Stage 3 of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge took the field on a 388 km journey (including 237 km against the clock) from Mezaira’a to the Marathon Camp, set up in the Emirati desert. The competitors will spend the night there without their service crews and with a tent, a camping mattress and a sleeping bag as their sole companions. It is a historic first for the FIA race. Nasser Al Attiyah (The Dacia Sandriders) dominated the car stage and took the overall lead by 49 seconds over Lucas Moraes (Toyota Gazoo Racing).
His teammate Sébastien Loeb rounds out the podium at 2′46″. The weather conditions wrought havoc on the Challenger and SSV races. Race Control is deliberating on the final results. Tosha Schareina (Monster Energy Honda HRC) made it three victories out of four and toppled Daniel Sanders (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) from the top spot. A vicious battle rages on, with four riders within 2′53″.
Michael Docherty (SRG Motorsports) is still in a league of his own in Rally 2. In contrast, the shifting sands of the quad race continued to change the face of the classification, with Marek Łój (Poland National Team) becoming the fourth front-runner in as many days. The field will return to Mezaira’a on Wednesday at the end of stage 4, the longest in this edition at 394 km (including 300 against the clock). The first rider will hit the road at 8 am (GMT+4) and the first car at 9:50 am. Access the Race Center and follow the race live
FIA: Al Attiyah takes over the helm
A sensational Nasser Al Attiyah dominated the stage to scoop up his second triumph in this edition, after the prologue. The Dacia sharpshooter put 3′59″ into Seth Quintero, 4′00″ into Lucas Moraes (both Toyota) and 4′29″ into João Ferreira (Mini X-raid). Sébastien Loeb was opening the road after seizing the stage win and overall lead yesterday. He was matching his teammate blow for blow when the wind began to sweep away the motorbike tracks and make it harder to see. In addition to several less-than-optimal navigational choices, the Frenchman had to contend for a 2-minute penalty for speeding, relegating him to sixth place, 6′38″ back.
The reigning champion, Al Attiyah, soared to the ADDC lead, following in the slipstream of Moraes and Loeb. The Brazilian is his closest rival at 49 seconds, while the Frenchman dropped to the bottom step of the provisional podium, 2′46″ down. Quintero and his factory Hilux remain fourth, 6′07″ off the pace, with Ferreira and his Mini rounding out the top 5, 7′16″ adrift.
CHALLENGER AND SSV: Special suspended, deliberations under way
Howling winds started blowing in the area where several FIA entrants where racing during the afternoon, disrupting the air-based safety arrangements deployed by the organisation. Race Control therefore decided to interrupt the selective section for the Challenger and SSV competitors. In accordance with article 46 of the FIA Regulations, Race Control will allocate a certain time to the entrants in question. The results for these
FIM: “Toshattack” gets his own back
Yesterday saw Daniel Sanders wrest the overall lead from the winner of the prologue and stage 1, Tosha Schareina, but it was just a flash in the pan. Fast-forward 24 hours and the Spaniard is back at the top of the pecking order. Starting in seventh place, he made the most of the tracks of his rivals to ride flat out towards the Marathon Camp, where he crossed the finish line in triumph with 2′21″ in hand over Luciano Benavides. The KTM rider denied Honda a four of a kind, with Ricky Brabec third at 2′36″, Adrien Van Beveren fourth at 3′18″ and Skyler Howes fifth at 3′40″. “Chucky” shipped 4′08″ to the winner after leading the charge from flag to flag.
No need to panic, however, as the Australian limited the damage quite well, considering his precarious situation alone at the front of the field. He trails Schareina by 1′25″, but tomorrow it will be the Spaniard’s turn to open the road in a 300 km special. Benavides and Brabec remain well within striking distance at 2′03″ and 2′53″, respectively, making this one of the most fiercely contested editions in the history of the ADDC!
RALLY 2: Docherty 4ever
Michael Docherty continued his recital in the United Arab Emirates, extending his unblemished record with a fourth consecutive stage win. The South African put 4′27″ into Konrad Dąbrowski, bringing his overall lead to 20′18″ over the Pole. Tobias Ebster, third at 7′58″ from his stablemate Docherty, is back on the class podium. The Austrian is 37′17″ behind the leader and 2′54″ ahead of Ruy Barbosa (Xraids Experience) in fourth place.
QUADS: Fourth leader in as many days
The game of musical chairs continues in the quad competition. After Gaëtan Martinez (CFMoto Thunder Racing) snatched the lead in the prologue, Abdulaziz Ahli (SRG Motorsports) in stage 1 and Antanas Kanopkinas (CFMoto Thunder Racing) yesterday, today saw Marek Łój (Poland National Team) rise to the summit. The Pole is 9′19″ ahead of Kanopkinas and 36′35″ clear of Martinez. Meanwhile, Ahli took his second stage win in this edition as a consolation prize after succumbing to electrical problems in the previous special.
