India's Harith Noah scores stunning stage win in TransAnatolia Rally

Mersin (Turkey): AceDakar rider, Harith Noah of Sherco TVS Factory Team, dished out a high-class performance to become the first rider representing India to win a stage overall on Monday in the gruelling 2500-kmTransAnatolia Rally that is being run across Turkey from Mersin to Van.

The Kerala rider, who won the B1 Class at the TransAnatolia Rally last September, before going on to win the Dakar 2024 in Rally 2, began the 2024 edition of this rally on a sombre note but bounced back to win Stage 2 after a challenging 177.36 km on Monday.

He topped the field of 65 riders taking part in the 14th edition being held from August 31 to September 7.

Noah started well in Stage 1 and was running second overall before he crashed and the bike went off a cliff and he lost three precious hours as his bike could not be retrieved. He managed to finish the stage.

However, his resilience stood out as he navigated the tricky terrain with aplomb, astride his Sherco 450 RTR, showcasing his high driving skills and led a star field to come out triumphant on Stage 2 ahead of his teammate Lorenzo Santolino. He clocked 3 hours, 02minutes and 19 seconds to complete the tough 177.36-km stage.

TransAnatolia has become one of the leading rally raid events and the Stages here offer high standards that help riders get into the rhythm for bigger events like Dakar as a preparation. A satellite tracking system is in service, for monitoring the racing process and for safety.