Defending champion C.S. Santosh, riding a Suzuki RMX 450, opened a commanding 24-minute lead at the end of Leg 1 in the 13th Maruti Suzuki Desert Storm cross-country Rally here.
Santosh, the first and only Indian to compete and complete the world’s toughest rally — the Dakar — last month, was in a league of his own as he conquered the sands of Thar Desert that proved to be the graveyard for many a vehicle.
Trailing Santosh, who clocked two hours, 12 minutes and 44 seconds, were two KTM Duke 390 riders Jes David (2:36:36) and Mohit Verma (2:45:13) in the provisional Overall classification Wednesday night.
Reflecting on his performance so far, Santosh said: “Both Dakar and Desert Storm are equally challenging in terms of landscape and terrain. As a motor enthusiast, it gives me immense joy to conquer the Thar Desert. Challenging as it may be, I am looking forward to the next stages.”
Moto-Quad (After Leg 1): C.S. Santosh (Team Maruti, Suzuki RMX 450) 1 (2hrs, 12mins, 44secs) 1; Jes David (KTM Duke 390) 2 (02:36:36); Mohit Verma (KTM Duke 390) 3 (02:45:13); Vijay Parmar (KTM 450 EXC) 4 (03:05:45); Nitinjit Singh Bawa (KTM Duke 200) 5 (03:20:30).
Source:(IANS)
