LIWA, UAE, 13 November 2005 — Day two of the desert challenge saw Frenchman Stephane Peterhansel showed a masterclass in cross-country rally driving yesterday as he tightened his grip in the UAE Desert Challenge. Compatriot Cyril Despres held on to his lead in the bikes category as the host country built hopes of a double podium finish on a day of drama on the edge of the Empty Quarter.

Determined on his third Desert Challenge victory in four years, Peterhansel, winner of the last two Dakar rallies, produced an astounding performance in his Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero Evolution to extend his lead to more than one-and-a-half hours from the BMW X5 of Spain’s Jose Luis Monterde.

Making the most of his local knowledge and benefiting from the withdrawal of Peterhansel’s Mitsubishi teammate, Joan Roma, because of suspected food poisoning, the UAE’s Yahya Alheli swept into third place with his sights set firmly on Monterde.

In the battle for bikes supremacy, Despres finished the second leg leading by 4mins 3secs from Spain’s Mark Coma, who needs only to avoid a mechanical failure to be crowned world champion tomorrow.

In third place was Frenchman David Casteu, followed closely by the UAE’s Khalid Khamis Ozair took readily to the huge dunes and wide stretches of Sabqa of the Empty Quarter. High speed sections combined with tough deep-sand sections as the competitors battled for supremacy among the for the towering dunes, some reaching well over 170 meters.

German woman driver Ellen Lohr, giving a world debut driving her new Mercedes Benz ML350 Prototype, made a spectacular – and permanent — exit from the race when her car rolled in the early part of the day’s first of two special stages. Lohr and co-driver Detlef Ruf escaped unhurt.

Also among the early casualties on the day were Italian rider Domenico Caminiti who retired with mechanical problems on the same stage; Britain’s Charles Heatly who went out when his bike was badly damaged in a crash and Australian driver Bruce Garland whose Isuzu was also halted by mechanical failure.

Once again there were no problems for Peterhansel, on the day’s two special stages of 133kms and 209kms.

“It was a very good day, but also very difficult,” Peterhansel said. “

There was a lot of demand on the body and you needed to concentrate every kilometer after kilometer. It was really all sand dunes with no fast track so it was not an easy 200km, but the car is perfect.”

While Monterde was quick to point out that Peterhansel is in a class of his own, Alheli made it clear that he is not looking to settle for third place with three days to go. “The first half of the day was excellent and we were gaining all the time on the BMW,” he said. “We were getting closer and closer and tomorrow could be the day.”

Despres finished the stage to say: “It was a difficult route and it would have been so easy to get lost. There was a lot of racing today between myself, Coma and Casteu. It was a lot easier yesterday when I started from the back of the field.