Tomorrow, the 25th edition of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge kicks off as the international field of bikes, quads, cars and buggies head out from Yas towards the Empty Quarter on the first of five timed stages that will take them over 2000km over 5 days.
In this post I aim to explain a bit about the race, how it works and how you can follow it.
This year the race is the first round of six for the FIM/FIA World Raid Rally Championship. This is a navigation rally where competitors use a road book to follow a predetermined course. GPS tracking follows them ensuring they hit waypoints and check points along the way. Missing them earns time penalties. The competitor with the lowest combined time at the end of the rally is the winner.
I’m participating in my first rally. If you have been following my articles in the magazine you will know I haven’t been riding a motorbike offroad for very long and that my reason for learning was because I was inspired by this event. Well I’ve got myself to the start line (Moto 450 competitor #36 Ian Ganderton Crazy Camel Racing), now lets see whether I can finish.
The exciting thing for me is that I’m participating in a world class event in the most amazing terrain on the planet alongside the best racers in the world.
I will be posting here daily news direct from the bivouac. Here you will get an inside scoop.
As part of each post I will include the official press release each day plus I aim to include some bits of video and photos of myself.
The daily routine for the race is as follows:
- The evening before the stage competitors are given their start times and their road books.
- Early morning they will leave the Rally HQ at their allotted time and navigate their way to the start of the day’s Special Stage. This can be any thing from 10km to 150km and is called the “Liaison”. It is not timed.
- The race is held over the Special Stages. These are between 250km and 300km and the ADDC has a reputation for day after day of the most technical sand dunes on the world series. Start order is determined on the previous days results with the fastest going off first. Bikes go first, then Quads, then Cars and then Buggies.
- Along the way as well as the GPS waypoints to hit there are 3 Passage Controls where competitors get their time card stamped. For the bikes and quads, PC2 at around halfway is also a refuel stop.
- At the end of the stage the clock stops and the competitor returns to the bivouac via a liaison in the same way as the day started.
Back at the bivouac the service crews get to work doing the required maintenance to get the vehicles ready to race again the next day. The pilots do the same to their own bodies. Long desert stages are brutal on both man and machine.
Via the internet you can follow the race live. Here are the links you need:
Outdoor UAE will be providing a daily report consolidating my live updates from the bivouac with official sources. www.outdooruae.com
The official Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge Facebook page will have lots of news, photos and videos throughout the event www.facebook.com/AbuDhabiDesertChallenge
The Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge 2015 Results page you can find the live tracking page and the live results http://abudhabidesertchallenge.com/2015results
Today is the Parade Lap down at Yas Circuit. If you want to come down, say hi and see some very exotic desert racing machinery its a great opportunity and its free.
Here is the most recent update from the ADDC press office
STAGE SET FOR 25TH ANNIVERSARY DESERT CHALLENGE
Powerful international line-up of cars, buggies, bikes and quads
set for super stage action at Yas Marina Circuit
Abu Dhabi, UAE, 27 March, 2015: The stage is set for the 25th edition of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge POWERED BY Nissan which gets under way with a super special spectator stage at Yas Marina Circuit tomorrow (Saturday) afternoon.
Starting at 3:00 p.m., Abu Dhabi’s Grand Prix Circuit for the first time hosts the traditional curtain-raiser for the event before the powerful international line-up of cars, buggies, bikes and quads leave the UAE capital on Sunday morning for the first of five demanding desert stages in the Western region of Al Garbia.
The Desert Challenge has come a long way since being launched in 1991 by Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President of the Automobile and Touring Club of the UAE, when 30 cars mostly from the Gulf region took part.
Underlining how the event has grown in size and quality, Yas Marina Circuit was a hive of activity today as 50 cross country rally cars and buggies and 61 bikes and quads went through official scrutineering prior to the line-up for the super special stage being finalised.
Among the stars in action are reigning FIA World Cup and Desert Challenge cars champion Vladimir Vasilyev from Russia, last year’s bikes winner, Portugal’s Paulo Goncalves, this year’s Dakar Rally winner Nasser Al Attiyah of Qatar, and the reigning FIM world champions, Spain’s Marc Coma who is seeking an eighth bikes title in the UAE, and Poland’s Rafal Sonik, who defends his quads crown.
Taking place under the patronage of H.H.Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Ruler’s Representative in the Western region, the 25th Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge is the second round of this year’s FIA World Cup for Cross Country Rallies for cars and the opening round of the FIM Cross Country Rallies World Championship for bikes.
The Nissan Patrol, the “Hero of All terrain in Life”, is positioned for the 12th year as the official vehicle of the event, and has again played a vital part in allowing the route planning team to create spectacular competitive stages that follow in the desert of the Western Region of Al Garbia.
The line-up of strategic partners includes the Ruler’s Court in the Western Region, Western Region Municipality, Abu Dhabi Municipality, the UAE Army, Abu Dhabi Police, National Ambulance Service, Nissan, Yas Marina Circuit, ADNOC, Abu Dhabi Aviation, Al Ain Mineral Water, Abu Dhabi Waste Management, Rotana and Centro Hotels – Yas Island, Qasr Al Sarab Resort, Explorer and DP World.
Bikes being wheeled to scrutineering at Yas Marina Circuit.
FIM world bikes champion Marc Coma (2nd from left) with KTM team-mates
Russian lady rider Anastasiya Nifontova
World FIM quads champion Rafal Sonik of Poland (left) discussing team plans as he looks to defend his Desert Challenge title
A busy day for mechanics at Yas Marina Circuit.
The X-Raid team’s tyre department.
Dutch rider Rob Smits making final checks on his Honda.
Emirati rider Mohammed Al Balooshi looking forward to the 25th Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge.
