Joan Pedrero, Adrien Metge & Aravind KP nominated as riders
Team aims for a top-10 finish

Sherco TVS Factory Rally team today announced a 3-rider squad for Dakar 2018. Joan Pedrero from Spain will be leading the squad, which also includes Adrien Metge from France and Aravind KP from India. The Sherco TVS Factory Rally Team has been performing strongly in all international rallies, and is aiming for a top-10 finish at Dakar 2018.

Dakar 2018 is the 40th edition of the annual international rally-raid, and Sherco TVS Factory Rally Team will be participating in the event for the fourth consecutive year. The rally will be held from January 6 to January 20, 2018. This year, the rally will cover three countries, beginning in Lima, Peru, and passing through La Paz, Bolivia before finally culminating in Córdoba, Argentina, after having traversed a total distance of over 9000 km.

This will be the second time that Aravind KP will participate in Dakar Rally. Joan Pedrero will be participating for the tenth consecutive time, and this will be the third Dakar Rally for Adrien Metge.

Vinay Harne, President – New Product Development, TVS Motor Company says, “Our partnership with Sherco for Dakar has been a hugely rewarding experience for our racing team. We have supported Indian riders and engineers in competing in international events, and this has resulted in immense learning for both the partners. We wish the Sherco TVS Factory Team the very best.”

The Sherco TVS Factory Rally Team participated in four international rally-raids this year – Baja Aragon, Merzouga Rally, PanAfrica Rally and OiLibya Rally of Morocco – with strong finishes in each.

Thomas Teissier, General Manager, Sherco Motorcycles said, “This is the fourth year of our partnership, and with each passing year our preparation for Dakar has become more focused and fierce. We have a strong relationship with TVS Racing, and we have worked together on the existing team structure. We are excited to have Aravind KP in our team again. The preparation has been good so far, and I have full faith in the abilities of our team for Dakar 2018. The preparation in the last two months before the race will be very crucial, and I am sure that the team will perform to the best of their ability.”

Arun Siddharth, Vice President Marketing – Premium Two Wheelers, International Business & TVS Racing, said, “TVS was the first Indian manufacturer to participate at Dakar, and this year we have stepped up our participation in, and preparation for, international rally-raids. Races such as Panafrica Rally, Merzouga Rally and OiLibya Rally have helped us get more exposure, thus helping us improve our readiness for Dakar. Based on our performance at the other rally-raids this year, we are aiming for a top-10 finish at Dakar 2018.”

About Dakar 2018

Dakar is the biggest rally-raid in the world. The rally had attracted more than 4 million spectators on the road in 2017. This is the 40th edition of Dakar. The rally will traverse through Peru, Bolivia and Argentina this year and will cover 15 days of racing. There are more than 500 competitors from 60 countries.

For further information, please contact

Varghese M Thomas / PS Balakrishnan / Nilanjana Deb
vm.thomas@tvsmotor.com / balakrishnan.ps@tvsmotor.com / Nilanjana.nangia@tvsmotor.com