LOSAIL, Qatar: Qatar’s Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah and Chile’s Ignacio Casale Catracchia shared the winner’s spoils on the opening 226.42km selective section of the Sealine Cross-Country Rally between Al-Zubara and Sealine on Monday.

The Toyota Hilux Overdrive pilot and the Yamaha rider won their respective car and quad categories from Saudi Arabia’s Yazeed Al-Rajhi (Mini All4 Racing) and Poland’s Rafal Sonik. Portugal’s Ricardo Porem (Mini), Al-Attiyah brother Khalifa (Toyota) and former FIA World Cup winner Vladimir Vasilyev (Mini) rounded off the top five in the car category.

“It was okay today, not easy navigation and I think Yazeed is pushing,” said Al-Attiyah. “Tomorrow is a long stage and we try to get a good time. “We could not push today. We were the first car (on the stage) and to see the line and the navigation is not easy. Now we can push.”

“It was a good stage and the first time on these tracks with the Mini for me,” said a delighted Al-Rajhi. “We learn the car and we did a good job. We need to push a bit to make the gap smaller. That’s our goal.”

The shortest stage of the five-day event provided competitors with an ideal opportunity settle in to what lies ahead over four longer and more difficult stages. The leading three motorcyclists rode together virtually all through the timed test and Dubai-based Briton Sam Sunderland and Chilean rival Pablo Quintanilla reached the flying finish tied and two seconds in front of the defending Dakar champion and FIM World Championship leader Toby Price.

“The mass start is definitely something strange that we have to account for,” said Sunderland. “It was a little bit dangerous with all the guys together in the dust. But I like the idea and, when you make a mass start on the first day, everybody starts the same. It’s fair for everyone.”

Quintanilla said: “Today was an important stage for the road book and the navigation. I did really well. I was in front almost all the stage trying to not make any mistakes. I feel really good. I think on this race the mass start was a good idea. If we had the start order from the last race, in theory, some guys have more chance to do well.”

Toby Price was impressed with the pace of his two rivals. “It’s difficult coming from Abu Dhabi where you follow the way. Here, the navigation is a big change up and the first time we have done this since the Dakar. It was hard to see out there with the sun right above you and everything looks exactly the same, all flat. Sam and Pablo were on a good pace. Their speed was good and I maybe only led for about five kilometers all day. The rest of the time they were out in front. But I am looking forward to the rest of the week.”

Local driver Adel Hussein Abdullah earned a stunning lead in the T2 category in his Nissan Middle East-backed Patrol. “I was competing with Yasir Seidan all the stage and then I had a flat tire between PC2 and PC3,” he said. “Then I caught Yasir, who was stopped, stuck in the sand. We must respect our land, because if you don’t it will be so tricky. I am not aiming for the first, but if I come to the podium it will be fantastic.”

Michelle Cincotto and Zini Fulvio claimed the early T3 lead in the first of four Polaris RZR 1000s and the Spanish girl Cristina Gutierrez, partnered by Sandra Labuscagne, was the first of the three QMMF-backed Nissan Patrol drivers to reach the finish.