Article:
ISSUE No.1 DECEMBER 2006

UAE Desert Challange
A desert challanage under extreme conditions:

World motor sport enthusiasts and those who are interested in high performance driving should be, since long, aware of the UAE desert challenge. Since 14 years the United Arab Emirates is the venue of a small “Paris-Dakar”. Due to prominent drivers and well-known sponsors the desert rally asserts its presence from year to year. The German Juta Kleinschmidt and the French Stéphan Peterhansel competed against each other and brought international flair to the Desert Challenge.

Most of us associate the traditional race Paris-Dakar with the term desert rally. High sand dunes and inhumane temperatures are a part and parcel of modern adventure since the seventies. Highly motorized vehicles, combined with the smell of engine oil and fuel could only make the hearts of the male and female fan community beat higher.

For most of the racing teams the UAE Desert Challenge becomes more and more interesting itself and not only as a rehearsal for the Paris-Dakar rally. Many see the competition as an important rehearsal.

Although the Emirate rally is shorter the hardships must not be underestimated. High temperatures, fine sand and enormous dunes even are hard challenges even for experienced rally drivers. Therefore a competent start in the Emirates will be interpreted as a positive aptitude test for the big tradition race from Europe to Africa. Childhood diseases of new cars or unsteadiness in the driving of young athletes can still be improved till the long distance rally starts.

This year the “start shot” of the popular desert rally went off in Abu Dhabi. The participants started their race into Southern direction in front of the luxury hotel Emirates Palace. Cars, trucks, motor bikes
and quads have been accepted to enter the competition. The first stage started in the outskirts of Abu Dhabi and led through the desert in the direction of Moreeb hills. The participants disappeared in a big dusty clouds on the horizons sharply focused on their goal. The professionals had to drive 2443 kilometers of difficult desert sand having to test their competence and endurance during the following days. The Rub Al Khali desert is known for its enormous level of difficulty. Who wants to score here has to drive over up to 300 meters high dunes accurately.

The altogether more than 1000 participants camp near the Liwa oasis at the foot of the Moreeb hill. From there the race drivers had to retake on their tasks daily. On the last day the road to the stage led to D ubai. Former world champion French downhill skier Luc Alphand drove smoothly to his first victory in the UAE Desert Challenge while Spain’s Marc Coma clinched the bikes title. “It’s really good to win,” said Alphand, as Mitsubishi also captured the team title in the FIA Cross Country Rally World Cup. “We had a cool rally, never being stuck, and no punctures. My co-driver is really good, he is quiet and he is the opposite to me. If you’re a real competition driver and you haven’t been to the Desert Challenge yet, than it is time to come. The UAE is a nice place and the rally is really well organized.”

The total success for drivers, promoters and onlookers makes the fans of motor sport look expectantly to the next year.