FIA-CCR/FIM: UAE desert challenge final report
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FIA World Cup for Cross Country Rallies
FIM Cross Country Rallies World Cup -
Schlesser and Despres hang on to win UAE Marlboro Desert Challenge
Schlesser takes FIA World Cross-Country title; Dakar winner Kleinschmidt
blows engine; UAE's Bilhili and McBride take superb second places
Frenchman Jean-Louis Schlesser hung on to his solid overnight advantage to
claim a record-breaking fifth victory in the UAE Marlboro Desert Challenge
and seal a second successive FIA World Cross-Country title in his
Schlesser-Renault Megane.
Meanwhile, Frenchman Cyril Despres crushed the opposition in the Bikes
category on his factory KTM 660 Rallye on this final round of the FIA and
FIM Cross Country World Cups.
Schlesser, the former World Sportscar champion and Williams Grand Prix
driver, led the gruelling five-day event from start to finish to edge out
arch rival Jutta Kleinschmidt, who was cruelly sidelined with a blown
engine a mere 64 kms from the finish of the final stage.
Schlesser himself survived a late scare before the first passage control
today, when he launched the Renault off a six metre sheer drop into soft
sand and wrecked the front of the car. This cost him over a minute of his
hard earned lead. "It was a scary moment," admitted the new World Champion.
"Later I was running behind Jutta and noticed that she had stopped. I didn't
know why at the time and didn't realise that she was out of the rally. It's
a great feeling to win again."
Kleinschmidt, needing to win this event to become the first woman in
history to claim the world title, lost out when the organisers were
forced to cancel chunks of each of the day's action to compensate for
three successive early morning fog delays. She was into a useful pace
this morning in the Mitsubishi before her world title dreams went up in
smoke on that final section of today's stage.
"I gave it my best shot today, but it was not meant to be," said the
dejected German. "We were running well and ahead of Jean-Louis for a
while. I lost a little time around a sand hole and then the engine let
go. It's very disappointing, but it's been a very exciting year and a
season in motorsport that I will never forget. I must look ahead now to
Dakar and the defence of my title."
The UAE's Yayha Bilhili drove a superb race to seal a stunning second
place in his Chevrolet Tahoe, Frenchman Jean-Pierre Strugo won the T1
Marathon category in his third-placed Mercedes ML430 and the UAE's
Toufic Mitri edged out Australian Bruce Garland for fourth overall in a
Land Rover 110.
The Bikes category was dominated throughout the four days by Despres.
Classified 24th on the Prologue, he quickly hit the front and drove a
tactical and dominant race, even allowing the UAE's David McBride the
pleasure of winning the third stage through the Western Deserts of the
Rub Al Khali region on Thursday.
"I caught Dave today after about 40 kms," said Despres. "Then I started
to race with PG (Lundmark). I would overtake him in the soft sand and he
would pass me on the fast sections. Then he had a flat tyre and no spare
tube. We left him 50 kms from the finish running on the bare wheel. It's
my first time on the bike, a great feeling to win and a fantastic test
for Dakar."
McBride eventually finished second overall on his KTM, with the
Honda-mounted pairing of Dubai rider Steve Blackney and Frenchman Paul
Rivet completing the top four at the Al-Ghantoot Polo Club finish.
Sweden's PG Lundmark was riding a powerful BMW 1150 RR for the first
time in preparation for the Arras-Madrid-Dakar Rally. He dropped more
than an hour on the opening Manassir Plateau stage on Tuesday, but was
soon in a competitive pace until the puncture today when he slipped from
fourth to eighth. Dutchman Wim Hutten finished fifth on a KTM.
There was bitter disappointment for Ahmed Al-Fahim, the leading UAE Quad
rider on his M4 class-leading Yamaha Raptor, who had started the day in
a superb 11th overall. He leapt over a sand ridge and crashed down into
a sand hole mid-way through the final stage, retiring cruelly within
sight of the finish.
Frenchman Jean-Pierre Fontenay edged out Mitsubishi team mate Kenjiro
Shinozuka to take victory in the National Rally running behind the main
Desert Challenge.
"It was fantastic to see so many international competitors here this
week from all corners of the world," admitted Mohammed bin Sulayem, the
chairman of the organising committee. "The world title was decided here
and Jean-Louis took his fifth win. This, I'm sure, is a record he will
be looking to extend next year."
The event was held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa
Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme
Commander, with full support from Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum,
Crown Prince of Dubai and Minister of Defence.
The UAE Desert Challenge received the full support of the UAE
Government, Dubai and Abu Dhabi Municipalities, the UAE Armed Forces
and an impressive list of co-sponsors, including Oasis, Damas, Hyatt,
Konica, Aramex, Ignacio Messina, Tahoe (GM), DTCM, Adnoc and Emarat.
<pre><font size="2">
Unofficial final positions after SS4 (Raml Al Buhuth - 324 kms):
Cars
1. Jean-Louis Schlesser (F)/Henri Magne (F) Renault Megane 14h 59m 43s
2. Yayha Bilhili (UAE)/Khaled Al-Kendi (UAE) Chevrolet Tahoe 19h 38m 02s
3. Jean-Pierre Strugo (F)/Yves Ferri (F) Mercedes ML 430 19h 59m 07s
4. Toufic Mitri (UAE)/Mohammed Osman (UAE) Land Rover 110 20h 12m 11s
5. Bruce Garland (AUS)/Stephen Green (AUS) Holden Jackaroo 20h 26m 15s
6. Vladislav Rakityaskiy (RU)/Vladimir Demianenko (RU) Mitsubishi Pajero 20h 37m 18s
National Rally - Cars
1. Jean-Pierre Fontenay (F)/Gilles Picard (F) Mitsubishi Pajero 14h 18m 59s
2. Kenjiro Shinozuka (J)/Thierry Delli-Zotti (F) Mitsubishi Pajero 14h 20m 34s
Bikes
1. Cyril Despres (F) KTM 16h 42m 23s
2. David McBride (UAE) KTM 17h 07m 12s
3. Steve Blackney (UAE) Honda 17h 46m 25s
4. Paul Rivet (F) Honda 18h 07m 00s
5. Wim Hutten (NL) KTM 18h 34m 37s
6. Miran Stanovnik (SLO) Husqvarna 18h 54m 01s
7. Andrea Mayer (D) KTM 19h 04m 10s
8. Grant Robertson (AUS) Honda 19h 15m 48s
9. PG Lundmark (S) BMW 19h 26m 31s
-rally-net.20m.com-
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