Cristina Gutiérrez is the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies T3 category champion © DPPI/Red Bull Content Pool

History has been made today on the dunes of Abu Dhabi as Cristina Gutiérrez (ESP) becomes the first-ever female driver to win the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies. The triumph comes off the back of a gruelling season that has seen Gutiérrez and her Red Bull Off-Road Junior Team take on perilous terrain in Europe, Africa and Asia
Gutiérrez finished the job in style as she and co-driver François Cazalet (FRA) took their OT3 race vehicle to a stage win on the final day of competition at the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge. The points accrued in the dunes of the Empty Quarter gave the duo an unassailable lead in the T3 category of the 2021 FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies.

“We are World Champions! I can’t believe it, after such a hard year I’ve had, I can’t be happier. I have no words!” – Cristina Gutiérrez

It’s even more history for Gutiérrez as she becomes the first-ever woman to win a World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies title. Earlier this year the Spanish racer had become the first female to win a stage of the Dakar Rally since Jutta Kleinschmidt’s last stage win in 2005.

The foundations were laid for Gutiérrez’s historical triumph with wins at the first two stops of the World Cup season. An emotionally charged victory in her native Spain at May’s Andalucia Rally was followed up with a win at Rally Kazakhstan in June. Things were not so straightforward though for the championship leader. She summoned superhuman strength to cross the finish line in Kazakhstan after sustaining three broken vertebrae during the final stage of the rally.

Gutiérrez was transferred directly from the finish line in Kazakhstan to hospital. It was uncertain whether she would race again this year, but the Red Bull Off-Road Junior Team driver was determined to get back as soon as possible. Two months of intense recovery, physiotherapy and doctor’s appointments followed, before Gutiérrez was given the green light to return to racing.

More precious championship points were secured at Rallye du Maroc last month before Gutiérrez and the Red Bull Off-Road Junior Team pitched up at the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge. Another solid performance saw her go clear of her nearest competitor – fellow Spaniard Fernando Alvarez – in the rankings. At the finish line in Abu Dhabi it was confirmed that Gutiérrez had done enough to be crowned T3 champion of the 2021 FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies, even with one race of the season still remaining.

“Thank you all for your love and support, thank you to my family for always sending me the best energy! Thanks to all the Red Bull Off-Road Junior Team for a great job and thank you to my co-driver François Cazalet for a great year!” – Cristina Gutiérrez

Special praise was also reserved for Ken Westermeyer from M-Track who came to Abu Dhabi all the way from South Africa. With his bags full of new parts to work on Gutiérrez’s gearbox after each stage, Westermeyer played a key role in helping Gutiérrez maintain a trouble-free run.

Gutierrez and Cazalet were congratulated at the finish line by team-mates Seth Quintero (USA)/Dennis Zenz (GER) and Guillaume De Mevius (BEL)/Tom Colsoul (BEL). These two Red Bull Off-Road Junior Team crews had been running the 2022 spec OT3 in Abu Dhabi. The valuable kilometres both crews managed to bank at the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge will be used as part of the team’s preparation for the 2022 Dakar Rally, starting on January 1.

“Huge congratulations to Cristina and François, T3 Cross-Country World Champions!” – Guillaume De Mevius

Gutierrez’s record-breaking achievement underlines the ambition of the Red Bull Off-Road Junior Team to provide a springboard for new talent to succeed in rally-raid. Just two years into the program – and after developing its own OT3 by Overdrive prototype car – it now has its first world champion. The result is testament to the hard work and dedication of every single member of the team.

The Red Bull Off-Road Junior Team also shares this World Cup win with its passionate partners who have been onboard since the very first kilometre. BFGoodrich have developed with us a specialist side-by-side tire, the KDR3. Meanwhile, KMC Wheels have manufactured a customised forged wheel for the program and have flown 50 latest spec wheels in unit boxes around the world via FedEx to allow us having the best product to race. We celebrate our latest achievement with all those involved with the Red Bull Off-Road Junior Team program.

Following victory in the World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies, the Red Bull Off-Road Junior Team are more determined than ever to keep up their winning streak as they target success at the upcoming Dakar Rally.

2021 FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies – T3 category

1. Cristina Gutiérrez (ESP)
2. Fernando Alvarez (ESP)
3. Pavel Lebedev (RUS)

Select Quotes

Cristina Gutiérrez:

“We are World Champions! I can’t believe it, after such a hard year I’ve had, I can’t be happier. I have no words! Thank you all for your love and support, thank you to my family for always sending me the best energy! Thanks to all the Red Bull Off-Road Junior Team for a great job and thank you to my co-driver François Cazalet for a great year!
It was not an easy rally for us. We had some trouble since the beginning, but we tried to manage the best we could. The first couple of stages in particular were not easy for us here in Abu Dhabi. Finally we managed to find a good pace and avoid mistakes. With this we made it to the finish line and took important points for the championship.
This is rally-raid and you need to keep your speed all the time. These races are so long so it’s difficult to always be at the front on every stage. It was important to us to make sure we scored as many points as possible."

Guillaume De Mevius:

“I’m very happy with this rally, it was very nice for me and Tom to learn to drive together. Also for me to learn to drive in the sand and on the dunes. It was five days of sand so that definitely helped me a lot. I still have things to learn, but for sure this was a good training for me. We helped prepare the team’s car for the next Dakar so it was a good race for us. Now we have to concentrate on the Dakar and all our objectives for that. I’m certain it will all be OK and we will put everything together for the Dakar. Huge congratulations to Cristina and François, T3 Cross-Country World Champions!”

Seth Quintero:

“My experience of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge was a lot of fun. The stages that I did were fun. Unfortunately our rally got cut short, but I’m already looking forward to coming back next year and trying to get a win.”

Source RedBull

The Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge celebrated its 30th anniversary by closing out the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship season and delivered a race full of surprises.
From the super special stage (SSS), Matthias Walkner (KTM) sealed the fastest time and therefore started the opening desert selective section from 17th on the road - the finishing order of the SSS is reversed for the start of SS1 - and time counts for the overall classification with a coefficient of x4.

Despite this strategy, it was Ross Branch (Yamaha) who won SS1 to open up a four-second lead over the reigning World Champion, with Franco Caimi (Hero) in third on the stage. Every day, the thermometer displayed more than 36°C in the shade. Engines were put to the test by the heat,
Rafal Sonik (Yamaha) returned by road on the first day and Franco Caimi (Hero) broke his bike in SS2.

The Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge always takes place in the Empty Quarter, a playground almost exclusively made up of sand dunes, sometimes very high and sometimes broken and the heat of the midday sun makes them treacherous.
Branch bore the brunt in SS2 - the first part of the marathon stage. He arrived in parc fermé with a broken navigation tower and a destroyed road book winder. Walkner duly gained an overall lead of 2min 38sec over Adrien Van Beveren (Yamaha), who found the right feeling with his bike to set the fastest time.
Branch had hit his head during his fall and, at the exit of parc fermé at the start of SS3, the team prevented him from taking the start. He was duly entitled to a day of rest. The game was not yet over, however, and Daniel Sanders (GasGas) chased Walkner, won stage three and found himself within a minute of his rival.

Adrien Van Beveren (Yamaha) then won the fourth stage but Walkner finished second and gained minutes in the overall classification. Andrew Short (Yamaha) retired with a broken engine after 8km of the stage and there was a similar problem for Manuel Andujar, who was fighting with Rafal Sonik for the Quad World Cup title. Sebastian Bühler (Hero) fell heavily and broke his femur in the fourth stage.
The suspense was not over yet and a fifth stage that consisted of 34km of liaison and 216km of selective sections brought competitors back to Abu Dhabi.
Rally motorcycles have a fuel tank allowing them to run 250 km without refuelling, but the sand is soft and riders were a little nervous at the start. And for good reason… there was no refuelling point on this stage.

“On paper,”

said Walkner,

“Sanders had the best maps because we started this morning with a lot of dunes and off-piste. I rode and caught up with Adrien around km70 and did my best. We started to really attack at a very good pace and I was sure the results would be very close. But at km160, I told myself that we were at the limit of fuel management and gave up the attack to try to survive until the finish line.
_ “I am happy with my performance throughout the season thanks to the work of my mechanic Tom, and we are ready for the Dakar!"_

Daniel Sanders ran out of fuel shortly before the finish and had to push his motorcycle, while Adrien Van Beveren finished in a very good second place ahead of Joaquim Rodrigues (Hero), who climbed to the third step of the podium.
Unsurprisingly, Konrad Dabrowski (KTM Duust) won the Junior Class 2 title in RallyGP. Anastasiya Nifontova, who abandoned four wheels to return to her first love, won the female category, while Dave McBride was ranked best RallyGP Veteran.
In Rally2, the revelation was Dubai-based South African Michael Docherty, who won the category and would have been classified in third position in the general classification of all categories. American rookie Jacob Argubright (KTM Duust) was second, ahead of Makis Rees-Stravos and Danish rookie Thomas Kongshøj (KTM Duust).

In the Quad category, the rally victory fell to Abdulaziz Ahli, who finished ahead of Rafal Sonik and Manuel Andujar, the latter winning the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Cup.

Tal and David Galimidi won the rally in the FIM SSV category and finished third in the World Cup. Roy Bartov and Guy Biton came second.

 

Source: FIM Bajas & Cross-Country Rallies

 

Russian’s Denis Krotov and Konstantin Zhiltsov finished third in a MINI JCW Buggy at the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, the fifth and penultimate round of the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies. The MINI JCW Buggy crew of Sebastian Halpern and Bernardo “Ronnie” Graue (both ARG) ended the rally in Abu Dhabi in fifth place. Jakub “Kuba” Przygonski (POL) and Timo Gottschalk (GER) were 18th after some issues. The Russian pair of Victor Khoroshavtsev and Anton Nikolaev were forced to retire from the rally  after a big crash on day three.
 
It was a successful rally for Krotov and Zhiltsov. The two Russians were contesting their first all-desert rally in the MINI JCW Buggy. Apart from a 14th place on day two, they were consistently in the top five. This allowed them to take advantage of mistakes made by the opposition and make it onto the podium.
 
Halpern and Graue also showed what is possible with a consistent performance. After problems on day two, the two Argentineans found themselves languishing in twelfth place. However, they were consistently in the top six on the following days, benefitted from mistakes from other competitors, and thus worked their way back into the top five in the overall standings.
 
Sebastian Halpern:

"The Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge was technically very demanding. We are pleased to have finished in the top five. In terms of Dakar preparation, it really helped to get plenty of kilometres under our belts on sand and in the dunes.”

 Przygonski looked set to claim a spot on the podium at the rally in Abu Dhabi. The Pole was second or third in each of the first three stages, and was running second overall. However, he lost a lot of time on day four, which saw him drop out of the top ten.
 
Jakub Przygonski:

“We enjoyed the rally and it is good preparation for the Dakar. We had fun in the MINI JCW Buggy and used the rally to do a lot of testing. Unfortunately, yesterday’s issues mean our overall result is not so good. However, that aside, the results are very good. Next up for us is the Hail Rally, and I am sure that we can be quicker.”

The sixth and final round of the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies is the Hail Rally in Saudi Arabia from 6th to 11th December 2021.

Source: X-Raid Team

 South Racing-built Can-Ams dominated the FIA T3 and T4 categories at the gruelling Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge and victory in T4 earned American racer Austin Jones the 2021 FIA T4 Drivers’ title in his Monster Energy-backed Can-Am Maverick.

South Racing-built machines filled all the podium places in the T4 section on the penultimate round of the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies and finished first, third and fifth in the FIA T3 category.

Jones and Brazilian navigator Gustavo Gugelmin suffered a little from road position on the first days of the event through the remote deserts of the UAE’s Empty Quarter but managed their pace well when it mattered and carved out a winning advantage of 11min 38sec with second place on the final stage. They also finished in a stunning sixth place in the general classification behind five more powerful T1 cars.

Marek Goczal and Lukasz Laskawiec led for large parts of the race and were just over a minute adrift of Jones heading into the last stage. The sixth quickest time on the final day pushed them out of contention for the win in the Energylandia Rally Team Can-Am, but they finished second overall.

The fastest time on the final stage and problems in the dunes for Dutchman Kees Koolen and his co-driver Mirjam Pol enabled the Monster Energy Can-Am Team crew of Aron Domzala and Maciej Marton to round off the podium places. Koolen got stuck in the soft sand and dropped from third to an eventual sixth place.

South Racing Middle East ran three cars alongside the main South Racing operation and UAE driver Mansour Al-Helai finished fourth overall with co-driver Abdullah Dakhan in one of the Can-Ams.

The Italian crew of Eugenio Amos and Paulo Ceci won the fourth stage and reached the finish in fifth place, with Michal Goczal and Szymon Gospodarczyk finishing seventh in the second of the Energylandia Rally Team-backed Can-Ams.

Brazil’s Rodrigo de Oliveira Luppi teamed up with Maykel Justo to finish eighth. “This was a big experience for Rodrigo, good training for Dakar and only his third time in the dunes. It was also my first time in Abu Dhabi,” said Justo. “It was so difficult for us. We broke the drive shaft on day one and the gear arm on day two and lost around 15 minutes to change it.”
 
Australia’s Molly Taylor and Dale Moscatt came home in ninth and South Racing Middle East’s Thomas Bell teamed up with Bruno Jacomy to finish 10th after surviving a roll in the dunes early in the rally.

Bell’s consolation was an outright FIA T3 victory for Saudi Arabia’s Saleh Al-Saif and Egor Okhotikov in a South Racing Middle East-run Can-Am. Al-Saif finished 47min 26sec ahead of Cristina Gutierrez.

South Racing Can-Ams were third and fifth, with Spaniard Fernando Alvarez teaming up with Frenchman Xavier Panseri in third and Sweden’s Sebastien Eriksson finishing fifth with Spain’s Oriol Mena. The Russian duo of Pavel Lebedev and Kirill Shubin led for part of the race before suffering engine issues. Dropped scores mean that Alvarez will not be able to win the title at the final round in Saudi Arabia next month.

South Racing Can-Am Team’s Scott Abraham said: “This was a great result for the South Racing brand, as well as our South Racing Middle East structure, taking wins in both the T4 and T3 categories and, at the same time, winning the T4 World Cup with Austin Jones after a hard-fought year. This was to add to the T4 Teams’ World Championship and the superb performances we also showed in the FIA Baja series this season.

“The Can-Am Maverick showed yet again that it is the best performing side-by-side vehicle in the business. It was a great overall result and performance for the whole team on one of the most demanding rallies in the world calendar.”

As it happened

Marek Goczal carved out a T4 lead of 54 seconds over local driver Mansour Al-Helai through the opening selective section of 265.04km between Abu Dhabi and the bivouac at Qasr Al-Sarab. Series leader Jones came home in third place and Amos and Michal Goczal rounded off the top five on a stage where all 11 T4 runners finished without major issues.

“The dunes here are scary,”

admitted Jones.

“There are a lot of drop-offs and a lot of weird things that you have to deal with. You can never relax. You always have to be on the wheel watching. It’s so hard here. It doesn’t feel super hot but when you are in the car it is burning.”

Alvarez started well in T3 to lead the category by 13 seconds from South Racing Middle East’s Al-Saif and Lebedev. Series leader Gutierrez was fourth.

“We had a clean stage and no problems,” said Alvarez. “We didn’t take any risks and we won the stage in our category.”

Jones surged into the outright T4 lead with the fastest time on the second loop stage of 318.02km through the dunes and across the gatch roads of the Rub Al-Khali.

The American won the test by 2min 26sec to gain a lead of 2min 22sec over Marek Goczal. Amos, Al-Helai and Koolen rounded off the top five in the overall standings, but Bell hit trouble on the stage after rolling in the dunes. He was soon joined by Germany’s Annett Fischer, who crashed her Can-Am heavily in the same place.

A broken drive shaft after 100km of the stage also cost Michal Goczal dearly, although team-mate Rodrigo Luppi was on hand to help to extricate the Can-Am from the soft sand.

“We had a really good day,”

said Jones.

“We kept a good pace but we had a little bit of a problem about 10km from the finish. We had to take it down a couple of notches but we had a good day.”It was a very long day and the first part of the stage was with big dunes,”

said Amos.

“Half an hour before the refuelling I lost a bit of concentration and we went slower. In the last section we went flat out. At one point we had 27km without a note…”

Lebedev won the T3 special to snatch a 4min 46sec lead from Al-Saif, as Alvarez slipped to fourth behind Gutierrez. Eriksson recovered well from first day electrical issues but had to stop and repair a wheel bearing and lost around an hour.

“The dunes here are fantastic,”

said the Swede.

“It’s like a big playground for men!”

Marek Goczal claimed the T4 win on the third loop stage of 289.75km, the Pole beating Al-Helai by 2min 01sec to regain the lead from stage opener Jones and hold a stunning fifth in the general classification. The American came home in fifth behind Domzala and Koolen and dropped nearly six minutes to his Polish rival.

“Opening the road is hard,”

admitted Jones.

“We’ve opened up every day this race. It’s crazy. Everyone else is able to follow and gets a ride. It’s been tough for us to make up time. No problems and we ran at a good pace. “Every day you have to concentrate like crazy, because if you miss one drop down you can crash,”

admitted Koolen.

“I always drive in a disciplined way here. Days two, three and four are always in the dunes and very difficult. Very tiring days.”

Bell was back in the fray after his roll on day two, but time penalties had pushed him close to the foot of the T4 rankings.

Al-Saif claimed the T3 stage win, the Saudi beating Gutierrez by 11 seconds to snatch a miniscule two-second cushion over Lebedev in the rankings. Eriksson and Alvarez came home in fourth and fifth, with Alvarez breaking a drive shaft and getting stuck in a dune in two-wheel drive for a short time and incurring costly time penalties.

Amos won the fourth stage of 251.93km by 4min 02sec to hold sixth in the T4 standings and Jones moved to the top of the leader board with the third quickest time behind Michal Goczal. The Pole’s brother came home in sixth and trailed Jones by 61 seconds heading into the final day. Koolen, Domzala and Al-Helai were third, fourth and fifth overall.

Al-Saif won the T3 tussle from Alvarez and increased his advantage over Gutierrez to 1hr 01min 22sec, the Saudi’s victory bid strengthened when Lebedev hit engine trouble after driving with the oil light on for 50km.

Second place on the final stage behind Domzala enabled Jones to seal the title and the win in Abu Dhabi, but there was late disappointment for Koolen and his retirement lifted Domzala into third in T4 behind Marek Goczal. Al-Saif safely defended his massive lead to claim the T3 victory and Alvarez confirmed third place.

Support for the South Racing Can-Am Team came from Method Wheels, Tensor Tires, Motul, Bell, Jjuan Brake Systems, Lazer and OMP.

 

Source: South Racing
 

 

Overdrive Racing’s Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah moved to within touching distance of the 2021 FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies  Drivers’ Championship with a dominant third career victory at the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge on Thursday. 

Partnered by Frenchman Matthieu Baumel, the Qatari won the first four of the five selective sections through the UAE’s Empty Quarter and was able to ease his pace on the final timed test to confirm victory by the margin of 21min 12sec in his Toyota Gazoo Racing Hilux.

Overdrive Racing team-mate Lucio Alvarez won the final stage and kept his slim title hopes alive with a fine second overall alongside Spanish navigator Armand Monleón.

Saudi Arabia’s Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Ulster co-driver Michael Orr had hoped to be battling it out for the championship, but a drive shaft breakage cost them dearly and Al-Rajhi fought back to finish in fourth place behind Russia’s Denis Krotov.

Dutchman Erik van Loon and French co-driver Sebastien Delaunay crewed Toyota’s latest Hilux T1+ Ultimate for the second time after a successful debut in Morocco last month. The car again set some competitive times and the Dutchman was the fastest of all the 2022 specification vehicles on the final stage.

Cristina Gutierrez, partnered by French co-driver François Cazalet, secured the 2021 FIA T3 Drivers’ Championship with second place in the category in a Red Bull-backed Overdrive OT3. The Spanish girl began the event 11.5 points in front of Fernando Alvarez and managed to increase the advantage over her fellow countryman, who finished third in Abu Dhabi. When the dropped score rule comes into play, Gutierrez cannot be beaten by Alvarez regardless of the outcome of the final round next month.

Young American racer Seth Quintero teamed up with Germany’s Dennis Zenz and Belgium’s Guillaume de Mevius and Tom Colsoul paired together to drive two of the 2022 specification OT3s in a separate category with support from Red Bull. De Mevius, in particular, set some competitive stage times as the team prepares for Dakar.

“Nasser is the master of the dunes and he did a fantastic race to win the first four stages,”

said Overdrive Racing’s CEO Jean-Marc Fortin.

“We did not want to reproduce what happened in 2017 with a big crash on the last stage, so he was cruising a little bit today. Lucio Alvarez, we have a new Lucio who won in Kazakhstan and is fighting for the second place in the championship. He even made sure that Nasser is not the champion yet. That is fantastic. We had P4 with Yazeed. He is getting back after his accident in Sharqiya. The terrain in the Desert Challenge is difficult. It was not easy to start but we made it. Erik (van Loon) made a good practice in T1+. We had a small issue with the transmission but we knew this rally would be demanding. We are fully confident for Dakar. We also have the good news that Cristina (Gutierrez) is the T3 World Champion. That’s really good. We pushed a lot over the last few years to get this result. She is very strong with a very strong character. The whole team in OT3 deserves this victory. Now we have a new product coming in 2022 for Dakar. We were testing this with Guillaume and Seth. We have a few weeks again to fix some small problems but we will be in Dakar.”

Al-Attiyah started confidently on the opening selective section of 265km between Abu Dhabi and Qasr Al-Sarab and he beat Poland’s Jakub Przygonski by three minutes to carve out an early lead. Title rivals and team-mates, Alvarez and Al-Rajhi, finished the special in third and fourth, but were 7min 11sec and 7min 57sec behind the Qatari, respectively.

Van Loon continued the development of the Hilux T1+ with a competitive time in a stand-alone class but De Mevius rolled the prototype OT4 in the dunes. ”It was not the best day for us,” said the Belgian. “Seth came to help us. The new car is feeling good, the power, the gearbox and everything.”

The Qatari continued his impressive early form to win stage two by 3min 07sec and extend his advantage over Przygonski to 6min 07sec. More importantly, Al-Attiyah’s lead over both Alvarez and Al-Rajhi grew to 16min 53sec and 25in 40sec.

“We are quite happy,”

said Al-Attiyah.

“It was not an easy day because it took more than four hours driving, but it’s good experience and we learned a lot. It was very tough in the dunes near the border. That is good learning for Dakar.”

Gutierrez maintained third place in T3 but there were drive shaft delays for Van Loon in the 2022 category. De Mevius enjoyed a solid run that would have put him in fourth overall in the FIA section on the day.

Another fastest time on the third loop stage of 289.75km enabled Al-Attiyah to increase his lead over Przygonski to 11min 18sec and his title chances also received a boost when Al-Rajhi was forced to stop and change a broken drive shaft and the time loss of over 42 minutes dropped the Saudi to seventh in the rankings.

The second quickest time kept Alvarez in the hunt in third overall and it was a good stage for Van Loon in the T1+. Both Quintero and De Mevius incurred stage maximum time penalties, but Gutierrez was second in the T3 section and maintained third place.

“A lot of broken dunes today and the temperature was very high,”

said Van Loon’s co-driver Delaunay.

“This is good testing for Dakar. We get a good feeling with the T1+ and we change the settings of the shocks now. It is extremely comfortable and more soft. We had a little issue with one shaft on day two. We change it and we were able to finish the stage. It was a really nice stage but the first part was complicated in the dunes,”

said Alvarez.

“After the neutralisation, we pushed and finished second. Some parts were very tricky with the bumps and we needed a lot of concentration.”

Al-Attiyah made it four stage wins in a row on the last of the loops through the Rub Al-Khali. He beat Alvarez by 2min 15sec to take a lead of 23min 48sec into the final run back to Abu Dhabi. Al-Rajhi recovered well from his day three delays to set the fourth quickest time and climbed back to fourth place when Przygonski suffered his own delays.

Al-Attiyah’s co-driver Baumel said:

“Some nice sandy tracks and dunes. Easy drive through the dunes for Nasser and nice navigation. For the navigator, you don’t have too much trouble here because every five or six kilometres you have a waypoint and you can’t really make a big mistake. I have one victory at this race and Nasser got two, but we didn’t compete here for the last four years and one time we were leading by far (2017) but had a crash on the last day.”

Despite a broken suspension arm, Gutierrez climbed to second in T4 when Pavel Lebedev retired and it was a good stage for De Mevius in the 2022 category.

There were no risks for Al-Attiyah on the final stage and no repeat of the crash that cost him the win in 2017. The Qatari reached the finish in third place behind Alvarez and Al-Rajhi to secure his third win in Abu Dhabi (2008, 2016 and 2021) and Baumel’s second success (2016 and 2021).

The season reaches a climax at the Ha’il International Rally in Saudi Arabia at the start of December.

 

Source: Overdrive Racing

A real adventure. Yesterday the two Italian CST Polaris Xtremeplus team left the bivouac at the oasis of Ksar Ghilane heading to Douz for a 255km long stage.
As anticipated by the organizers, the fifth stage was the toughest one because it was all about dunes and more dunes, sandy tracks mixed with more dunes. For those who are new to the Tunisian desert, the special took the competitors through about 40 kilometres of semi-off-road tracks in the typical "dunettes" of Tunisia, small but very tricky dunes.
 

“Sand, sand and more sand”,

 

said Andrea Tronconi at the arrival at the bivouac this morning at 5:30 am. Yesterday it was a very intense day; we had an issue with the suspension, and we were obliged to slow down.  We get stuck so many times. We also broke the belt. As the night arrived, we preferred to sleep in the desert and hit the road again this morning with the first morning light”.
 

“It was a wise decision”,

 

confessed Giorgio Papa, the navigator,

 

“considered that this is our first rally with the Polaris. It was tough but for sure we have a real adventure to tell when we go back home”.
 

Be prepare for the unexpected.

 

“This is in the DNA of the Rally Raids and the Dakar, so it’s part of the game, even if we prefer to sleep in the Xtremeplus motorhome at the bivouac”,

continued Andrea.
 
For Tronconi and Papa just the time for a warm shower and a rich breakfast  before taking the start of the 6th stage (Douz-Star Wars). Meanwhile the mechanics worked on their Polaris Pro XP equipped with the robust CST Apache tyres.
 
The second crew, Checco Tonetti and Andrea Bertoldi, are expected to reach the bivouac of Douz any minutes. They also had a tough day in the dunes. They spent the night in the desert with the Xtremeplus assistance truck and are now on the way to the bivouac.

 

Source Xtremeplus

The CST Polaris Xtremeplus at the start of SS4

SS4 Ksar Ghilane - Ksar Ghilane 287 kms
 
Small dunes, sandy paths and technical navigation was on the menu of the fourth stage of the Tunisia Desert Challenge. A loop of 287 km around the oasis of Ksar Ghilane challenged the competitors with all kind of tracks: lots of turns and twists but also fast tracks. Many sections featured small dunes and sandy stretches, that required a quick adaptation.

“It was a very fast stage where he kept a high average speed. We eventually finished 7th at only 8 minutes from the top”, stated Checco Tonetti. “Alberto (Bertoldi), my co-driver, did a very good job solving some tricky notes that made the navigation quiet challenging. The stage was fast but required a lot of concentration. Tomorrow we expect a long stage with a lot of dunes and technical navigation so we aim at recovering some positions because the Polaris is very fast on the dunes and we can also make the difference”.    

“The stage started with a tricky sandy and winding tracks along camel grass that required a lot of attention in riding and in navigating”, stated Andrea Tronconi, “This fortunately was a part of the timed section, because today we could also enjoy the beauty of the vast open landscapes. Navigation challenges where in store where we less expected them, but all in all it was a very positive day. We finished 9th and we learned a lot”.

Source Xtremeplus

The two experienced CST Polaris Xtremeplus crews of Jose Luis Pena Campo Tornabell -Rafael Tornabell and Liam Griffin-Eric Bersey didn’t took the start the third stage of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge.
 
Following yesterday’s jump in the dunes of the Liwa Desert, the doctors of the Rally Organization recommended to rest as a precautionary measure, suggestion that the Xtremeplus team welcomed.

“Safety comes first, so even if it’s hard, we all agree to welcome the doctors’ indications”, stated Marco Piana, the team owner, “José Luis and Rafael were doing a great race with the podium finish in the championship in mind so the time lost yesterday would have compromised their race anyway. It’s best to rest and focus on a full recovery. The same is for Liam Griffin and Eric Bersey. It was their first race together and  the first race since 2021 Dakar so it was good to warm up and regain the pace. Liam was also testing some new parts on the car in preparation of the 2022 Dakar. Their plans for the Dakar are confirmed so we look forward to see Liam and Eric in Saudi Arabia in January”.

About XTREMEPLUS
Recognized for the professionalism and the quality of the preparations of the Polaris RZR for the Cross-Country Rallies, XTREMEPLUS IS THE ONLY TEAM SUPPORTED BY POLARIS USA AND POLARIS EUROPE.
Founded by Marco Piana in 2004, Xtremeplus has its workshop in Gorrevod - Municipality of Pont de Vaux - not far from Mâcon.

Source Xtremeplus

 Xtremeplus and Jose Luis Pena at the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge to fight for the 3rd position

“It’s thanks to a great team that Xtremeplus can race the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge and the Tunisia Desert Challenge with 4 crews in total”, states Marco Piana, the team owner.

Eight stages, 2,800 kms, a great atmosphere at the bivouac where all the gentlemen drivers can gather and share their adventures. This is the winning formula of the Tunisia Desert Challenge.
Today the prologue Djerba-Djerba gave a taste of what competitors will face during the rally. The 40km-long prologue featured a variety of terrains: fast gravel piste, off-road tracks, and sand. The ride through the olive trees made the experience even more fantastic.
 
The Xtremeplus team, committed also in Abu Dhabi with two crews, lines up the experienced Checco Tonetti and Alberto Bertoldi, (winner of the 2021 Transanatolia Rally with the bike) at his first experience with the SSV, and the duo Andrea Tronconi and Giorgio Papa, two veteran on the bikes, also at their debut on the Polaris equipped with CST Apache tyres.    
 
Checco Tonetti is a very familiar face in the rally raids bivouacs. 6th overall at the 2012 Dakar in South America in the quad category, 29th overall in the bike category (10th in the rookie standing) when the Dakar was still in Africa in 2004, Checco has done several rallies, but also racing on the tarmac. This year he won at Djion in France and was second at Le Castellet with a Brabham in the Formula Junior.  

“It’s nice to be back in the desert and I really like the formula of this rally because there are no factory teams and there is a very nice atmosphere among us gentleman drivers”, stated Tonetti. Today the prologue was very technical in terms of navigation. It was a pity that we made several mistakes with the navigation and Alberto is at his first experience with the cars, so it is normal. From bike to cars, the perspective changes and it requires a bit of adaptation, but we are super enthusiastic. Today we finished around the 20th position, but I know we can do better”.

“As a rider I’m used to navigate and this is also my expertise so when I was asked to do the co-driver on the 2022 Dakar after I won the Transanatolia in Turkey, I accepted with great pleasure”, confessed Alberto Bertoldi. “With Marco Piana we decided to do a rally before the big appointment so that I could get familiar with the communication with the driver, the different roadbook and here I am. I am delighted to share the cockpit with Checco Tonetti and learn from him. He is a very fast and experienced driver with several Dakar and rallies under his belt.  
Bikes are my first love. I did two Dakar with the bike in South America and in Arabia, but now, aged 45, I think it’s a good moment to drive with the SSV. I feel much more protected and safe”.

Andrea Tronconi and Giorgio Papa are very well known in the Italian Motor rally as well as in international events. Used at 2 wheels, this time they doubled and the first experience with a Polaris Pro XP.

“I use to do rally with the bikes, while I compete with the cars in circuits. This year for example in the Mini Challenge. Racing here in Tunisia with a Polaris is an interesting way to combine off-road with cars. It’s the first experience so we want to enjoy and get familiar with the vehicle.  Today the navigation of the Prologue was tricky as it was the first time also for Giorgio (Papa) as a co-driver. When you are on a bike, the navigation is more visual and you decide on your own. In the cockpit of a Side by Side the perspective change and it’s a team work”, commented Tronconi. “The good thing is that we are enjoying this new experience. Today we finished around 20th , but it’s just the start”.

Source Xtremeplus

Off-road engines are revving into gear for the 30th edition of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge. 1,355 kilometres spread over five desert stages in the treacherous Empty Quarter will push the convoy to their limits. There’s FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies and FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship points up for grabs, as well as crucial Dakar Rally prep to be done.
Nasser Al-Attiyah (QAT) is chasing his third ADDC car race title alongside co-driver Mathieu Baumel (FRA). If they can park their Toyota Hilux on the top step of the podium in Abu Dhabi it will bring Al-Attiyah to the verge of a fifth World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies title (and fourth with Baumel).

"Our Hilux has proven itself as a race winner, so we have every reason to hope for a good result." – Nasser Al-Attiyah

Among the world class field aiming to beat Al-Attiyah is 2018 World Cup winner Kuba Przygonski (POL) and co-driver Timo Gottschalk (GER) in their MINI John Cooper Works Buggy.

"In January I will drive a new car at the Dakar. That is why every competitive kilometre is worth its weight in gold for me." – Kuba Przygonski

The battle of the T3 side-by-side machines in Abu Dhabi promises to be intriguing with the overall World Cup category title still on the line. Victories in Andalucia and Kazakhstan earlier in the year have Red Bull Off-Road Junior Team pair Cristina Gutiérrez (ESP) and co-driver François Cazalet (FRA) leading the championship by 11.5 points. Gutiérrez will be driving the Junior Team’s 2021 FIA Spec OT3 in Abu Dhabi

“Now I really want to get started here and try for the first time the dunes of Abu Dhabi.” – Cristina Gutiérrez

Gutiérrez and Cazalet will have the support of fellow Red Bull Off-Road Junior Team crews Seth Quintero (USA)/Dennis Zenz (GER) and Guillaume De Mevius (BEL)/Tom Colsoul (BEL) as the squad aim to maintain their T3 championship lead in Abu Dhabi.

“We’re going to try our best to stay in front and maybe get an overall stage win. Let’s be optimistic and see what we can get done!” – Seth Quintero

Quintero and De Mevius will also be doing valuable work for the team by running OT3s that adhere to the 2022 FIA Spec as the testing program continues ahead of next year’s Dakar.

“We’re driving the new car the team will use at the 2022 Dakar Rally, so we’ll do what we can to help prepare this car the best we can.” – Guillaume De Mevius

Over in the bike race a second Cross-Country Rallies World Championship has already been wrapped up by Matthias Walkner (AUT) this season. However, the 2018 Dakar winner still has a big gap to fill on his cross-country resume… he is yet to win the ADDC. The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider will be looking to put that right as soon as possible.

“The team have been great all year, so a big thank you to them.” – Matthias Walkner

Looking to cap off a remarkable debut season with an overall podium finish in the Cross-Country Rallies World Championship is GasGas Factory rider Daniel Sanders (AUS).

"I’m going into the race to win it – I think if all goes well, I’ve got a good chance to do that." – Daniel Sanders

Local fans will be cheering on Dakar regular Mohammed Balooshi (UAE) who will be looking to get in further valuable kilometres on familiar ground in Abu Dhabi

The action starts for the bikers with a prologue stage at the Yas Marina Circuit on Saturday, November 6. Then the entire Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge convoy sets off on the first of five desert stages on Sunday, November 7. The winners will be known at the end of the fifth and final stage on Thursday, November 11.

QUOTES

Nasser Al-Attiyah: "

Our Hilux has proven itself as a race winner, so we have every reason to hope for a good result."

Kuba Przygonski:

“This is the time of the year when you feel that Dakar is fast approaching. There is something going on all the time, I look at my calendar all the time and plan my trainings, tests, meetings, etc. But that's good, I prefer when a lot is going on around me. This year, these days are especially important, because in January I will drive a new car at the Dakar. That is why every competitive kilometre is worth its weight in gold for me.”

Cristina Gutiérrez:

“I really want to compete here because we are still leaders in the World Cup and I think it’s a good opportunity to get valuable points. We continue to lead the World Cup after the the previous rally in Morocco. Now I really want to start here and try for the first time the dunes of Abu Dhabi.”

Seth Quintero:

“I’m excited to be back with the Red Bull Off-Road Junior Team in Abu Dhabi. We’re here to do some testing and development on the car and learn for Dakar. Dakar is coming up quick and we’re going to take this time to dial everything in. We’ll be at the front of the race because we’re running in the 2022 class. It’s pretty nerve-racking to be amongst the big guys like Nasser. We’re just going to try our best to stay in front of them to be honest and maybe get an overall stage win. Let’s be optimistic and see what we can get done!

Guillaume De Mevius:

“I’m here in Abu Dhabi to continue my learning in the sand. For sure this is something important for me to keep learning and we’ll be concentrating on that. Also, we’re driving the new car the team will use at the 2022 Dakar Rally, so we’ll do what we can to help prepare this car the best we can.”

Matthias Walkner:

“The team have been great all year, so a big thank you to them.”

Daniel Sanders:

“I’m really excited to take on the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge and get in some racing before the Dakar in January. Things went well at the last round of the championship in Morocco, and since then we’ve been training hard, working on the bike, and doing more roadbook stuff. I’ve never been to Abu Dhabi before so I’m looking forward to going and racing there. From what I’ve seen the desert looks really good – it has some nice dunes that should suit me, and it looks like it will be a really good warm-up for Dakar. There will be a good element of strategy, which again is good to learn more about and will help to build my skills. I’m going into the race to win it – I think if all goes well, I’ve got a good chance to do that. I’m second in the championship right now so to confirm that and finish my first full season as runner-up will be amazing.”

Source Red Bull Desert Wings / Red Bull / Red Bull Content Pool
Photo: DPPI / Red Bull Content Pool

The focus of the cross country rallying world is on the UAE again in the final countdown to the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, as a major operation to stage the 30th edition of the spectacular event enters its final stages.

With many of the sport’s top drivers and riders assembling in the UAE capital for the start of the rally on  6 November, it has taken a complex team effort to set the stage for one of the sport’s most enduring tests on four and two wheels.

The cars, buggies, bikes and quads assembling at Yas Marina Circuit, the official HQ for the rally and its starting and finishing point, will tackle a new route laid out across the dramatic desert landscape of the Al Dhafra Region during months of preparation for their arrival.

Penetrating the northern fringe of the legendary Rub’ al Khali, or Empty Quarter, desert stages of 262km, 333km, 293km, 251km and 216km are centred on a bivouac accommodating an 800-strong contingent of competitors, technicians, officials, medical staff, volunteers and media.

It takes 200 people, many often working through the night, to transform a normally bare desert location, surrounded by a sea of dunes, into a temporary rally village which serves as the event’s active desert base for five nights.

The process of its construction, on-event operations and eventual dismantling over the course of two months underlines the devotion of the rally organisers, the Emirates Motorsports Organization (EMSO), backed by the UAE Government and local authorities, to protect the region’s desert environment close to the Qasr Al Sarab Resort.

“This is a huge priority, and we’re indebted to the government authorities and the UAE Armed Forces for their support to set up and equip the bivouac, and make our environmental policies work so effectively,” said Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President of the EMSO and FIA Vice President for Sport.

The bulk of the bivouac’s infrastructure and power have been delivered by the UAE Armed Forces, and the bivouac’s portable and tended community is taking shape with the assistance of the Cultural Programs and Heritage Festivals Committee – Abu Dhabi.

When the full force of the rally arrives, teams from Al Dhafra Municipality and Tadweer will combine to provide round-the-clock upkeep of the site, including recycling of all waste to ensure no littering of the desert or oil leakages.

Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi Distribution Company will have systems in place to recycle around 20,000 gallons of water used daily at the location. It all adds up to a fully functional 24/7 bivouac, where mechanical repairs going on through the night have often rescued hopes damaged earlier in the day, turning casualties into Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge winners.

Some of the biggest dunes in the world stand in the way of competitors, and they won’t have to wait long for this year’s biggest test as the second of five desert stages flows into the Liwa Valleys for a classic cross country rally examination. This, and the following day’s leg, combine to form a new marathon stage for the bikes, with no outside assistance allowed in between.

The Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge is the penultimate round of the 2021 FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies for cars, and the final round of the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship for bikes

Taking place under the patronage of HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Ruler’s Representative in Al Dhafra Region, the rally is supported by the Ruler’s Representative Court Al Dhafra Region, UAE Armed Forces, Abu Dhabi Aviation, Abu Dhabi Police, ADNOC, Yas Island, Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi Municipality, Al Dhafra Region Municipality, Al-Ain Water and Tadweer.

More information here: https://abudhabidesertchallenge.com/

Source: Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge

As per normal pre-pandemic circumstances, the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge is the final round of the championship. However, Matthias Walkner (KTM) was already crowned as the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Champion at the Rally of Morocco two weeks ago.

That said, there are still the Rally2, Quad, Junior, Women’s, SSV and Veteran’s Trophy to decide across the deserts of the UAE’s Empty Quarter.

On Friday (November 5th), competitors will pass through the customary administrative and technical checks at the Yas Marina race circuit in Abu Dhabi, where the race headquarters is also located during the preparation days.

On Sunday (November 7th), riders will set off along the tracks of the great desert of the Empty Quarter (Rub Al-Khali), towards the remote bivouac at Qasr Al-Sarab. They will tackle five stages in a total route of 1,948km, including 1,357km of competitive sections.

Matthias Walkner has already claimed the title for KTM and is the sole representative of the Austrian Team to take part in this final round of the season. He will be accompanied by Daniel Sanders on the GasGas machine. The remainder of both the KTM and Husqvarna teams are busy working on tuning the new bike.

On the other hand, Yamaha is fully represented with Ross Branch, Adrien Van Beveren and Andrew Short. Hero is also in attendance with Franco Caimi, Joachim Rodrigues and Sebastian Bühler.

In Rally2, Carlo Cabini (Honda) looks set to win the title, as does Konrad Dabrowski (KTM) in RallyGP Junior.

In the quad category, Manuel Andujar and Rafal Sonik are at loggerheads but both will need to be cautious. Only the best four results are taken into account and Sonik has raced all four events with just two small points separate the two protagonists. The battle is on…

In total, 16 riders are registered in RallyGP, including a Junior, Dabrowski, and a woman - Anastasiya Nifontova.

Fifteen riders will race in Rally2, including two rookies - led by Team Duust’s Thomas Kongshøj and Jacob Argubright - four quads, two SSVs, two veterans and four in the Adventure category.

 

Source FIM
Photo JTomaselli