Cycle News Staff | November 9, 2021
Daniel Sanders has taken his first day win at the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge and now lies second overall in the provisional standings; Austria’s Mathias Walkner has taken the overall lead in the 2021 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge with a pair of second places in Stage Two and Three.
Current World Champion Mathias Walkner has kept his powder dry so far in the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge. Photos by Rally Zone
Walkner won the Prologue on the opening day that decided the running order for Stage One, which was eventually taken by Yamaha’s Ross Branch.
The Botswanan struggled on Stage Two, however, finishing 8:02s off teammate Van Beveren to sit fourth overall, 5:36s from Walkner.
At 292 miles, the second stage of the rally was the longest of the five-day event, and featured a 206-mile timed special that challenged competitors with rolling sand dunes and faster, desert tracks.
Totaling 203 miles, it was another day in the dunes for Stage Three, with Daniel Sanders finished the stage first, just under three minutes ahead of the second-placed rider.
Putting in a strong ride through the desert, Daniel Sanders has taken his first day win at the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge and now lies second overall in the provisional standings.
Daniel Sanders: “Yeah, happy with that. It was a good stage today, I rode really well this morning and caught up to the guys ahead quicker than I thought I would. From there we just rode in a pack. It wasn’t too tricky after the refueling, we took it in turns to lead and I just made sure I didn’t make any big mistakes or crash. The day went well – I felt comfortable on the bike today and was able to relax a little, which means I could concentrate more on the road book, too. It all came together really well. It was a long day in the dunes and certainly tiring, but I’m still feeling good and looking forward to opening tomorrow. For sure, it’s not going to be easy, but it’s really good experience for me, so hopefully I’ll do a good job and not lose too much time to the others.”
Finishing Stage Three as second fastest, Walkner successfully defended his advantage in the provisional rankings. Although with a lead of just under one minute, the KTM 450 Rally rider knows he must still attack the final two stages of the event to ensure he stays on top of the leaderboard.
Matthias Walkner: “I had another solid day today. Finishing second again means I don’t have the best starting position for tomorrow, with not so many lines in the sand ahead of me. There have been the usual changes in the standings with different people leading out, and others have had some issues. Sanders will open tomorrow, and Adrien is looking strong. There are two days left and I’m still leading the overall, so I’ll continue to do my best and take it day-by-day.”
Wednesday’s stage four of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, the penultimate of the rally, covers a total distance of 250.8 miles and will see riders take on a timed special of 156.6 miles.
Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge 2021 Provisional Results – Stage 3
1. Daniel Sanders (AUS), GASGAS, 3:59:09
2. Matthias Walkner (AUT), KTM, 4:01:53 +2:44
3. Andrew Short (USA), Yamaha, 4:02:15 +3:06
4. Joaquim Rodrigues (POR), Hero, 4:04:26 +5:17
5. Adrien Van Beveren (FRA), Yamaha, 4:04:54 +5:45
Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge 2021 Provisional Standings after 3 of 5 stages
1. Matthias Walkner (AUT), KTM, 11:54:24
2. Daniel Sanders (AUS), GASGAS, 11:55:22 +57 seconds
3. Adrien Van Beveren (FRA), Yamaha, 12:00:04 +5:39
4. Andrew Short (USA), Yamaha, 12:18:43 +24:19
5. Joaquim Rodrigues (POR), Hero, 12:20:53 +26:28
