“Great to see more and more Indians interested in the Dakar”

In the Dakar’s 40 years of history, Santosh Chunchunguppe Shivashankar will be remembered as the first ever Indian competitor to take part in the event. It was back in 2015 and not only did the man known as “CS Santosh” start the rally, he also finished it in style at a fine 36th position. He also managed to raise enough awareness back home to seduce Hero, the biggest selling motorcycle brand in India. Chapter 1 of his ride with Hero went as planned. The Indian reached the finish again a year after the disappointment of having to quit early in 2016. And his progression continued last year despite a roller-coaster ride that eventually saw him finish in 34th spot. For his 5th Dakar, Santosh will be alongside his usual team mates Joaquim Rodrigues and Oriol Mena who gave Hero its first ever Top 10 on the Dakar (7th overall). The Indian who recently competed on the Desafio Inca to have even better knowledge of the Peruvian dunes will be happy to stop and help out his partners if necessary, but his focus will be on the Top 20.

“Funnily I never watched any motorsports before the age of 16. I have absolutely no motorsports background in my family. I was raised to go to college and probably work in software. Then my dad bought me a bike to go to school and that’s when my love of riding really started. Racing probably saved me from getting into trouble. It gave me something to focus on with passion. As a kid, while growing up, I remember being fascinated by adventure, and that fascination continues to this day. Last year’s Dakar was super tough. I had my highs and lows. I was in the Top 13 early on, then dropped down beyond the 100th position and had to fight my way back to finish 34th. Now I want more. My goal is to do better but it’ll be a demanding Dakar to come. I really need to work on riding in the sand and that’s why we spent a lot of time testing in Morocco and competed on the Desafio Inca. On the Dakar I’ll be chasing for the Top 20 but my main goal is really to finish. When I look back at what the Dakar was in India a few years ago, it was non existent. Now we have two manufacturers, two riders and a Dakar Series in India. It’s great to see more and more Indians interested. Now they know it’s no longer a dream to compete in it”