Aravind KP makes a comeback; Abdul Wahid Tanveer to make debut.
New Delhi, September 03, 2018: Sherco TVS Factory Rally Team today announced a 4-rider squad for PanAfrica Rally 2018. The PanAfrica Rally is an open competition of Motorbikes, Quads / UTV, SSV (buggies), and will take place in Morocco between 8th and 15th September 2018.
The team comprises of Indian Champion racers Aravind KP, along with Abdul Wahid Tanveer and the French brother duo Michael and Adrien Metge. This will be the first Rally of the Pre-Dakar series for Aravind KP, who has recovered completely from his injury. Post the successful completion of the Merzouga Rally in 2017, this will be Abdul Wahid Tanveer’s debut at the PanAfrica Rally 2018.
Commenting on the team announcement, B Selvaraj, Team Manager, TVS Racing, said,“Sherco TVS Factory Rally team’s last outing at the PanAfrica Rally resulted in a double podium finish and gave our team a lot of confidence. The team is well prepared in terms of man and machine. This time, we have a promising line-up of racers with Michael Metge who won the Baja Aragon Rally 2018, Adrien Metge, Abdul Wahid Tanveer, and Aravind KP who has made a steady recovery. Additionally, the technical crew has done good work on the machine, incorporating the learning’s from previous Rally events. We look forward to a strong show.”
“It is a good feeling to be back to the familiar grind of International Rallies,” said Aravind KP, Racer, Sherco TVS Factory Rally Team, “The last 6 months have been an amalgamation of character-building, developing mental strength and improving physical fitness. Over the last 1 month, I could pack some time on my Dakar machine and I cannot wait to participate in the PanAfrica Rally. This will test my mental and physical readiness, especially navigating through the dunes of the Moroccan desert.”
The Rally is organised in the high dunes of the Sahara Desert, where the soaring temperatures is only one of the several harsh conditions that the racers will have to battle. The Rally is seen as a learning ground for the teams and racers as they gear up for Dakar Rally in January next year.
About the Racers
Adrien Metge has been associated with Sherco TVS Factory Rally Team since 2016. He has participated in Dakar for three consecutive years where he finished 11th in 2016 and 22nd in 2017.
Michael Metge, a recent entry into the Sherco TVS Factory Rally Team, has proved his mettle in Dakar Rally 6 consecutive times. Both the brothers secured a podium finish in the recently concluded Baja Aragon Rally in Spain.
Aravind KP, who has been the National Champion on behalf of TVS Racing, has represented the Sherco TVS Factory Rally Team from the past 2 years in various International Rallies like India Baja, Morocco Rally, PanAfrica Rally, OiLibya Rally, Baja Aragon among others. He is the first Indian racer from Sherco TVS Rally Factory Team to participate in the Dakar Rally in its 2017 and 2018 edition.
Abdul Wahid Tanveer has won multiple National Championships in Rally and Supercross events. In the recent years, he won the Raid de Himalaya in 2017 and 2016 in Group A category and stood 2nd in Desert Storm 2017. He is also a winner of the Dakar series India Baja Rally 2017 and successfully completed the 2017 edition of Merzouga Rally in Morocco. He promotes TVS Racing and TVS Apache brand for TVS Motor Company.
