Suresh Babu achieved second position in prestigious Raid De Himalaya Rally. This employee of Suzuki Motorcycles India was riding his all terrain Suzuki RMX 450Z in the Xtreme (Motorcycles) category of the 16th Raid de Himalaya Rally. The rally started from Shimla, and continued for grueling 8 days (3-11th October), the rallyists passed through Manali, Kaza and the fabled Spiti Valley and treacherous Bara Lacha La pass to Srinagar. There were 50 competitors participated in the 16th Raid De Himalaya in Rally Moto Quad (motorcycles and quads), 41 teams in Rally Xtreme (4X4) and 51 teams in Rally Adventure.
According to the history of Raid De Himalaya Rally only 25% of the participants can withstand the harsh cold, the high altitude and hostile terrain to finish the race and Suresh Babu was one of those fortunate and skilled ones this year.Mr. Atul Gupta, Executive Vice President - Suzuki Motorcycles India, congratulated Suresh Babu on his success:
I am delighted at Suzuki’s victory in what is considered one of the most difficult races in the world. We are extremely proud of Suresh and his accomplishment. This win is a testimony to Suzuki’s world-class motorcycle technology and the indomitable spirit of Suzuki employees!
Suresh Babu, the second place holder of the rally is also a "National Head" Product Planning at SMIPL, said:This is a great moment for me. I had to stay alert every second of the ride because the terrain is so different from what we are used to and the altitude is so high. Raid De Himalayas is of course the only motorsport rally to be staged at such a high altitude-6000 meters above sea level! However, the difficulties involved made me determined to conquer this race. It’s a great personal victory for me and also a win for all of us at Suzuki.
By: Farhan Kashif