Coma takes the prize

ABU DHABI DESERT CHALLENGE 2015
 
Thursday 2 April 
The finish: Qasr Al Sarab – Yas Marina Circuit
 
This morning about 4 o'clock, a sandy wind got up over the bivouac at Qasr Al Sarab, putting paid to any possibility of sending out the riders in a Special with visibility close to zero. The organisers sent the remaining riders (47 motorcycles and quads) by the road link and even the podium proved impossible in view of the terrible weather conditions.

The overall rankings of the 25th Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge are therefore the same as yesterday and Marc Coma (KTM) won hands down with a lead of 11'55 over his team mate Sam Sunderland and 20'16 over Chile's Pablo Quintanilla (KTM) who made it on to the podium for his first outing in the FIM Cross Country Rallies World Championship. 

"I am really happy with this victory", said Marc Coma with a smile,"as it's the eighth time I've won this Rally and it's really tough every year because of the weather conditions and the strategy you have to use. Here the terrain is interesting but the dunes are really hard going and take a lot of concentration.  
This win, coming on the heels of the Dakar, is very important for me and the team as it stops me resting on my laurels and boosts my motivation. The KTM team, riders and mechanics alike, do great work and I'd really like to thank them!"

Joan Barreda and Paulo Goncalves (Honda) finished 15th and 36th respectively after suffering electrical failures but their young team mate Ricky Brabec won the Junior category with a fine 5th place. 

In quad, the win went to Qatar's Qatari Mohammed Abu Issa on a  Yamaha ahead of Rafal Sonik and Nelson Sanabra.