Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge 2009

Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge 2009
Leg 1: Abu Dhabi to Tal Mureeb - selective section, 270.60km


·McBride leads 450cc bike class; Sebastien Husseini on top in the quads ·Mohammed Ben Sulayem flags teams away from Abu Dhabi start ·Strong winds and shifting sand add to first day difficulties

BMW X-raid's top-seeded Guerlain Chicherit and Frenchman Cyril Despres led the car and motorcycle categories after the opening 442.30km leg of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, which included a 270.60km desert special stage into Abu Dhabi's Empty Quarter, on Monday.

Despres, riding a factory KTM 690 R, finished the selective section 41 seconds clear of his arch Spanish rival Marc Coma, as the event reached the Tal Mureeb bivouac. Norway's Pal-Anders Ullesvalseter headed Dubai-based Briton Dave McBride in third overall.

"A stage win is always nice, but I have noticed a difference with the desert since I was here in November, " said Despres. "The sand is a different colour and the dunes are 'more red'. It is amazing what can happen in a few months. It was a strategy to start at the back today. I managed to hit the gatch road first after the refuelling and passed Marc (Coma). Then it was a case of riding fast to the finish. Tomorrow will be another game, with him following me next time."

Predictably, the battle in the car category developed into a one-horse race with Chicherit and his new Swedish co-driver Tina Thorner holding a comfortable near 20-minute lead at the end of the leg in their BMW X3 CC.

"I am very happy to get the first desert stage out of the way with a good lead," said Chicherit. "It was not easy. It was my first stage with Tina (Thorner). She is very good, but I have had pace notes in French for many years and, a couple of times, I heard the wrong note in English and made a small mistake. But, we have four more days to get used to each other and for me to gain more experience in the car."

The UAE's Yayha Al-Helai was a distant second overall in his Nissan Patrol and Abdullah Al-Herais was third, although Al-Helai suffered a heavy landing over a ridge near the end of the stage and was worried that his Nissan Patrol had sustained damage.

Dubai-based Briton Dave McBride topped the strong field in the 450cc category. Sebastien Husseini struggled to match the leading bikes on the high-speed stage, but led the quad category on his KTM 525 XC.

Sixty-nine entrants were flagged away from the landmark Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi by event chairman Mohammed Ben Sulayem, in the presence of representatives from the main sponsor, Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) and Nasser Bin Obood of etisalat.

A 53.20km road liaison section guided competitors to the start of the day's opening 270.60km selective section at Al Dafra. The first day is arguably the easiest of the five desert legs and crossed high-speed sand flats and sabkha en route to the finish, north of Liwa, although reduced visibility and a strong desert wind hampered progress through the early kilometres.

The UAE's Mohammed Al-Shamsi led the entire field into the special stage on his Honda TRX quad, but Coma and Despres soon began their charge through the back-markers, after deciding to position themselves behind their rivals in Sunday's super special.

Przygonski was the first competitor to actually pass the first passage control at the 110km point, although Despres held a 14-second virtual stage lead over Coma heading into the final 160km of the day's stage and extended his advantage to 39 seconds through PC2.

Al-Shamsi was hospitalised with a suspected back injury, shortly before the first passage control, and Poland's Rafal Sonik sustained a broken wrist after falling off his quad.

Chicherit set the pace in the cars' category through the first PC. The Frenchman was 8m 17s faster than the UAE's Yayha Al-Helai at the 110km point and extended his advantage to 17m 26s at the end of the day's stage.

The 2009 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge has the backing of key players, including the event's title sponsor, Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA), Nissan, ADNOC, Beach Rotana - Abu Dhabi, etisalat, Explorer, Hertz, Lambda Electronics, Oasis Water, TAG Heuer and the ADIMSC.

Leading positions on Leg 1 (unofficial @ 15.25hrs):

Cars
1. Guerlain Chicherit (F)/Tina Thörner (S) BMW X3 CC 2h32m 49s
2. Yayha Al Helai (UAE)/Khalid Al Kendi (UAE) Nissan Patrol 2h50m 15s
3. Abdullah Al-Herais (UAE)/Haleem Bin Zayed (UAE) Nissan Patrol 3h01m 26s
4. Ricardo Leal dos Santos (P)/Filipe Palmeiro (P) BMW X5 3h03m 08s
5. Glenn Reid (UAE)/Paul Richards (UAE) Honda Buggy 3h 03m 38s
6. Laurent Rosso (F)/Paul Forthomme (B) Nissan Pathfinder 3h05m 17s
7. Maurizio Traglia (I)/Fabian Lurquin (F) Nissan Pathfinder 3h14m 50s

Bikes - overall
1. Cyril Despres (F) KTM 690 R 2h 51m 47s
2. Marc Coma (E) KTM 690 R 2h 52m 28s
3. Pal-Anders Ullesvalseter (N) KTM 690 R 2h 59m 03s
4. Dave McBride (GB) Honda CRF 450 X 3h 06m 48s
5. Jacek Czachor (PL) KTM LC4 3h 11m 13s
6. Alex Zanotti (I) Aprilia RXV Africa 3h 13m 41s
7. Jakub Przygonski (PL) KTM 690 R 3h 15m 00s
8. Sean Gaugain (ZA) Honda CRF 450X 3h 16m 04s

Quads
1. Sebastien Husseini (NL) KTM 525 XC 3h 15m 37s
2. Franck Jaussaud (F) Yamaha Raptor 700 3h 26m 39s
3. Lionel Laine (F) KTM ATV 525 XC 3h 41m 50s




- Neil Perkins -

Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge 2009

Spaniard Coma chases third win; Frenchman Despres out for win number six

This month's Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge will witness the renewed rivalry of two of the greatest riders in the history of the FIM Cross-Country Rally World Championship.

According to FIA Vice President, President of the Automobile & Touring Club of the UAE (ATCUAE) and Chairman of the Organising Committee, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, the Frenchman, Cyril Despres and Spaniard, Marc Coma are currently the finest two enduro riders on the planet. He confirmed the pair will lock horns across the sands of the UAE capital's Western Region at the end of the month.

The opening round of the prestigious FIM series has moved to March 20-27 and has the crucial backing of the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) as title sponsor, and will showcase the emirate's capabilities as a major international events and tourism destination.

ADTA's Deputy Director General Tourism Operations Ahmed Hussein said the participation of motor sport greats, such as Despres and Coma, demonstrates the event's world-class appeal.

"We are fully committed to building Abu Dhabi's profile as a world-recognised capital of motor sport and international events. This month's Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge and November's Formula 1 Grand Prix will see us hosting many world-class drivers."

Both Andorra-based Despres and his 33-year-old Catalunyan rival fought a cat-and-mouse game of team tactics and brave riding in January's Dakar Rally across South America. The pair arrives in Abu Dhabi with little to choose between them.

Coma clinched his second Dakar victory in Buenos Aires, but Despres may feel that substantial early delays when the event crossed the Patagonian wastelands cost him his chance of pressurising Coma into a mistake. Some believe that a second place was a terrific achievement for the Frenchman under the circumstances.

The win was sweet revenge for Coma, after being beaten by 35-year-old Despres in last November's Desert Challenge, the last time the pair met in Middle East competition. The triumph was Cyril's fifth in the event's history which prevented Coma from completing his hat-trick of Desert Challenge titles and his third successive win.

Clutch and transmission problems thwarted Coma in the Rub Al Khali last time, but the KTM Repsol rider is determined to follow up his Dakar success with Abu Dhabi glory. Despres also has a KTM 690 factory bike and admits that the Desert Challenge is one of his favourite FIM events.

"The Dakar Rally has moved to South America and the format has completely changed," said the Frenchman. "But the newly-named Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge is a real desert rally and to win it for the fifth time last November was a special feeling for me. It is a unique event. The desert in Abu Dhabi is like nowhere else."

Despres pressed home his advantage early last November and beat Coma by 90 seconds on the first selective section from Al Dafra to Liwa. Enduro riding requires patience and stamina and Despres realised the importance of putting in an early spurt to pressurise his rival. The contest was eventually settled in his favour on the fourth desert leg through the Rub Al Khali. Despres clinched the stage win, but Coma stopped with clutch woes.

"I have unfinished business in Abu Dhabi," admits Coma. "Dakar was a great result for me. The event was far more difficult than anyone predicted and I don't expect the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge to be any different. It may be slightly cooler than the temperatures we faced in early November, but I am sure that the dunes will be as challenging as always."

"The return of Marc and Cyril heightens the excitement," said Sulayem. "Their duels for supremacy on events like the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge and the Dakar are what make this sport so special. I expect they will enjoy a terrific battle again at the end of this month."

This year's Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge will be based at the Abu Dhabi International Marine Sports Club (ADIMSC) for the first time and gets underway from the landmark Emirates Palace hotel (on Sunday March 22 2009).

The 2009 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge has the backing of key players, including the event's title sponsor, Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA), Nissan, ADNOC, Beach Rotana - Abu Dhabi, etisalat, Explorer, Hertz, Lambda Electronics, Oasis Water, TAG Heuer, and the Rally HQ host, ADIMSC.

www.uaedesertchallenge.com


- Neil Perkins, also photo -