De Himalaya 2017, Dakshin Dare 2017, Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) 2017 and TVS Apache Ladies One Make Championship 2017.

Commenting on the team’s participation, B Selvaraj, team manager, TVS Racing, said, “We are thrilled to be a part of the 35th edition of Baja Aragon and Aishwarya’s participation makes it special, as she will be the first Indian woman to participate in a Baja World Rally. What makes this even more exciting is that this is a new team that we are fielding for the rally and it will be interesting to see how the dynamics play out. Our technical team is also working around the clock on the performance of the bikes and I wish the team the very best for the rally.”

Adrien Metge has been associated with Sherco TVS Rally Factory team since 2016. He has participated in the Dakar Rally for two consecutive years, where he finished 11th and 22nd in 2016 and 2017, respectively. Michael Metge, on the other hand, has proved his mettle in the Dakar Rally six consecutive times after teaming up with the Sherco TVS Rally Factory Team.

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Spanish racer Lorenzo Santolino comes with vast international racing experience. He has taken part in OiLibya Morocco Rally and Desert Storm, apart from being a position holder in World E1 Championship 2015 and a seven-time Spanish Champion in Enduro and XC categories.