Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge dives deep into the dunes
After the tough opening stage, shaped by searing temperatures and soft sand, the ADNOC Distribution Stage 2 loop covered a total of 302 kilometres, including 228 kilometres of special stages in the visually spectacular southern fringes of the Liwa Oasis area.
Starting from beautiful Mezaira'a, the Liwa region's largest settlement and home to a spectacular ancestral fort, the demanding route took competitors through dusty sabkhas (salt flats) and testing gravel sections before plunging them into a string of massive and potentially treacherous dunes close to the Saudi border.
In the bikes category, Daniel Sanders took a comfortable win after leading the special from flag to flag. The Australian Red Bull KTM Factory rider finished 3m 59s ahead of Hero Motorsports rider Josee Ignacio Cornejo and over five minutes clear of Monster Energy Honda HRC's Adrien Van Beveren.
Overnight leader Tosha Schairena was the first to start in the early morning, and after providing the tracks for other to more comfortably follow, the Spaniard finished seventh and dropped to third overall behind new event leader Sanders and Red Bull KTM Factory rider Luciano Benavides.
While Sanders took a comfortable ADNOC Distribution Stage 2 win, there were problems for others. Defending FIM World Rally Raid champion Ross Branch was forced to quit the rally when a clutch issues on his Hero 450 Rally could not be repaired.
In the cars category Sébastien Loeb topped a double podium finish for Dacia Sandriders. The nine-time World Rally Champion won the stage 1m 37s ahead of team-mate Nasser Al-Attiyah but the Qatari driver was later handed a penalty that dropped him to third behind Stage 1 winner Lucas Moraes of Toyota Gazoo Racing.
Loeb now moves into the overall lead, with Moraes trailing by just 41 seconds and Al-Attiyah almost three minutes adrift. In the Challenger class BBR Motorsport continue to dominate with Yasir Seaidan taking the stage win ahead of team-mates Dania Akeel and Pau Navarro as the team claimed a second successive podium clean sweep of the event.
In the Rally 2 bikes category, SRG Motorsports' Michael Docherty dominated the stage to remain unbeaten since the start of the event. The South African took victory 3m 37s ahead of teammate Tobias Ebster, with Duust Rally Team's Konrad Dabrowski in third place.
It was a mixed day for competitors from the local region. The new Liwa Team UAE had a solid second stage with Mansour Al Helei and co-driver Khalid Alkendi finishing third in the SSV class, while R-X Sport's Yahya Al Helei was close behind, ahead of Quaddy Race Middle East's Atif Alzarouni. Mansour Al Helei retain second place overall in the class. However, there was disappointment for Emirati Quad rider Adbulaziz Ahli. The four-time event winner was halted by a technical issue midway through the second stage and the delay drops him well out of contention. The Quad win went to Lithuania's Antanas Kanopkinas.
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