2024 Dakar Rally: Harith Noah becomes first Indian Dakar champion in Rally2

Romain Dumontier had all the momentum entering the 2024 Dakar Rally as the defending Rally2 winner and World Rally-Raid Champion. Harith Noah had other plans.

Dumontier’s quest for a repeat began on a strong note when he won the Prologue before taking the overall lead in Stage #2 and held it until a poor Chrono Stage in which he ran out of fuel on the first day and finished twelfth dropped him down to second. However, Jean-Loup Lepan received a penalty the following day for missing a waypoint that allowed Dumontier to inherit the lead.

When the rally entered its final three days, Dumontier’s advantage only continued to grow into the double digits. Noah, the Stage #8 winner, was third and trailed Dumontier by over eleven minutes after the ninth.

As it turned out, Noah had Dumontier right where he wanted him. A dominant Stage #10 win propelled him past Lepan for second while Dumontier missed the stage podium after breaking a swingarm axle bolt just thirty kilometres from the finish, slicing the gap between each other to 4:31. Noah then finished runner-up to Bradley Cox in Stage #11 while Dumontier struggled to a fifth after a difficult day in which he punctured both tyres at the start of the stage then crashed into rocks in the closing sixty kilometres, forcing him to ride with a broken rib and no brakes. Dumontier finished fifth, losing the lead to Noah.

Entering the final day, Dumontier needed to make up six minutes to beat Noah. Although he finished ahead of Noah with a runner-up effort to Noah’s fifth, Noah—whose Stage #12 time was interestingly identical to Cox’s—was only fifty-six seconds slower than Dumontier and secured the victory. His time was eleventh best among all bikes regardless of category, 5:47 behind the RallyGP bike of Martin Michek.

Noah is the first Indian to win a Dakar Rally overall, while he scored the maiden triumph for Sherco. Although obviously a moment to cherish forever, he admitted he did not expect it to be so successful.

“I had no expectations when I arrived. I wanted to just ride my bike without really looking at the results,” Noah explained. “I started to be very surprised by my position during Stage #10, when I did the fifth best time of the special. I don’t really know what happened during that week, I felt good and the bike ran perfectly. I hope that my victory will convince many young people to join the rally. I didn’t imagine when I was a child that I would come to the Dakar, that I would first finish twentieth, and now eleventh.”

Despite settling for second, Dumontier exits the Dakar as the World Rally-Raid Championship points leader as Noah is not registered for the championship. Noah and tenth-placed Milan Engel are the only riders in the Rally2 top ten who are not racing for points.

“I tried not to give up despite the challenges I faced: a fuel breakdown that cost me almost one hour, minor injuries, and other small mechanical issues that cost me precious minutes here and there. But it’s the Dakar, anything can happen and we know it, and that’s why I never want to reveal my ambitions too much before the start of this race,” commented Dumontier.

Mário Patrão finished seventeenth and clinched the Veteran’s Trophy for riders over the age of forty-five. On the opposite extreme, Konrad Dąbrowski was twelfth to claim the Junior Trophy for those twenty-five and under; Dąbrowski made his Dakar return after missing the 2023 race due to appendicitis. Enduro World Enduro Champion Jane Daniels duelled Yael Kadshai for the Women’s Trophy and won by default as she reached the finish while Kadshai retired after nine stages.

Despite racing without assistance from teams, Tobias Ebster won Stage #5 en route to finishing eighth overall and topping the Original by Motul (also known as Malle Moto) subcategory. His effort earned him Rookie honours. Benjamin Melot and Javi Vega were also solo riders, but were not scored in Original by Motul as they were no longer eligible for the amateur-only division.

Rally2 overall results

Finish	Number	Rider	Team	Time	Margin
1	20	Harith Noah*	Sherco TVS Rally Factory Team	54:24:44	Leader
2	16	Romain Dumontier	Team Dumontier Racing	54:29:41	+ 4:57
3	18	Bradley Cox	BAS World KTM Racing Team	54:31:12	+ 6:28
4	76	Jean-Loup Lepan	DUUST Rally Team	54:43:07	+ 18:23
5	24	Toni Mulec	BAS World KTM Racing Team	54:53:29	+ 28:45
6	28	Mathieu Dovèze	BAS World KTM Racing Team	54:56:36	+ 31:45
7	41	Diego Llanos	Xraids Experience	57:58:46	+ 3:34:02
8	96	Tobias Ebster #†	Kini Rally Racing Team	58:17:00	+ 3:52:16
9	73	Charan Moore	HT Rally Raid Husqvarna Racing	58:35:08	+ 4:10:24
10	43	Milan Engel*	Orion – Moto Racing Group	58:56:58	+ 4:32:14
11	34	Emanuel Gyenes* #	Autonet Motorcycle Team	59:02:11	+ 4:37:27
12	26	Konrad Dąbrowski	DUUST Rally Team	59:30:02	+ 5:05:18
13	37	Jérôme Martiny* #	Anquety Motorsport	60:22:22	+ 5:57:38
14	39	Benjamin Melot* #	Team Esprit KTM	60:34:20	+ 6:09:36
15	33	Jan Brabec	Strojrent Racing	61:00:08	+ 6:35:24
16	140	Bruno Santos* †	Xraids Experience	61:12:16	+ 6:47:32
17	36	Mário Patrão*	Crédito Agrícola	61:22:55	+ 6:58:11
18	86	Charlie Herbst	Team All Tracks	62:45:13	+ 8:20:29
19	62	Jeremy Miroir* †	Fantic Rally Team	62:52:59	+ 8:28:15
20	103	Ashley Thixton* †	HT Rally Raid Husqvarna Racing	63:21:19	+ 8:56:35
21	106	Jérôme Bas* †	Universal Ride	63:57:58	+ 9:33:14
22	82	Albert Martin* #	Pedrega Team	64:21:17	+ 9:56:33
23	115	Josep Pedró Subirats* †	ALL1 Dakar	65:32:59	+ 11:08:15
24	105	Julien Dalbec* †	Nomade Racing	65:40:32	+ 11:15:48
25	148	Tomás de Gavardo*	BAS World KTM Racing Team	66:15:13	+ 11:50:29
26	99	Juan Santiago Rostan* †	Xraids Experience	66:21:17	+ 11:56:33
27	53	Thomas Kongshøj*	Joyride Race Service	67:16:55	+ 12:52:11
28	61	David Pabiška* #	SP Moto Bohemia	67:21:38	+ 12:56:54
29	101	Martin Prokeš*	Orion – Moto Racing Group	67:21:52	+ 12:57:08
30	147	Mathieu Girard* †	Nomade Racing	67:53:45	+ 13:29:01
31	97	Juan Puga* #	JP1 Kews Dakar Rally Team	68:13:21	+ 13:48:37
32	112	Gioele Meoni* † #	Dakar4Dakar	68:52:40	+ 14:27:56
33	110	Jane Daniels* †	Fantic Rally Team	69:45:02	+ 15:20:18
34	93	David McBride	Vendetta Racing UAE	69:57:42	+ 15:32:58
35	81	Fang Xiangling* †	Kove Moto	70:03:55	+ 15:39:11
36	104	Jérémie Gerber* #†	To Lucky Drive Racing	70:12:19	+ 15:47:35
37	87	Libor Podmol* #	Podmol Dakar Team	71:37:07	+ 17:12:23
38	75	Zhang Min*	Wu Pu Da Hai Dao Rally Team	73:13:01	+ 18:48:17
39	102	Bartłomiej Tabin* †	Orion – Moto Racing Group	73:18:11	+ 18:53:27
40	117	Josep Martí Suñer* †	ALL1 Dakar	74:0124	+ 19:36:40
41	120	Joris Van Dyck* †	HT Rally Raid Husqvarna Racing	74:28:50	+ 20:04:06
42	94	Oran O’Kelly †	Vendetta Racing UAE	75:07:28	20:42:44
43	65	Guillaume Chollet*	Xraids Experience	76:18:17	+ 21:53:33
44	66	Yoshio Ikemachi*	BAS World KTM Racing Team	76:21:48	+ 21:57:04
45	127	Ronald Venter* †	Nomade Racing	77:02:24	+ 22:37:40
46	100	Stuart Gregory* #	Stuart Gregory	77:12:48	+ 22:48:04
47	32	Kyle McCoy* #	American Rally Originals	78:09:34	+ 23:44:50
48	80	Alexandre Azinhais*	Club Aventura Touareg	78:24:10	+ 23:59:26
49	83	Fabien Domas*	Nomade Racing	78:32:34	+ 24:07:50
50	64	Romain Duchêne* #†	Team GP Motors	78:35:57	+ 24:11:13
51	138	Pierre Saeys* †	HT Rally Raid Husqvarna Racing	78:42:08	+ 24:17:24
52	132	Andy Beaucoud* #†	Team RAF	78:44:25	+ 24:19:41
53	131	Anthony Fabre* #†	Team RAF	78:49:55	+ 24:25:11
54	90	Loïs d’Abbadie*	Nomade Racing	79:09:30	+ 24:44:46
55	84	Tiziano Internó* #	Rally POV	79:28:17	+ 25:03:33
56	119	Javier Amat de Caralt* †	ALL1 Dakar	81:03:17	+ 26:38:33
57	113	Sebastián Urquía	Xraids Experience	81:19:36	+ 26:54:52
58	141	Vincent Biau* #†	VB × Kray&Co	81:53:57	+ 27:29:13
59	136	Weston Carr* †	HT Rally Raid Husqvarna Racing	82:02:46	+ 27:38:02
60	128	Max Bianucci* †	Nomade Racing	82:08:43	+ 27:43:59
61	114	Carlos Llibre* †	ALL1 Dakar	83:05:20	+ 28:40:36
62	38	Eduardo Iglesias Sánchez*	Team Benergy Monforte Rally	83:40:29	+ 29:15:45
63	145	Ganzorig Chuluun* †	HT Rally Raid Husqvarna Racing	84:11:19	+ 29:46:35
64	85	Thierry Béthys* #	TB Racing	86:20:49	+ 31:36:05
65	107	Vasileios Boudros* #	DNA Filters – Enduro Greece	91:44:37	+ 37:19:53
66	49	Cesare Zacchetti* #	Kove Italia	91:58:40	+ 37:33:56
67	129	Sébastien Herbet †	Team Dumontier Racing	92:15:27	+ 37:50:43
68	67	John Medina Salazar*	Xraids Experience	93:35:20	+ 39:10:36
69	40	Javi Vega* #	Pont Grup Yamaha	99:06:13	+ 44:41:29
70	126	Mario Garrido* †	Pedrega Team	99:34:34	+ 45:09:50
71	122	Abdulhalim Al-Mogheera* #†	Haleem	102:39:52	+ 48:15:08
72	51	Rachid Al-Lal Lahadil	Melilla Ciudad del Deporte	103:16:18	+ 48:51:34
73	143	Hector Guerrero* †	Pedrega Team	104:10:20	+ 49:45:36
74	21	Jacob Argubright*	DUUST Rally Team	106:55:18	+ 52:30:34
75	79	Amaury Baratin* #	Horizon Moto 95	110:30:53	+ 56:06:09
76	146	Gad Nachmani* †	Club Aventura Touareg	116:11:38	+ 61:45:54
77	70	Dušan Drdaj* †	Orion – Moto Racing Group	119:42:17	+ 65:17:33
78	57	Tommaso Montanari*	Fantic Rally Team	122:38:19	+ 68:13:35
79	121	James Simonin* †	Nomade Racing	123:59:27	+ 69:34:43
80	45	Sunier*	Kove Moto	135:41:54	+ 81:17:10
81	144	Fabián von Thuengen* †	HT Rally Raid Husqvarna Racing	175:49:34	+ 121:24:50
82	29	Neels Theric*	Kove Moto	177:29:19	+ 123:04:35
83	109	Mohamed Aoulad Ali*	Club Aventura Touareg	194:20:43	+ 139:55:59
84	130	Javier Campos †	Joyrace	196:25:45	+ 142:01:01
DNF	17	Paolo Lucci	BAS World KTM Racing Team	DNF	N/A
DNF	22	Michael Docherty	BAS World KTM Racing Team	DNF	N/A
DNF	56	Simon Marčič* #	JP1 Kews Dakar Rally Team	DNF	N/A
DNF	59	Francisco Arredondo	BAS World KTM Racing Team	DNF	N/A
DNF	60	Xavier Flick*	Kove Moto	DNF	N/A
DNF	63	Jaromír Romančík* †	Orion – Moto Racing Group	DNF	N/A
DNF	69	Cesar Rojo*	BAS World KTM Racing Team	DNF	N/A
DNF	71	Francesco Catanese*	Tuttogru	DNF	N/A
DNF	72	Philippe Gendron*	Nomade Racing	DNF	N/A
DNF	74	Michael Jacobi* #	Comas Moto / Môle Agri Forest	DNF	N/A
DNF	78	Zhao Hongyi*	Wu Pu Da Hai Dao Rally Team	DNF	N/A
DNF	89	Ardit Kurtaj* †	HT Rally Raid Husqvarna Racing	DNF	N/A
DNF	92	David Mabbs	Vendetta Racing UAE	DNF	N/A
DNF	95	Dominique Cizeau Girault* †	Xraids Experience	DNF	N/A
DNF	108	Ashish Raorane*	Xraids Experience	DNF	N/A
DNF	111	Yael Kadshai* †	Nomade Racing	DNF	N/A
DNF	116	Xavier Pes Bosck* †	ALL1 Dakar	DNF	N/A
DNF	118	Fernando Conde Targa* †	ALL1 Dakar	DNF	N/A
DNF	123	Fabio Lottero* †	Touareg Ibiza – Evissa Esports	DNF	N/A
DNF	124	Kerim Fitz-Gerald †	BAS World KTM Racing Team	DNF	N/A
DNF	125	Iader Giraldi* #	Zeranta	DNF	N/A
DNF	133	Bruno Leblanc* #†	Un Dakar Pour De L’espoir	DNF	N/A
DNF	134	Isaac Feliu* #	TwinTrail Racing Team	DNF	N/A
DNF	135	Carles Falcón* #	TwinTrail Racing Team	DNF	N/A
DNF	137	Gwen Backx* †	HT Rally Raid Husqvarna Racing	DNF	N/A
DNF	139	Modestas Siliūnas* †	AG Dakar School	DNF	N/A

Rally2 stage winners

Stage	Rider	Time
Prologue	Romain Dumontier	19:43
Stage #1	Bradley Cox	5:08:55
Stage #2	Jean-Loup Lepan	4:40:41
Stage #3	Romain Dumontier	4:47:04
Stage #4	Romain Dumontier	3:03:05
Stage #5	Tobias Ebster	1:37:26
Stage #6	Jean-Loup Lepan	8:23:53
Stage #7	Mathieu Dovèze	5:36:15
Stage #8	Harith Noah	3:42:12
Stage #9	Bradley Cox	4:49:40
Stage #10	Harith Noah	3:53:34
Stage #11	Bradley Cox	5:00:02
Stage #12	Diego Llanos	1:51:54

W2RC Rally2 standings

Rank	Rider	Points	Margin
1	Romain Dumontier	38	Leader
2	Bradley Cox	30	– 8
3	Jean-Loup Lepan	24	– 14
4	Toni Mulec	20	– 18
5	Mathieu Dovèze	17	– 21
6	Diego Llanos	15	– 23
7	Tobias Ebster	14	– 24
8	Charan Moore	12	– 26
9	Konrad Dąbrowski	11	– 27
10	Jan Brabec	9	– 29
11	Charlie Herbst	8	– 30
12	David McBride	6	– 32
13	Oran O’Kelly	5	– 33
14	Sebastián Urquía	3	– 35
T-15	Sébastien Herbet	2	– 36
T-15	Rachid Al-Lal Lahadil	2	– 36