New Delhi, Jan 21 (IANS): After his successful completion of Dakar 2019, Sherco TVS Rally Factory teams Aravind KP has already set his sights on the next edition of the rally and is gearing up to improve his performance.

Aravind is the only Indian to finish the 2019 edition of Dakar in the 37th position in what was only his third appearance at the rally.

The 2019 edition of Dakar has been touted as one of the toughest in the history of the rally and only 55 percent of the bikes completed the gruesome rally this year.

The 11-day rally saw riders battle with fesh fesh, sand dunes, beach and rocks with complex navigation and extreme weather at every stage. After a steady start in the early stages, Aravind picked up his pace in the second half of the rally and climbed up the rankings.

Despite a few crashes during the intermediate stages, he fought hard and got to the finish line. He faced a tricky situation in the penultimate stage, when his bike broke down in the sand dunes. He sought help from some spectators and reached the finish line defying all odds.

"The feeling of finishing Dakar is sinking in slowly as I have been dreaming and waiting for this moment for 3 years now. It's difficult to express my feelings at the moment but I am overjoyed to be at the finish line," Aravind told reporters after his arrival here on Monday.

"With multiple injuries in the run up to Dakar, I always knew I had to push myself beyond the comfort zone to finish the rally. The route this year was extremely challenging but I was ready to fight it out and finish one stage at a time."

"I am also grateful to my mentors at TVS Racing and Sherco for believing in my dream and supporting me all along. Dreams do come true if you truly believe in them," he added.

Commenting on his plans for the next edition of the rally, Aravind said: "Dakar 2020 is now on my mind and I am already planning my training for the rally as I understand the areas I need to improve."

"I hope to remain injury free through the year and that will allow me to better my performance from this year. I am hungry for more success at Dakar and that will keep me motivated to train hard for the best results," he added.