After six days of breathtaking action at the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge the relief of those crossing the finish line was clear to see. Faced with over 1,000 kilometres of timed racing across the Liwa Desert it took monumental effort from every competitor who made it back to the Yas Marina Circuit safely.
Celebrating victory in the car category this weekend are the Czech duo of driver Martin Prokop and co-driver David Pabiska after impressing over the sand. Prokop’s Ford was run close by the MINI of Polish racer Kuba Przygonski who had Tom Colsoul of Belgium giving him pace notes.
The results leaves Prokop and Przygonski tied for the lead of the 2018 FIA Cross Country Rally World Cup with eight of the 11 rounds of the championship still to be raced.
“It was a good fight between us and Prokop and we had chances to catch them over the stages.” – Kuba Przygonski
Increasingly showing his class as the week worn on was five-time Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge bike race winner Cyril Despres. The Frenchman, competing in the car race for the first time, climbed to fourth overall with a stage win on the last day of competition alongside Swiss navigator Steve Ravussin.
“I learned a lot about driving four wheels across the desert, it’s very different to riding a motorbike across the dunes.” – Cyril Despres
Elsewhere on four wheels we saw Luc Alphand and Andreas Schultz get their buggy back on pace after some gearbox trouble in the dunes. The French driver was making a return to competitive offroad racing after a break of nearly a decade and alongside his German co-driver had a memorable week in the desert.
While points were handed out for the FIA Cross Country Rally World Cup this contest also marked the start of the 2018 FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship for the bikers. This ensured a star-studded line-up of riders made the trip to Abu Dhabi.
It was Chilean biker Pablo Quintanilla who got his season off to the best possible start as the Husqvarna rider led home the three Dakar Rally winners of the Red Bull KTM Factory Team.
Britain’s Sam Sunderland was disappointed not to get his hands on the victory. However, considering he retired from the Dakar with injury just a couple of months ago, a runners-up result here is a remarkable achievement.
“Second overall, especially after my crash at the Dakar is a really good result. It has felt great to be back on my bike and racing again.” – Sam Sunderland
Read all about Sam Sunderland’s road to recovery right here.
Sunderland’s team-mate Matthias Walkner narrowly missed out on the podium by a single minute as he finished fourth overall. The Austrian biker, who is the reigning Dakar champion, charged on the final stage to record the fastest time of the day.
“The final day’s racing has been really fun – I’m happy to take the stage win after such a good fight.” – Matthias Walkner
The third KTM Factory rider in Abu Dhabi, Australia’s Toby Price, finished seventh overall and won many new fans following his sporting behaviour during the race. When Emirati biker Mohammed Al Balooshi suffered a crash on the sands it was Price who stopped to make sure he could be rescued to safety before continuing with the rally.
“I came across Balooshi crashed out on the track. Rider safety is our main priority so I stopped to help him. I wish him all the best and quick recovery.” – Toby Price