Harith Noah, excited to get a bike for his 16th birthday, took part in an amateur beginner race in the paddy fields near his home in Shoranur, a town in the Palakkad district of Kerala. He finished last.
Twelve years later, Noah is back with his bike on the same terrain on the banks of the Bharathappuzha River, planning to navigate the slippery sandy terrain. Much has changed in the last 12 years. The worst among beginners is now among the best in the world.
Last month, the 28-year-old completed the Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia, a feat so arduous that cyclists liken it to climbing Mount Everest. He traveled more than 7,500 kilometers in less than fifteen days over sand dunes, rocky roads and valleys for almost 55 hours to reach the 20th position, the best for an Indian.
Happy events have defined the life of this accidental cyclist. Years before, his German mother, Susanne KV, had landed in Kalamandalam in Cheruthuruthi to learn carnatic music. One day, he went out to buy bread. In a coincidence that is mainly seen in romantic comedies, she met her soul mate, the baker Mohammad Rafi KV. The two got married and later settled in Germany.
“My father has a bakery in the city of Shoranur. My parents met for the first time when my mother visited the bakery in front of the bus stop for a loaf of bread. They moved to Germany for a while, but we returned to Kerala when I was two years old, ”says Noah, who is eager to walk the river banks behind his house as he has fully recovered from surgery to remove a metal. plate that had been supporting his fractured clavicle.
In contrast to Noah’s hectic life in the fast lane, his parents live in an idyllic world. “My mother is a painter and a farmer. He takes care of the cows, the rice fields, the banana and coconut plantations, and the vegetables. We do not sell them. It’s for us and the people who work on the farm, ”says Noah.
Noah with his parents.
Accidental cyclist
If it weren’t for the roar of bicycle engines that you heard as a teenager, you would have settled for a less adventurous life. “When my father gave me a bicycle, I still didn’t know how to ride well. I was studying at a boarding school in Kodaikanal. I was on vacation. I could hear the sound of bicycles in a nearby rice field. The cyclists were training for a race. They asked me if I wanted to ride. I said ok. ‘ Next week, I entered ‘beginner’s class’ in a race that took place in paddy fields and finished last. “
His journey from the backwaters to the Dakar has seen him risk his life and limb.
Before making a name for himself at the Dakar this year, Noah, a TVS Racing driver, won seven national supercross championships. On his first attempt at the Dakar last year, he had to retire during the third stage. This year, there was a setback when TVS Racing decided not to participate in the Dakar. However, the racing arm of the Indian manufacturer sponsored him as a privateer with the Sherco Rally Factory team.
“This year, compared to the previous one, the difficulty of navigation increased enormously. Last year, I got lost once in a place where everyone was lost. This year, I got lost many times, ”says Noah.
You have lost count of how many times the Sherco TVS RTR 450 rally motorcycle crashed or overturned in both editions of the Dakar.
Last year, he rode with a swollen left eye after an accident. This year, during Stage 4, full of high-speed curves, he hit a rock and broke the rear fuel tank. He continued riding with a torn quadriceps muscle and a sore knee. When his fuel ran out, he borrowed from other riders to complete the stage.
He got lost on stage 11 and went round and round the mountains before seeing the local camel herders. Fortunately for him, they pointed in the direction other participants took. “I think that in the Dakar you need skills, physical condition, mental strength and navigation skills. These are the days when you have to get up early and some days pedal 200 kilometers ”, he says.
But after grueling hours in the two-wheeler negotiating deadly curves, Noah awaits his parents and his comfort zone.
“After the Dakar, you start to appreciate life much more. Even things like a soft bed to sleep in and sleep as long as you want. “
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She is a freelance blogger, writer, and speaker, and writes for various entertainment magazines.