Qatar’s Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah, Frenchman Antoine Meo and Peru’s Alexis Hernandez Ponce entertained the crowds with the fastest times in the car, motorcycle and quad categories through the opening 4.85km super special stage of the Qatar Cross-Country Rally at Losail yesterday afternoon.
Run over a purpose-built track that featured jumps and water splashes and sections of Losail’s motocross course, the stage was also used to determine the all-important starting order for the first of four desert selective sections on Wednesday.
Al Attiyah was 1.8 seconds quicker than Yazeed Al Rajhi in the cars, while Leeroy Poulter slotted into third place on his Qatar debut with a South African-built Toyota Hilux. “I had a test in the car yesterday and there was a little pain from the crash in Abu Dhabi, but nothing too serious,” said Al Attiyah. “I will see what develops. If I have to push, then I will.”
The tactical game began in earnest in the motorcycles and the stage win for Frenchman Antoine Meo enabled him to choose the most favourable starting position for the desert action. With the event reduced from five to four desert sections this year, a different strategy may pan out amongst the factory riders. Red Bull KTM team-mate Matthias Walkner finished second and Sam Sunderland gave the Austrian manufacturer a 1-2-3 finish.
Alexis Hernandez Ponce was the class of the quad field on his Yamaha Raptor. Rafal Sonik switched from a Honda to a Yamaha to finish second and Dutchman Kees Koolen third. Saudi riders Abdulmajeed Al Khulaifi and Sultan Al Masood also entered on their Yamahas, but were not registered for FIM Quad World Cup points. South Africa’s Martin Beyers dropped seven minutes to the leaders.
Before they tackled the stage, 25 FIA cars and 10 more running in the National Baja, along with 13 motorcycles and nine quads were flagged away from a ceremonial start by QMMF President Abdulrahman Al Mannai, with the honour of first into the stage falling to Abdulmajeed Al Khulaifi on his Yamaha YFZ 450R.
Frenchman Claude Fournier topped the T3 standings and first blood amongst the 10 competitors in the Qatar National Baja went to a flying Ahmed Allouh in his Polaris. Khalid Al Mohannadi was second in a similar car.
Today, the first of four desert selective sections of the event will take place as competitors prepare to tackle a 334.08km section that starts near the village of Rawdat Rashed in the municipality of Al Rayyan and finishes south of the former Sealine bivouac, 93.72km from Losail, after taking in a westerly and southerly loop of Qatar.
