Red Bull KTM’s Sam Sunderland leads the way in the 25th running of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, round one of the 2015 FIM Cross Country Rallies World Championship. Photography by RallyZone Bauer/Barni
The 2015 FIM Cross Country Rallies World Championship is officially underway with round one: the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge. Rally racing’s finest are taking to the sands of the Al Garbia Desert and battling the high temperatures and difficult navigation en route to the first checkered flag of the series.
Dakar Rally winner Marc Coma got things started in winning fashion, taking the first stage win of the race on Sunday (March 29). The Red Bull KTM rider finished over a minute ahead of his KTM factory teammate Sam Sunderland, who claimed second on the day.
Once again there to challenge the might of the Factory KTM team is Honda’s HRC factory effort. Unfortunately for HRC’s young gun Joan Barreda, a disastrous first day ended any chances he had of an overall victory. The Spaniard was leading on Day 1 through the third checkpoint but then suffered an electrical problem that left him stranded in the dunes. His HRC teammate Paolo Goncalves tried to offer assistance, which cost him several minutes, but Goncalves still went on to finish the day in third.
AMA National Hare & Hound Champion Ricky Brabec had a respectable opening day in his first-ever rally race, riding to a fifth-place finish aboard his HRC Honda, though it wasn’t without a little bit of drama…
“My first day here at the rally went good, but I made a rookie mistake just trying to ride through the dust,” Brabec explained. “I hit something on the road which popped me up and threw me on my side. Other than that it was a good day and I’m learning the way that the navigation works. I’m seeing these faster guys’ lines and how they approach it. It was a good day and hopefully the rest of the rally will be better.”
American desert champion Ricky Brabec is competing in the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge aboard a Factory HRC CRF450 RALLY, and currently sits sixth after two days in his first-ever rally. Photography by HRC
Barreda’s misfortune on Day 1 has not dissuaded him from gunning for stage wins. The Spaniard rebounded from his sub-par day to emerge victorious on Day 2, winning the longest stage of the rally (173 miles). After the motocross-style start, Barreda quickly moved into the lead where he managed to make up an astounding 11 minutes and 29 seconds on the field. Sunderland finished a scant three seconds ahead of his Factory KTM teammate Matthias Walkner, who finished third on the day. On account of Coma’s 11th place finish in the stage, Sunderland now moves into the overall lead. Coma, however, isn’t worried just yet. He is once again relying on his patience and experience – which includes seven Abu Dhabi Rally wins – to guide him to the finish.
“It is a rally with little navigation [landmarks] and where every small detail can be decisive,” Coma said. “We have to be very attentive and apply the maximum concentration. The conditions in Abu Dhabi are always very hard and the temperatures are very high.”
Goncalves retains his third-overall position with his 12th place finish – just behind Coma. American HRC rider Brabec carded sixth on the day and also holds sixth in the overall standings at the close of the second stage.
Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge Results: Day 2
1. Joan BARREDA, Team HRC (3:57’09)
2. Sam SUNDERLAND, KTM Red Bull Rally Factory (+11’29)
3. Matthias WALKNER, KTM Red Bull Rally Factory (+11’32)
4. Mohammed ALBALOOSHI, KTM UAC (+14’29)
5. Ruben FARIA, KTM Red Bull Rally Factory (+14’54)
6. Ricky BRABEC, Team HRC (+15’06)
7. Juan Carlos SALVATIERRA, KTM Warsaw Rally Team (+15’34)
8. José CORNEJO, Suzuki XRaids (+15’50)
9. Pablo QUINTANILLA, KTM Warsaw Rally Team (+16’08)
10. Armand MONLEóN, KTM Warsaw Rally Team (+16’12)
11. Marc COMA, KTM Red Bull Rally Factory (+16’20)
12. Paulo GONCALVES, Team HRC (+16’20)
