India's leading rally-raid rider Harith Noah is set for his 7th Dakar Rally campaign as he once again represents India at the world's toughest motorsport challenge, the 48th Dakar Rally 2026 in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia, from January 3 to 17.
A short prologue in Yanbu on January 3, that decides the start order for the main rally, will be followed by two punishing weeks of competition before the rally returns to the Red Sea on January 17. The route spans nearly 8,000 kilometres, including approximately 4,800 kilometres of high-speed timed Selective Sections (SS) across dunes, rocky terrain, and unforgiving plateaus. January 10 is a single rest day in Riyadh to recover and reset before the final week.
A five-time Indian National Supercross Champion, he last won a National crown in 2018 before committing himself fully to rally-raid preparation in 2019 and made his Dakar debut in 2020, the first time Dakar moved to Saudi Arabia.
Astride the TVS Sherco RTR 450, now he lines up for his seventh start, proudly carrying the Indian flag. Noah has sharpened his race craft through three world rally-raid championship events in 2025, steadily improving his fitness, navigation precision, and race execution. His landmark Rally 2 class victory, the first-ever by an Indian rider at Dakar, remains a defining moment in his career and a milestone for Indian motorsport.
However, Dakar is known for its unforgiving nature.
In 2025, a crash during the prologue forced Noah out before the opening stage.
Reflecting on the setback, he remains focused on growth rather than regret: "Mistakes will happen. It's about how you deal with them. It's extremely hard mentally to go to Dakar and have it end before it even begins due to injury. That's not a nice feeling. But I can't change what has already happened. Going forward, my focus is always on giving my best rather than chasing results. Giving 100 percent and learning from mistakes is what matters most," said the Sports Science graduate from Manchester Metropolitan University.
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