India Baja Opened Doors For International Rally Events: Tanveer

Abdul Wahid Tanveer will make his debut at the Merzouga Rally in Morocco on 7 May 2017. Tanveer qualified for the Merzouga Rally after coming third at this year's India Baja, a Dakar Challenge event. Tanveer is part of the four-member Sherco-TVS Factory Rally team which will participate at the six-day Merzouga Rally. In a Q&A session with CarandBike, Tanveer says he has been preparing hard for the upcoming rally, both in terms of practice sessions on the bike as well as undergoing a strenuous fitness regime.

The eighth edition of the six-day Merzouga Rally kicks off on 7 May 2017, and will consist of six stages this year. Debutant Abdul Wahid Tanveer will be supported by team mates Juan Pedrero, Adrien Metge and Aravind KP. All the finishers at the Merzouga Rally will have the assurance of being able to participate at the 2018 Dakar Rally.

1. What has been your experience at the India Baja?

It was an amazing experience to be a part of India Baja as we got a flavor of international challenges in India. The trail was a bit tricky but interesting. Riding with star riders like Aravind KP and Adrien Metge was a great learning experience. And the cherry on top was winning the Dakar challenge. I feel a lot more confident with this win and will be going to push myself harder for the challenges ahead.

Abdul Wahid Tanveer in action at the India Baja Rally

2. What has it been like winning the Dakar Challenge at India Baja?

There are certain experiences that are etched as memories of a lifetime. Winning the Dakar Challenge is one of those special memories. It is this challenge that has opened doors for me in the international arena, and the first challenge around the corner is Merzouga rally. It is a stepping stone for my dream of Dakar. I can't thank TVS Racing enough for providing me the platform to showcase my talents and supporting me in every situation. This win is not about me but more about our team and I hope we can continue our success story at Merzouga.

3. What kind of training have you been undergoing?

We prepare all through the year irrespective of events/ races organized every year. TVS Racing team ensures that we not only become familiar with Indian but also international terrains. Maintaining high fitness levels and spending a lot of time on the bike is a part of the training besides understanding the technical aspects of the bike and the trails. My time on the bike increases before any major rally raid and the fitness regime becomes more strenuous as we undergo extensive enduro trainings. The foundation laid by TVS Racing for so many years helped me prepare and build on my expertise and the idea is to constantly maintain the momentum.

Sherco-TVS Factory Rally team members practicing

4. What kind of support have you been getting both from the motorsports fraternity and TVS Racing?

The fraternity has been working really hard to give Motorsports its due in the Indian sporting landscape. I am grateful to the fraternity for pushing Indian talent and putting them on the international map. I feel fortunate to be a part of TVS Racing team who has been a pioneer in this domain and is working since years towards making this sport mainstream. TVS Racing has been supporting me since the beginning and it is their journey over the last three decades which inspires me to contribute my bit and achieve further glory for our team. Thankful to the team who have given me a chance to participate in Indian Baja, it's because of TVS Racing that I would be making my debut at Merzouga Rally.