2021 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge Stage Five
Stage five of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge was the shortest of the event at 216.92 kilometres but offered little in the way of an easy ride to the finish.
Coming into the final day of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, Daniel Sanders was lying second in the standings, and enjoyed an advantageous start position to make up time on the leader. Pushing hard, the Aussie star immediately put himself in control of the stage, topping each of the split times on his way through the special.
With all riders having to manage their fuel due to the special not including a refueling zone, Sanders’ pace was such that he ran out first while fighting for the stage, and rally win, like the true warrior he is, the Aussie then pushed his RC 450F to the finish for a 14th place result.
It’s an unfortunate way to finish the event, but Daniel can look back over his FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship season and take many positives, including several stage wins, three at the Silk Way Rally, plus others in Morocco and Abu Dhabi.
Despite the set-back at the final event, Sanders finished a respectable third overall in the final championship standings, not bad for his first full year. Taking positives from the event, Sanders has demonstrated incredible speed and skill throughout the rally, and will look to carry that form onto the Dakar in January.
Daniel Sanders – P14 Stage 5/P12 Overall
“The last day has obviously been a huge disappointment for me and the team, but that’s racing – I guess you have to take the smooth with the rough. I started really well and was making good time through the dunes at the beginning of the stage. I realized about halfway through that with no refueling in the stage, and the type of terrain we were racing through, fuel was going to be a problem. So I tried to ease my pace as much as I could. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough, and I eventually ran out. Obviously, it’s not the best way to end the rally, especially after such a strong year but I’m pleased with how I’ve ridden, not just in Abu Dhabi, but over the whole season. My pace here has been really strong, I won a stage and did a good job of leading out after that. Again, it’s not the way I wanted to end the season, but as it’s just my first full year in the championship, I’m definitely pleased with how I’ve progressed and raised my level. Although the result here has knocked me back a little, I’ll just take the positives and look ahead to the Dakar in January. I’ve really gelled with the bike – my navigation is always improving, and my pace is definitely there. We’ve got less than two months till Dakar, and I’m going to be ready!”
As the second rider into the stage, and with a near four-minute advantage over the next best competitor, Matthias Walkner set about chasing down the rider ahead of him, while concentrating on his navigation during the soft sand dunes in the opening part of the special.
Maintaining his place within the top two for the entire stage, the Austrian delivered another calculated and consistent ride to ultimately complete the special as runner-up, just over one minute behind the eventual winner.
In what has been an impressive display of skill, endurance, and speed by the world champion throughout this final event of the year, Walkner secured the win by over four and a half minutes to truly confirm his place at the very top of the world championship standings.
Matthias Walkner – Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge Champion
“It was really close today! The stage was really long without a refueling point and so towards the end I had to slow down a lot to conserve fuel. It’s part of our sport that you can have four good days and then nearly be caught out in the last few kilometers. Thankfully, I made it to the finish line and am really happy to win the last race before Dakar. The team did a really good job all week and the bike has been perfect. The whole year has been fantastic for me – with the help of the team, we have all worked really closely to bring the success we’ve had. I have ridden well and not made any big mistakes, or suffered any injuries. I’ve learned a lot, even from this week riding in the sand, which is normally not my best terrain to race in. My riding has improved, and we’ve found some good set-ups for the bike, too. Overall, it’s been an incredible season and to top it off by winning the last race really helps my confidence. The big goal is of course now Dakar, it’s not far away, and I’m really looking forward to it.”
Bringing to an end a highly rewarding season of racing, Adrien Van Beveren secured second overall at the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge. Winning three of five stages, the Frenchman underlined his impressive form and after almost 18 hours of racing, finished the rally just over four and a half minutes behind the winner, Matthias Walkner.
With Adrien claiming an impressive result at the final round of the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship he advanced to second in the final series standings.
Adrien Van Beveren – Stage Five Winner
“Winning the last stage after opening, and finishing second in this rally, is a huge moment for me. The final stage was really tricky to begin with, made even more challenging by leading out so I rode a little cautious, but it paid off. No mistakes and knowing I had a nice gap in the overall classification meant that I could ride without risks and to win the stage, it’s just amazing. All year I’ve been consistent and focused on finishing each and every stage and this rally was no different. This result has come just at the right time ahead of Dakar, so from now until January I will maintain my level and aim to fight for the win there.”
The ever-positive Ross Branch placed a strong third overall on the fifth and final stage. Opening the rally with a win on stage one showed his impressive speed and he remained in contention for the win until a crash and broken navigational tower during the event’s marathon stage ruled him out of the running. Ultimately, Ross enjoyed a positive debut season in the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship, which was undoubtedly headlined by his overall win at Rally Kazakhstan.
Ross Branch – P3 Stage 5
“It’s great to finish the final stage here in third place. It’s a shame about my crash on day two, that really messed things up but being able to ride the last two stages and put more time on the bike and continue learning was really positive. It’s awesome for me to have completed my first full season in the world championship and I can’t thank the Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Team enough for the opportunity. The focus is now on the Dakar, which is not too far away, and it won’t be long until we head out there to get things going.”
Stage 5 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge 2021
- Adrien Van Beveren (FRA), Yamaha, 2:32:06
- Matthias Walkner (AUT), KTM, 2:33:20 +1:14
- Ross Branch (BWA), Yamaha, 2:36:07 +4:01
- Andrew Short, (USA), Yamaha, 2:36:48 +4:42
- Joaquim Rodrigues (POR), Hero, 2:40:13 +8:07
….14. Daniel Sanders (GASGAS) 6:00:00
Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge 2021 after 5 of 5 stages
- Matthias Walkner (AUT), KTM, 17:38:40
- Adrien Van Beveren (FRA), Yamaha, 17:43:12 +4:31
- Joaquim Rodrigues (POR), Hero, 18:14:06 +35:25
- Aaron Mare (RSA), KTM, 19:38:35 +1:59:54
- Konrad Dabrowski (POL), KTM, 20:29:01 +2:50:21
…12. Daniel Sanders (GASGAS) 26:09:10
RallyGP World Championship
- Walkner 103 points
- Van Beveren 62 points
- Sanders 53 points
Women’s RallyGP World Cup
- Anastasiya Nifontova 25 points
RallyGP Junior World Cup
- Konrad Dabrowski 50 points
- Tomas de Gavardo 20 points
World Cup Rally2
- Cabini 58 points
- Metge 38 points
- Purevdorj 38 points
World Cup Rally2 Quad
- Andujar 104 points
- Sonik 100 points
- Maksimov 74 points
RallyGP Adventure Trophy
- Cabini 38 points
- Ganzorig 30 points
- Rees-Stravos 25 points
RallyGP Veteran Trophy
- McBride 25 points
- Mabbs 20 points
Source: MCNews.com.au