MOREEB HILL, LIWA, 14 October 2004 — Japan’s Hiroshi Masuoka and Spain’s Isidre Esteve both made their move for victory in the UAE Marlboro Desert Challenge yesterday to set up a thrilling final leg among the towering dunes and baking heat of the Empty Quarter.
On another spectacular day of cross country rallying at its best, with soaring temperatures again taking their toll, Masuoka powered his Mitsubishi Pajero Montero Evolution from fourth place overnight into a 10 mins 44 secs lead from Belgium’s Gregoire De Mevius in a Nissan Pick-Up.
In the race for the bikes title, Esteve built up a cushion of almost eight minutes over fellow-KTM rider Marek Dabrowski of Poland, while third place kept Norway’s P?l Anders Ullev?lseter in control in the hunt for the FIM World Championship.
The fastest driver on the third special stage was Masuoka’s teammate, French star Stephane Peterhansel, who put his first-day disasters and time penalties behind him to win it by almost two minutes, although his chances of a third straight win in the event have long gone.
Slipping one place to third in his BMW X5 another 22 minutes adrift, the UAE’s Khalifa Al Muwaiwie edged closer to the drivers’ crown in the FIA World Cup for Cross Country Rallies. With Finnish former World Rally Champion Juha Kankkunen holding on to fourth place despite a torrid time in his Volkswagen Touareg, another UAE driver, Ahmed ibn Suqat in a Chevrolet Pick-Up, and Frenchman Dominique Housieaux in a Mitsubishi Pajero, completed the top six.
The quality of the performance by Peterhansel and Masuoka was emphasized by the fact that the next fastest car on the day, the Volkswagen of top German lady driver Jutta Kleinschmidt, was almost 17 minutes slower than the Japanese driver.
The Desert Challenge, and the FIA World Cup and FIM World Championship titles will now be decided today in the 255-KM Nissan special stage. Mohammed Ben Sulayem, chairman of the organizing committee, announced that tomorrow’s final leg of the rally has been canceled in view of the advent of the Holy Month of Ramadan.
He said: “The FIA have been informed as well as the teams and competitors who share our respect for the Holy Month.” The final leg will be replaced by a road section from the bivouac to Dubai, where the finish will take place as scheduled at 4.30 p.m. at Dubai International Marine Club.
The start of yesterday’s 308-km Al Batin stage was delayed for 50 minutes by early morning fog, and more problems were waiting in the Empty Quarter, even for Masuoka. He dropped four minutes by getting lost in the dunes, and also got stuck twice in soft sand.
Bitterly disappointed on Monday, Peterhansel was bubbling with enthusiasm this time, despite being well down the field. “It was a very nice stage like yesterday’s with very big dunes. We couldn’t cross them all but didn’t stop on any of them. We had a small fuel problem when the tank was nearing empty and I stopped a few times, but nothing major. The engine is perfect and we need it in terrain like this. After day one I said it was never possible to be totally confident, but after two more stages the car is perfect and we will progress from here.”
Al Mutaiwei said: “The big dunes were very nice and the rest of the stage was very good. I have a bit of catching up to do but the championship is what’s important to me.”
Overnight leader De Mevius said: “We came down very heavily from a crest about 100km into the stage and got stuck. We needed to use sand plates to get out. Then 100km from the end the gear shift broke off while I was in fifth gear. Happily I managed to change gear with what was left of it.”
A smiling Kleinschmidt commented: “After yesterday’s disaster everything went very well technically today. We started dead last and passed a lot of cars so it was a really fun day.”
Her Volkswagen teammates were not so happy. Frenchman Bruno Saby had electrical problems and stopped six times, while Kankkunen said: “It was too difficult. I got stuck many times. It was a beautiful area but a lot of big up and downs and it was tricky and dangerous. It was so hard in the dunes and the temperature was very high and I lost power.”
