Daniel Sanders sits third after Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge Stage 2

---

Stage Two of the 2021 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge proved a long one, with riders facing 470 km in total, including a timed special of 333 km, encompassing tough navigation through dunes, alongside faster tracks that required speed and concentration.

Putting in a strong ride through the desert, Aussie Daniel Sanders defended his overall position in the top three to end the day just three-minutes behind leader Matthias Walkner. The result cements that standing for a second day, while third for the stage was an improvement on Stage One’s fourth place finish.

Daniel struggled to find his rhythm and speed at times, the RC 450F rider used his ever-growing experience to ease his pace a little to minimise any major mistakes in the vast area of dunes. A couple of crashes slowed his forward momentum a little but by the halfway point, he was back on the gas and able to go for it and attack the tracks to the finish.

Daniel Sanders – P3

“Day two went ok for me, but not as well as I’d hoped. I found it hard to get into a good rhythm early on – I had a couple more scary calls with some drops as I’m still learning how to read the terrain here in the desert. I had a couple of crashes too – one gave me quite a knock and I ended up in a hole in the dunes. I had to dig the bike out a little and that cost me some time. I got to the refuel and managed to get some food and water into me, recharged and felt a lot better after that. For the second half of the stage, I felt a lot better and managed to find a good pace. The terrain suited me better too, with more tracks and plateaus. I finished third-fastest today, which puts me in a good spot for tomorrow.”

Fastest on the day was Adrien Van Beveren, who moved into second in the overall standings with the stage win, having entered the day as the fifth rider out.

Following the openers tyre tracks, he was able to focus on his riding and maintain a high pace throughout the special, the Frenchman in his element racing through the endless sand dunes that formed a large part of the stage.

Adrien Van Beveren – P1

“I’ve had a really good day and I’m really happy to have won today. I made up a lot of time before refuelling and with some calculations, I thought it would be possible to catch the leaders on the stage. My speed was good but I came up a little short. Today’s stage had the perfect terrain for me, so I’m really pleased that I could show what I can do when it’s almost all sand dunes like it was today. It’s still early in the rally and tomorrow I will open the stage so it’s likely that I will lose some time, but I will do my best to minimise that and focus on my navigation to ensure another strong result.”

Following his ride to second place on day one, KTM’s Matthias Walkner found himself opening stage two, having caught day one winner Ross Branch. The two riders battled it out for the first half of the stage, swapping positions at the front, right up to the refueling station.

In the second half of the special, Walkner continued to push over the mixed terrain, and in doing so, left his rivals behind. The reigning FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Champion used his skill and experience to maintain his speed and position, despite navigating his own way through the sand.

Bringing his KTM 450 RALLY home safely to the finish as second fastest for the day, Matthias moves up into the provisional lead of the event, over two-and-a-half minutes ahead of his nearest rival.

Matthias Walkner – P2

“Another day done, and it was a tough one! Setting off this morning I thought that by the end of the stage most of the riders behind would have caught up with those opening the special. At the refuelling we could see that wasn’t the case, so Ross and I decided to keep pushing to see if we could stay out front. We took it in turns to open with each rider leading the way for 30 km or so. For the last 100 km I found myself alone out front and just gave it my all. I really was pushing hard and, thankfully, everything went well, and I was able to bring it home for a good, safe finish. The long stage took it out of me, so I’ll try to relax now and recharge before tomorrow.”

Stage one winner, Ross Branch, posted an impressive result on day two of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge despite a small crash, completing the special as the fourth fastest rider. His recent focus on navigational skills paid dividends with the 35-year-old completing the special just over eight minutes behind teammate Van Beveren.

Ross Branch – P4

“It was a bit of an up and down day today. It started off really well and I’m happy with my navigation as I lead the stage all the way to around kilometre 160. This was great for my confidence knowing that I can navigate well through sand dunes where a mistake could cost a lot of time. Unfortunately, at around 290 kilometres I jumped off the top of dune like usual, tucked the front, and crashed. It broke my navigational tower but as it happened near the end I didn’t lose too much time. The focus is now on tomorrow and I’ll be giving it my best shot as always.”

Sebastian Buhler led the charge for the Hero MotoSports Rally team, managing a fine balance of fast and safe riding, finishing fifth in the stage.

Sebastian Buhler – P5

“Today was a very long and tough stage in the sand, one of the toughest stages I have ridden. Riding in these deserts is very tricky with long fast plateaus and sudden steep descents. Overall, I am happy with my performance and looking forward to the next stage.”

Tuesday’s Stage Three will see the race reach its halfway stage. Totalling 327 km, it will feature a 293 km timed special.

Stage 2 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge 2021 Results

Provisional Standings – Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge 2021 (Stage 2)

Source: MCNews.com.au