Despres claims fifth win in UAE Desert Challenge
By TMX Archives on 6th Nov 08
ONCE arch rival, Marc Coma, lost his chance of taking a third win with clutch and transmission problems, Cyril Despres held his nerve over the final two stages to clinch a fifth victory in the gruelling UAE Desert Challenge.The event remains a traditional Dakar shakedown for the world's leading riders, but has lost a little of its significance since the ASO decided to take the January event to South America and away from the Saharan deserts. ‘‘Dakar has changed and may never return to its former self,'' admitted Despres. ‘‘But the Desert Challenge is a real desert rally and to win it five times is a special feeling for me. I hope the organisers keep to its current format. It is a unique event. The deserts here are like nowhere else.''
Coma was attempting to win a hat-trick of Desert Challenge titles in final preparations for his Dakar assault, but he started the first desert stage from 21st position after the Jebel Ali Super Special and was beaten by rival Despres through the opening selective from Al-Dafra to a finish on the Liwa highway.
The four-time winner built up a 90-second advantage, with UAE-based Briton, James West, in third place, ahead of the Spanish duo of Gerard Farres and Jordi Viladoms and Chilean Francisco Lopez.
The climate change was a shock to several of the European riders who had left the onset of winter to take part in an event running in the low forties Centigrade.
‘‘It was hard to adjust,'' admitted Despres. ‘‘I had cramp in my arm, which is unusual for me.''
Lopez pipped Coma and West to the winner's spoils on the second stage and the first of the Moreeb Hill loops through the towering dunes and across the treacherous sands of the Rub Al Khali. The Chilean won the section by a stunning nine
minutes and 36 seconds, but Coma edged into a 29-second overall advantage over Despres, with Lopez, West and UAE-based German rider, Tim Trenker, rounding off the top five.
The British riders had endured mixed fortunes. Stuart Billington had been badly delayed on the first day and fell foul of the desert again on day two and, behind West, Quintin McLaughlin was the
highest-placed rider in the Open class in 17th position.
WORLD X-COUNTRY RALLYE CHAMPS
Rd 6 – UAE Desert Challenge (Oct 26 - 31)
BIKES – OPEN CLASS: 1 Cyril Despres (F - 690 KTM Rally Rep) 19:22:51, 2 Francisco Lopez (RCH - 690 KTM Rally Rep) 19:37:31, 3 James West (GB - 690 KTM) 20:09:10, 4 Alain Duclos (F - 690 KTM) 20:31:40, 5 Jordi Viladoms (E - 690 KTM Rally Rep) 20:32:27, 6 Miran Stanovnik (SLO - 690 KTM Rally Rep) 20:49:08, 7 Tim Trenker (D - 660 KTM) 20:53:52, 8 Paul Rivet (F - 660 KTM LC4) 21:04:01, 9 Jakub Przygonski (PL - 690 KTM Rally Rep) 21:08:50, 10 Jacek Czachor (PL - 450 KTM) 21:29:27,... 18 Quintin McLaughlin (GB - KTM) 27.02.51,...
BIKES – 450cc CLASS: 1 Sean Gaugain (ZA - 450 Honda) 20:39:16, 2 Alan Roberts (AUS - 450 Honda) 21:23:51, 3 Helder Rodrigues (P - 450 Honda) 21:51:05, 4 Simon Pavey (AUS - 450 Honda) 22:11:46, 5 Sean Linton (GB - 450 Honda) 22:17:52, 6 Khalid Al Falasi (UAE - 450 Honda) 22:31:02, 7 Jason Sockett (GB -450 Honda)24:14:17, 8 Ludovic Delmar (F - 450 Honda) 24:20:29, 9 David De Souza (GB - 450 KTM) 26:08:40, 10 Matthew Lee (GB - 450 Honda) 26:31:53,... 13 Peter Rutter (GB - 450 Honda) 28.45.03, 14 David McBride (IRL - 450 Honda) 32.47.47,... 18 Richard Clarke (GB - 450 Honda) 34.07.02, 19 Anthony David Brooks (GB - 450 Honda) 35.30.25, 20 Andrew Clarkson (GB - 450 Honda) 39.03.16,... 22 Laurence Lee (GB - 450 Honda) 50. 41.21,...
FOR FULL REPORT SEE T+MX NEWS, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2008
The 450cc runners kick-up a desert sand storm.