CS Santosh injured in Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge 2013

CS Santosh is a man with a plan. The multiple national motocross and supercross champion has set his sights on competing in the 2015 edition of the Dakar Rally and is doing everything he can to get there. The first step en route to destination Dakar was, of course, the World Cross Country championship, the opening round of which was held between April 4-11 in Abu Dhabi. And while the event started off well for Santosh, things soon took a rather grim turn. The rider had a crash on Stage 3 of the rally that put him out of contention for the rest of the event.

Let’s rewind a little though. In order to prepare for his cross country debut, Santosh spent a week training with Dakar winner Jimmy Lewis in Nevada. He soon got used to dealing with the weight of the bike and the navigation equipment and was set for the Super Special stage in Abu Dhabi. Santosh set a good time during the 2km stage held on a closed circuit and was ranked 16th out of 58 competitors. Given that the first 15 riders are allowed to choose their positions for Stage 1, it meant that 16th placed Santosh was the first rider out. However the first day was cancelled due to heavy sandstorms.

The second stage, however threw challenges aplenty his way, with Santosh learning the terrain – the sand dunes would do their best to sink the motorcycle and rider. Despite the challenges, Santosh finished in the top 14 in his category.

For Stage 3, Santosh was all set to attempt at a top 10 finish. Indeed, he was running in the top 10 in his class till with 45km to go, he had a mishap. A fuel pump accident meant the motorcycle he was piloting was blown to smithereens and Santosh was injured rather badly. The rider suffered third degree burns on his neck and hands and had to be rushed to a medical facility in Abu Dhabi for treatment. He is reported to be recovering well and plans to return to India soon to start training for the Raid, Mogul Rally and the 2014 edition of the World Cross Country Championship.

Dakar 2015, Santosh insists, is still firmly on the radar.

Source: Overdrive Magazine