Red Bull KTM’s Mark Coma gets off to a quick start in the opening stage of the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship.
Reigning FIM World Cross-Country Rallies Champion and 2015 Dakar Champion Marc Coma of Spain got his FIM title defense off to a solid start with a win during stage one of the UAEMC Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge in the United Arab Emirates, today.
Following a largely ceremonial special stage on Saturday, the rally got underway in earnest on Sunday as the riders ventured into the Liwa Desert. The Red Bull KTM-backed Coma served notice that he is still the man to beat as he completed the 404-kilometer stage, of which 262 kilometers was timed special stage, in 3 hours 12 minutes and 54 seconds. Coma’s Red Bull KTM teammate, Sam Sundeland of Great Britain, finished second in the stage, 1 minute and 21 seconds behind Coma.
“Today everything went well,” Coma said. “We managed to set a good pace, and we won ahead of Sam Sunderland, who we know is fast. I didn’t want to risk anything in the first part, but then I was able to attack more, especially in the second part of the special.”
Coma’s other title rivals–namely Red Bull KTM’s nemesis, the Team HRC Honda—had a mixed day, with strong finishes by former Cross-Country Rallies World Champion Paulo Gonçalves of Portugal, who finished third and rookie American hopeful Ricky Brabec, who finished fifth, tempered by a disastrous day for the team’s ace, Joan Barreda of Spain. Barreda suffered an electrical malfunction about 40 kilometers from the finish and lost over an hour to the leaser before making the necessary repairs to get him to the finish.
“Well, in the end it has been a complicated day,” Barreda said. “I got away very well with a really quick pace right from the start. I had some great riders up ahead and I pushed really hard and everything was fine until we got up to checkpoint three. Then I had an electric problem and the engine stopped—one of those things that happens. We are at the start and we have still got a whole year ahead, with the same bike and the same characteristics, and the engineers are working hard and will be able to sort out any hitches and give us some more security.”
Brabec’s fifth-place finish in what is his maiden FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship outing turned out to be a pleasant surprise.
“My first day here at the rally went good, but I made a rookie mistake just trying to ride through the dust and I hit something on the road which popped me up and threw me on my side,” Brabec said. “Other than that it was a good day, and I’m learning the way that the navigation works. I’m riding through the sand dunes, and I’m seeing all these faster guys’ lines, how they approach it and how they ride down the back side of them. So today was a good day, and hopefully the rest of the rally will be better.”
Tomorrow’s stage in the Liwa Desert will be the longest stage in the rally. Competitors will do battle over more than 500 kilometers of desert, with 279 kilometers of it on clock. The motocross-style start to the stage will also be unique.
2015 FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship
Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Results: March 29, 2015 (Round 1 of 6)
Stage 1
1. Marc Coma (SPA)-KTM/3 hours, 12 minutes and 54 seconds
2. Sam Sunderland (GBR)-KTM/+00:01:21
3. Paulo Goncalves (POR)-Hon/+00:5:33
4. Ruben Faria (POR)-KTM/+00:11:07
5. Ricky Brabec (USA)-Hon/+00:11:54
6. Mathias Walkner (USA)-KTM/+00:13:59
7. Mohammed Albalooshi (UAE)-KTM/+00:14:10
8. Pablo Quintanilla (CHI)-KTM/+00:15:58
9. Armand Monleón (SPA)-KTM/+00:22:06
10. Juan Carlos Salvatierra (BOL)-Hon/+00:24:28
Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge Overall Standings (After Stage 1 of 5)
1. Marc Coma (SPA)-KTM/3 hours, 12 minutes and 54 seconds
2. Sam Sunderland (GBR)-KTM/+00:01:21
3. Paulo Goncalves (POR)-Hon/+00:5:33
4. Ruben Faria (POR)-KTM/+00:11:07
5. Ricky Brabec (USA)-Hon/+00:11:54
6. Mathias Walkner (USA)-KTM/+00:13:59
7. Mohammed Albalooshi (UAE)-KTM/+00:14:10
8. Pablo Quintanilla (CHI)-KTM/+00:15:58
9. Armand Monleón (SPA)-KTM/+00:22:06
10. Juan Carlos Salvatierra (BOL)-Hon/+00:24:28
Your Privacy Choices