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Baja TT Dehesa de Extremadura 2023: Baja TT Dehesa de Extremadura makes its FIM Baja World Cup debut
The Baja TT Dehesa Extremadura (Spain) is a new event included in the 2023 FIM Bajas World Cup as the third round of the season. After two events in the Middle East deserts, competitors will attack challenging European tracks over terrain a little less favorable to Mohammed Al-Balooshi, the current leader of the championship.
More than 70 riders will be present for the first European event and 20 are eligible to take part in the FIM Bajas World Cup (16 motorcycles and four quads).
Emirati rider Mohammed Al-Balooshi (KTM) and his brother Sultan will have to be wary of veterans David Megre, Rui Ferreira (Honda), Pedro Bianchi Prata (Honda) and Barry Howe (KTM), who all have formidable experience on this kind of terrain.
Junior entrant Jonathan Finn (Honda) is present and female rider Myriam Pol (Husqvarna) – who was the first woman to stand on the podium in Qatar last month - will be hoping to challenge both in the overall rankings and in her Women's category, as she bids to defend her position against Esther Merino Garcia (Husqvarna), Sara Garcia (Yamaha) and Sarah Khuraibet (KTM).
There are four challengers in the quad section: Toni Vingut, Hani Al-Noumesi (current leader of the World Cup), Haitham Al-Tuwaijri and Junior Kevin Giroud.
After passing administrative and technical checks on April 14th, riders will start the race with a 5.9km Prologue in Badajoz, in the region of El Pico, and then regroup across the border in Portugal at the town of Elvas.
On Saturday, April 15th, the main competition gets underway from 07.00hrs in Alconchel and will pass through the Higuera de Vargas, Zahínos, Oliva de la Frontera and Valencia del Mombuey areas in an opening stage (SS1) of 130km, before the assistance stop and a second stage of 200km in the afternoon.
The second day’s action on Sunday, April 16th is divided into two specials for a total of 155km on tracks around Santa Marta and Solana de los Barros.
Source FIM
Photo Rally-Raid Network / ImagensDesportivas
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