Kerala’s Harith Noah made history by becoming the first Indian to finish in the top 20 of the Dakar Rally on Friday.

Noah, riding a 450 RTR for the Sherco Factory team, ended up 19th in the 12th and final stage to finish 20th in the overall standings.

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The 27-year-old from Shoranur is only the third Indian after K P Aravind and C S Santosh to compete in the event.

His father Rafi, an avid rally lover, presented him a bike on his 16th birthday in 2009 and Noah competed in a local rally event.

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Noah has won seven national championships in the Supercross category. He made his international debut with the Rally of Morocco in 2018.

Dakar Rally is considered the most gruelling rally event. Indian rider Santosh suffered a serious injury this year, while French motorcyclist Piere Cherpin died from the injuries after a crash on Thursday.

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