Hero Motorsports :Everything you want to know about ADV News, Photos & Exclusive stories.

<p>Hero MotoSports Team Rally won the 33rd Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, a highly prestigious event. This feat follows the team's historic podium performance at the Dakar Rally in January 2024 and marks their debut triumph at a World Championship race. Rally GP class racer Aaron Mare rode heroically to win the difficult 6-day desert rally for Hero MotoSports. The young South African living in Dubai showed remarkable skill despite replacing injured factory rider Sebastian Buhler. Buhler is still on the mend after his Dakar disaster. Mare deservedly finished on top of the podium after winning two stages and dominating the race for four days in a row. Hero MotoSports has become the leading manufacturer in the FIM World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) 2024 after accumulating important points from this victory. For an Indian manufacturer, this is a historic first, to achieve such heights on a worldwide scale.</p>

<p>An impressive fourth position was achieved by the team's second factory rider, <a href="https://www.autox.com/motorsport-news/dakar-2024-result-harith-noah-wins-in-rally-2-class-hero-motosports-makes-history-115897/">Ross Branch, who had previously finished on the podium in Dakar 2024</a>. Branch has achieved a remarkable feat for Team Hero MotoSports by increasing his point total to 50 and establishing himself as the leader of the World Rally-Raid Championship 2024. He finished second in the Rally GP class at this second event of the season.</p>

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<h2>About the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge</h2>

<p>A week of frantic racing in the searing sun in the Rub Al' Khali kicks off with the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, famous for its tough 100% sand and desert terrains. Problems with customs clearance and a last-minute rider replacement were only the beginning of the obstacles that Team Hero faced before the race even started. Regardless, the tenacious crew overcame these challenges, having less than 24 hours to get ready for the race, and they routinely dominated the competition, eventually winning the Rally.</p>

<p>Aaron Mare said: "I'm super happy to get the overall victory at ADDC. I can't thank Hero MotoSports, Waffi and the team enough for getting me up here. It was an amazing opportunity, and I made the most of it. I was also fortunate to ride along with Ross Branch who came fresh from his Dakar podium, and learnt a lot from him. We were teammates several years back, and it was a wonderful time spent with him here. I look forward to the upcoming races in the year.”</p>

<p>Ross Branch said: “This was a bittersweet rally for me. After our setback in Stage 1, we managed to gather up the maximum Championship points - which was our main objective. I got to the finish line safe, and I'm really happy with how the race went. I got to open the stages on several days, won a couple of Stages, had a lot of fun and gained some more experience. A big thank you and heartfelt appreciation to the team and everyone else who got us here. We will now head to Portugal on a high!”</p>

<p>The BP Ultimate Rally-Raid, which will take place in Portugal and Spain and serve as the third round of the W2RC 2024, is less than one month away, so the squad is getting ready for it.&nbsp;</p>


Hero MotoSports Wins Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge 2024

Hero MotoSports has become the first Indian team to win a World Rally-Raid Championship round, with Aaron Mare’s victory in the 2024 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge.

<p>The 2024 Dakar Rally was a great event that came to a close. After years of KTM domination, Honda finally won the Dakar Rally, with Hero MotorSports finishing in second place, just behind the KTMs. It is worth mentioning that Harith Noah won the Rally 2 class, which was a significant milestone for India in the Dakar Rally.</p>

<p>The short 175km special stage of the day was all KTM, as the brand was on full display with a 1-2 podium finish. Toby Price won the stage, with defending champion Kevin Benavides in hot pursuit. But the overall winners were decided over the previous days, and Honda's Ricky Brabec was in the lead from the start. For a short time, Hero's Ross Branch was the race leader. After Benevides and Price of KTM crossed the finish line first and second, Adrien Van Beveren of KTM took third.</p>

<h2>Dakar 2024: Harith Noah</h2>

<p>As the only manufacturer entered in the Rally 2 class of this year's Dakar Rally, Harith Noah—supported by TVS—and Sherco were the only competitors to stand out. After finishing the most recent stage in eleventh place, the Indian rider won the Rally 2 class overall. Even in the overall standings, Noah's performance was remarkable. He finished the 2024 Dakar Rally in eleventh place, making history as the first Indian to ever win a stage, finish on the podium, and finish in the top fifteen.</p>

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<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.autox.com/motorsport-news/dakar-2024-harith-noah-makes-history-by-becoming-first-indian-to-win-a-stage-115861/" rel="bookmark" title="Dakar 2024: Harith Noah Makes History by Becoming First Indian to Win a Stage">Dakar 2024: Harith Noah Makes History by Becoming First Indian to Win a Stage</a></p>

<p>Noah showed resiliency by overcoming health issues in the first week and then picked up steam in the second week of the competition. His incredible jump from 18th to 13th place overall over the 48H Chrono Stage 6 is worth noting. Stage 8 and Stage 10, in which he twice set the fastest rally, were particularly impressive for his sustained growth.</p>

<p>It's important to remember that RallyGP and Rally 2 are two separate classes. Only highly experienced racers who have been accepted by the FIM Championship Committee based on their sports credentials are allowed to compete in the RallyGP class. Rally 2 offers a more welcoming environment for riders from various backgrounds since it is available to anyone who isn't already in the RallyGP riders' registration.</p>

<h2>Dakar 2024: Hero MotorSports</h2>

<p><img alt="Dakar 2024 1 " height="720" src="/uploads/2024/01/Dakar-2024-1-.jpg" width="1280" /></p>

<p>Despite finishing ten minutes and fifty-three seconds behind winner Ricky Brabec, Hero MotoSports' Ross Branch managed an outstanding second-place finish in the 2024 Dakar Rally. Hero MotoSports has achieved a remarkable feat, becoming the first Indian team to secure a podium place in the esteemed race.</p>

<p>By the end of the sixth stage of the 2024 Dakar Rally, three of Hero's four riders had pulled out due to the extreme difficulties they had encountered. Ross Branch was the sole Hero MotoSports competitor in Dakar 2024, despite the team's other three riders withdrawing: Joaquim Rodrigues, Sebastian Buhler, and Joan Barreda Bort. Nevertheless, he quickly established himself as a strong candidate for the ultimate win.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.autox.com/motorsport-news/spanish-rider-carles-falcon-dies-after-motorcycle-crash-in-dakar-rally-115867/" rel="bookmark" title="Spanish Rider Carles Falcon Dies After Motorcycle Crash in Dakar Rally">Spanish Rider Carles Falcon Dies After Motorcycle Crash in Dakar Rally</a></p>

<p>Branch won the first stage of the rally and remained in first place until the fifth stage. He showed his skill by finishing second in Stage 11 with the fastest time and then followed Honda's Ricky Brabec closely in the following stages.</p>

<p>Ross Branch said: “Finally finished the Dakar!! It was a really tough Dakar 2024, and I'm so thrilled to be here! Finishing on the podium was always the goal, and today it's a dream come true. I'm really over the moon to achieve this goal for Hero. And a big thank you to the team for developing a highly competitive machine, for the sleepless 3 weeks here, and for everything they've sacrificed to reach to this point. I'm really proud of my team. We've got some more work to do to be on the next step, so we'll look forward to that in the next year. A big thank you to everyone for your continued support from all around the world!”</p>

<p>With a ninth-place finish in the last 174-kilometre stage near Yanbu, the South African rider solidified his position as second overall. This incredible feat not only marks Branch's first podium finish at the Dakar, but it also marks the first podium for an Indian team in the history of the race.</p>


Dakar 2024 Result: Harith Noah Wins in Rally 2 Class, Hero MotoSports Makes History

The conclusion of the 2024 Dakar Rally reveals this year's champions, with notable recognition going to Harith Noah for securing victory in his respective class and Hero MotorSports becoming the first Indian manufacturer to finish on the podium.

<p>With stage 8 marking a historic moment, Harith Noah became the first Indian rider to clinch a stage win, continuing the regular thrill of the 2024 Dakar Rally. Noah has been competing with TVS Sherco in the Rally 2 class and has shown remarkable performance throughout the race, winning stage 8. Even though he's only thirteenth in the overall standings, Noah is proud to be third in his class, trailing the leader by a little over eight minutes.</p>

<p>Harith Noah said: "I felt good on the bike and my health has also improved. I believe that everything is fine in a good way, especially when you feel good. I focused on navigation and increased my tempo when I was comfortable. I lost some time trying to find the way in the second part. Tomorrow is another day, and the Dakar is far from over."</p>

<p>Overall stage winner in the general motorbike category was the reigning champion, Kevin Benavides, while the car category winner was Mattias Ekstrom. The difficult 678km stage included a timed special that covered 458 kilometres across varied surfaces, such as sand, boulders, and asphalt.</p>

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<p>In particular, Adrien Van Beveren finished in third place, but the day belonged to the Benavides brothers, who swept the stage. The margin that Hero's Ross Branch had over rally leader Ricky Brabec expanded to 42 seconds in the overall standings. The fight is still fierce, though, and Honda's Nacho Cornejo sits in third place, with Kevin Benavides and AVB following closely behind. Competition at the Dakar Rally is always fierce, and the ever-changing terrain never fails to deliver exciting moments.</p>

<h2>Dakar 2024: Hero MotorSports</h2>

<p><img alt="Dakar Hero MotorSports" height="720" src="/uploads/2024/01/Dakar-Hero-MotorSports.jpg" width="1280" /></p>

<p>In Stage 8, Ross Branch managed to secure eighth place, with the rally leader a mere position ahead in seventh. Branch was able to close the margin to 41 seconds when Ricky Brabec, who had a three-minute lead at the start of the stage, had problems in the last fifty kilometres. Regardless, Hero MotoSports and Branch are still in second place in the overall standings, and the distance between them and Brabec has unfortunately widened to 42 seconds.</p>

<p>Ross Branch said: “Today was a long stage, and a little bit risky in the morning with all the camel grass and the dunes. We lost a bit of time, but nothing too serious. It was a good stage, and overall I was able to manage the stage well. We’re in a good stage for tomorrow, the bike’s doing great and the team’s putting in the best of their efforts. Looking forward to tomorrow!”</p>

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<p>After losing first place on the first day of Stage 6, Hero MotoSports and Branch are hell-bent on reclaiming it when Stage 9, spanning a tough 417 kilometres from Hail to Al Ula, begins on January 16. There are four stages left in the 2024 Dakar Rally, and the lead is becoming increasingly narrow. It's going to be an exciting showdown for the victory.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=764825442337823&amp;set=pcb.764861969000837">Source</a></p>


Dakar 2024: Harith Noah Makes History by Becoming First Indian to Win a Stage

Harith Noah made history on Stage 8 of the 2024 Dakar Rally when he became the first Indian ever to win a stage of the rally.

<p><em><strong>On the Indian front, both Hero MotoSports riders finished in the top 20.</strong></em></p>

<p>Portugal’s Joaquim Rodrigues aka JRod has aided Hero MotoSports Team Rally to become the first Indian team to win a stage in the 2022 multi-stage Dakar Rally. In the desert of Saudi Arabia, the rally marked the 44th edition of the annual event, which brings together competition from different vehicles such as cars, bikes, quads, and even trucks across picturesque sand dunes, death valleys, and even cliffs. The Dakar Rally is one of the world’s most dangerous races, and even though many have paid the ultimate price by competing in it, it is still one of the most sought after races around the globe.</p>

<p>In the latest 2022 Dakar Rally that concluded on January 14th, Nasser Al-Attiyah and Sam Sunderland of Gasgas Factory Racing have grabbed the winning trophies in the cars and bikes category, respectively. Running just three-and-a-half minutes behind the winner, Pablo Quintanilla, Monster Energy Honda, secured the runner up position. While for GasGas, it was their maiden Dakar title, and it was the fourth victory for Al-Attiyah.</p>

<p>At the Indian front, both Hero MotoSports riders finished in the top 20 of the entire banquet with Joaquim Rodrigues,&nbsp;picking up his first-ever Dakar Stage win on Stage 3 and even a podium finish on Stage 11. On the overall chart, he stood at the 14th position. His teammate Aaron Mare finished 16th on the lineup, who was substituted for the injured Franco Caimi.</p>

<p>In a candid conversation with a group of journalists, JRod touted the Dakar 2022 as the most competitive edition ever, spread across 12 gruelling stages and over 8000 kilometres. As for the Hero Rally 450, it faced no technical failure.</p>

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<p>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FdvbNFrbIo&amp;feature=emb_title</p>


Al-Attiyah, Sunderland win Dakar Rally 2022; Hero MotoSports in top 20

Portugal’s Joaquim Rodrigues aka JRod has aided Hero MotoSports Team Rally to become the first Indian team to win a stage in the 2022 multi-stage Dakar Rally.  Both Hero MotoSports riders finished in the top 20.

Hero Motorsports

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Dakar 2024 Result: Harith Noah Wins in Rally 2 Class, Hero MotoSports Makes History

Dakar 2024: Harith Noah Makes History by Becoming First Indian to Win a Stage

Al-Attiyah, Sunderland win Dakar Rally 2022; Hero MotoSports in top 20

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