After winning the first event of the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship in Abu Dhabi a week ago, Sam Sunderland (KTM) will face his opponents again, however on a very different terrain. Abu Dhabi's Empty Quarter Desert is made up of mostly relatively high dunes, but the Qatar Desert is more varied and the course will consist of many stone tracks and sandy trails.
This event has a reputation, the Qatar Cross Country Rally is notoriously difficult to navigate and any mistake can prove costly in the time that can be lost, so it will be interesting to follow this new fight with the main challengers ready for battle and with their knives drawn once again.
Inside KTM, Sunderland is already 8 points ahead at the top of the championship, whilst Matthias Walkner sits third and Antoine Meo is returning after injuries having been absent from the trails for more than a year.
In the next team, Husqvarna, it is the current FIM Cross-Country Rally World Champion, Pablo Quintanilla who will be committed to take his revenge. The Chilean will be supported by the Frenchman, Pela Renet, who has made considerable progress in navigation and reading the terrain since the start of the season.
From Honda’s point of view, Joan Barreda is still in recuperation after injuring himself in training, but Paulo Gonçalves and Kevin Benavides are in a different situation. On the penultimate day in Abu Dhabi, the Portuguese rider led the race but eventually finished fourth, while Benavides, after suffering a clutch problem, won the 4th special ...
Looking at the other potential contenders, these include Mohammed Al Balooshi (KTM), Mohammed Jaffar, Adam Tomicek (KTM) who holds a five-point lead over his teammate Maciej Giemza (KTM) in the Junior class and last, but not least David McBride (KTM) who lives in Dubai.
In the quad class, it is the Junior Fahad al-Musallam who leads the series after his victory in Abu Dhabi. But the young Kuwaiti rider will have a lot to do to counter the attack of Rafal Sonik who will be looking to defend his title after he finished 9th at the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge following many mechanical problems. His teammate, Polish Kamil Wisniewski, will not be in the game unfortunately, but the South Americans will again be in force with the Peruvian Alexis Hernandez, the Guatemalan Rodolfo Schippers and the Argentine Lucas Inocente.
Despite their strength, all these beautiful gentlemen would do well to be wary of the only woman in this class, Camelia Liparoti, who secured the third step of the podium in Abu Dhabi and could well create yet another surprise!
Below is the Qatar Cross Country Rally schedule.
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Schedule
• Monday, 17 April
Administrative control and technical verification at the Losail circuit
• Tuesday, 18 April
15h: Briefing
17h: Super Special SS1
• Wednesday, 19 April
2nd Special: Rawdat Rashed
334.08 km
• Thursday, 20 April
3rd Special: Sealine
353.02 km
• Friday, 21 April
4th Special: Abu Thaylah
337.76 km
• Saturday, 22 April
5th Special: Al Zubara
343.32 km
2017 FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship – Motorcycle – Current Standings
1. Sam Sunderland (GBR) 31 pts
2. Pablo Quintanilla (CHI) 23 pts
3. Matthias Walker (AUT) 19 pts
4. Paulo Gonçalves (PRT) 16 pts
5. Pierre Alexander Renet (FRA) 15 pts
6. Antoine Meo (FRA) 13 pts
7. Mohammed Al-Balooshi (ARE) 12 pts
8. Mohammed Jaffar (ARE) 11 pts
9. Adam Tomicek (POL) 10 pts
10. David McBride (GBR) 9 pts, etc
2017 FIM Cross-Country Rallies Manufacturers World Championship – Current Standings
1. KTM 50 pts
2. Husqvarna 38 pts
3. Honda 21 pts
4. Yamaha 5 pts
2017 FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship – Quad – Current Standings
1. Fahad Al-Musallam (KWT) 28 pts
2. Kamil Wisniewski (POL) 23 pts
3. Camilia Liparoti (ITA) 19 pts
4. Maxim Antimirov (KAZ) 16 pts
5. Alexis Hernandez Ponce (PER) 14 pts
6. Sergey Kistanov (KAZ) 13 pts
7. Rodolfo Schippers (GUA) 12 pts
8. Kees Koolen (NLD) 11 pts
9. Rafal Sonik (POL) 10 pts
10. Khalifa Al-Raeesi (ARE) 9
FIM Communications