Cycle News Staff | March 3, 2023
The 2023 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge is currently underway. This race serves as round two of the FIM World Rally-Raid Championship, and is held on very similar terrain to that found at the Dakar Rally with the entire race contested in the sand dunes of the Liwa Desert. The six-day event features a prologue and five stages. Stay tuned for coverage through out the week.
Pre-Race Show
Jesse and Quinn give you all the insights for this year’s Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge in the pre-race podcast. Listen here or search “Dakar Rally Daily” in your favorite podcast app.
Stage 5
Stage five marked the final day of racing for the 2023 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge. A 164km liaison and 206km special made up 230 miles for stage five, which was actually delayed due to fog and low visibility. Toby Price started seventh but managed to come out with the stage victory after nearly two-and-a-half hours of racing.
Price edged Nacho Cornejo by over two minutes on the stage, giving the KTM rider the advantage in the overall rankings as Price took third by only two seconds. With this result, Price takes control of the FIM World Rally-Raid Championship standings.
Skyler Howes put in one of his best rides of the rally, finishing third on the final stage. He was only six seconds behind second place and finished sixth in the overall rankings.
Honda’s Adrien Van Beveren came through fifth today, thus earning him the overall victory by over four minutes. Van Beveren’s total race time was 17 hours and 13 minutes. He sits second behind Price in the World Rally-Raid Championship points.
Luciano Benavides opened the stage and eventually finished seventh on time. After a strong rally and two stages wins the Husqvarna rider still finished second in the overall, 4:18 back from Van Beveren.
Stage 5 Results
1. Toby Price, KTM, 2:24:45
2. Ignacio Cornejo, Honda, +2:23
3. Skyler Howes, Husqvarna, +2:29
4. Ross Branch, Hero, +3:01
5. Adrien Van Beveren, Honda, +3:22
Overall Results – Final
1. Adrien Van Beveren, Honda, 17:13:39
2. Luciano Benavides, Husqvarna, +4:18
3. Toby Price, KTM, +5:13
4. Jose Ignacio Cornejo, Honda, +5:15
5. Ross Branch, Hero, +6:17
Stage 4
The end of the 2023 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge is in sight as stage four concluded earlier today. A 149km liaison and 308km special made up 284 total miles for the competitors. Husqvarna’s Luciano Benavides found himself up front again today, taking another stage win by just over three minutes. He started further back in the field but used that to his advantage as he opened up a one-minute lead by stage mile 62. With this stage win, Benavides jumps up to second in the overall standings.
Adrien Van Beveren is playing the consistent game, taking second on the stage today. The Honda rider still holds the overall lead by almost three minutes over Benavides. Ross Branch put his Hero on the box for the day, four minutes back from Benavides. The Americans, Brabec and Howes finished fourth and fifth on stage four.
Stage 4 Results
1. Luciano Benavides, Husqvarna, 3:47:08
2. Adrien Van Beveren, Honda, +3:22
3. Ross Branch, Hero, +4:06
4. Ricky Brabec, Honda, +4:17
5. Skyler Howes, Husqvarna, +5:33
Overall Results After Stage 4
1. Adrien Van Beveren, Honda, 14:45:32
2. Luciano Benavides, Husqvarna, +2:58
3. Ignacio Cornejo, Honda, +6:14
4. Ross Branch, Hero, +6:38
5. Skyler Howes, Husqvarna, +7:16
Stage 3
Today’s stage three featured a 37km liaison and 266km of special, making up 188 miles of riding. Toby Price came away with the stage win after nearly four hours of racing. The KTM rider finished just 16 seconds ahead of Honda’s Pablo Quintanilla. Skyler Howes was third, 19 seconds off Price. Adrien Van Beveren finished fifth on the stage but still controls the overall results by 43 seconds over his Honda team mate Quintanilla. With his win today, Price sits third overall, two minutes and 56 seconds back from the leader Van Beveren.
Stage 3 Results
1. Toby Price, KTM, 3:43:29
2. Pablo Quintanilla, Honda, +0:16
3. Skyler Howes, Husqvarna, +0:19
4. Ignacio Cornejo, Honda, +0:35
5. Adrien Van Beveren, Honda, +1:03
Overall Results After Stage 3
1. Adrien Van Beveren, Honda, 10:55:02
2. Pablo Quintanilla, Honda, +0:43
3. Toby Price, KTM, +2:56
4. Ignacio Cornejo, Honda, +3:00
5. Skyler Howes, Husqvarna, +5:05
Stage 2
Stage two comprised of a 108km liaison and a 257km special, navigating for a total of 226.8 miles. Husqvarna’s Luciano Benavides took the lead around kilometer 50 and held that spot through the finish. With the stage win, Benavides bumps up to third in the overall standings. Honda’s Nacho Cornejo finished second on the stage, one minute and 17 seconds back from Benavides. Cornejo sits fourth overall, about three minutes off the lead. American, Skyler Howes was third on the stage, only 27 seconds back from third.
Stage 2 Results
1. Luciano Benavides (Husqvarna) 3:24:50
2. Jose Ignacio Cornejo (Honda) 3:26:07
3. Skyler Howes (Husqvarna) 3:26:34
4. Ricky Brabec (Honda) 3:27:08
5. Adrien Van Beveren (Honda) 3:27:59
Overall Results After Stage 2
1. Adrien Van Beveren (Honda) 7:10:30
2. Pablo Quintanilla (Honda) 7:12:00
3. Luciano Benavides (Husqvarna) 7:13:57
4. Jose Ignacio Cornejo (Honda) 7:13:58
5. Ross Branch (Hero) 7:14:24
Stage 1
Stage one of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge featured a 162km liaison as well as a 242km special. This totaled 251 miles of riding on the first day composed of 43% of dunes, 52% of sandy tracks, 4% of chott and 1% of tarmac. The Honda riders controlled the lead after their success in the prologue with the Quintanilla and Van Beveren duo again finishing first and second. Ross Branch finished third on stage one and sits fourth in the overall rankings. Toby Price was fifth on the stage but still holds third overall.
Stage 1 Results
1. Pablo Quintanilla (Honda) 3:00:15
2. Adrien Van Beveren (Honda) 3:02:15
3. Ross Branch (Hero) 3:03:27
4. Jose Ignacio Cornejo (Honda) 3:04:31
5. Toby Price (KTM) 3:04:52
Overall Results After Stage 1 + Prologue
1. Pablo Quintanilla (Honda) 3:40:15
2. Adrien Van Beveren (Honda) 3:42:31
3. Toby Price (KTM) 3:45:32
4. Ross Branch (Hero) 3:45:35
5. Jose Ignacio Cornejo (Honda) 3:47:51
Prologue
The prologue kicked off this year’s rally with a quick six kilometer test held in Al Dhannah. Honda riders Pablo Quintanilla and Adrien Van Beveren topped the field in the short five-minute prologue and finished just two seconds apart. KTM’s Toby Price finished third, only five seconds off the leader.
Prologue Results
1. Pablo Quintanilla (Honda) 5:00
2. Adrien Van Beveren (Honda) 5:02
3. Toby Price (KTM) 5:05
4. Mason Klein (KTM) 5:08
5. Ross Branch (Hero) 5:16
Click here for more rally racing news.