Qatar’s Nasser al-Attiyah is edging closer to his second victory in the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, but Russia’s Vladimir Vasilyev is refusing to give up his pursuit of a third successive cars triumph in the event.
Partnered by French co-driver Mathieu Baumel in a Toyota Hilux, al-Attiyah won yesterday’s 280km Al Ain Water Stage, his third stage win in a row, to extend his lead to 15 mins 19 secs from Vasilyev and Konstantin Zhiltsov who climbed one place on the leg in their Mini All4Racing.
Saudi Arabia’s Yazeed al-Rajhi and German co-driver Timo Gotschalk in another Mini slipped one place to third, and are another six minutes off the pace, although the nature of this demanding event means it would be wrong to discount any of the leading challengers with two days remaining.
Poland’s Jakub Przygonski, Finn Mikko Hirvonen and American Bryce Menzies in three other Minis completed the top six in the second round of the FIA World Cup for Cross Country Rallies, as the previous day’s wind and rain was replaced by more typical desert weather.
It was a spectacularly much better day in the bikes category for Portugal’s Helder Rodrigues who won the stage after mechanical problems 24 hours earlier saw him plunge from contention and required the sweep team to return him to the bivouac.
With the top three again riding virtually in tandem for much of the stage, Australian first leg winner Toby Price reclaimed the overall lead, although his advantage over KTM teammate, Dubai-based Sam Sunderland, is a slim 57 secs, with Chile’s Pablo Quintanilla just 18 seconds further away on his Husqvarna.
The UAE’s Mohammed al-Balooshi maintained his fourth position despite a crash on the stage, with Spain’s Txomin Arana Cobeaga and talented lady rider Laia Sanz completing the top six.
Veteran Dubai-based challenger Dave McBride maintained his ninth position in the opening round of this year’s FIM Cross Country Rallies World Championship.
Reaching the end of the Al Ain Water stage, al-Attiyah said: “It was a good day. I got into good rhythm early on. There are some sharp dunes but the Toyota worked really well, and the navigation was perfect.
Vasilyev, whose co-driver Zhiltsov was celebrating his 51st birthday, said: “Today was a good day for an Abu Dhabi race. We had a good rhythm and not a bad result. We started four minutes after Nasser so couldn’t catch him, but we made no mistakes, had no punctures, we didn’t get stuck. No problems so we are very happy.”
Happy to have snatched back the bikes lead, Price said: “There’s more and more and more sand, but it was a good trip on the bike and I caught the guys ahead. It was a long day but a great one, and I’m always having fun.”

Leading positions after Al Ain Water Stage 3 (Provisional)
Cars
1. Nasser al-Attiyah / Mathieu Baumel (QAT / FRA) Toyota Hilux 11:02.19
2. Vladimir Vasilyev / Konstantin Zhiltsov (RUS / RUS) Mini All4 Racing 11:17.38
3. Yazeed al-Rajhi / Timo Gotschalk (KSA / DEU) Mini All4 Racing 11:24.32
4. Jakub Przygonski / Tom Colsoul (POL / BEL) Mini All4 Racing 11:32.47
5. Mikko Hirvonen / Michel Perin (FIN / FRA) Mini All4 Racing 11:39.07
6. Bryce Menzies / Andreas Schulz (USA / DEU) Mini All4 Racing 11:40.17
7. Sheikh Khalid al-Qassimi / Khalid Al Kendi (ARE /ARE) Mini All4 Racing 11:54.55
8. Mathieu Serradori / Didier Haquette (FRA / FAR) Buggy 11:56.21
9. Mark Dabrowski / Jacek Czachor (POL / POL) 13:01.39
10. Nunzio Coffaro / Daniel Meneses (VEN / VEN) 13:22.30

Bikes
1. Toby Price (AUS) KTM 450 Rally Factory 1 11:35.07
2. Sam Sunderland (GBR) KTM 450 Rally Factory 1 11:36.04
3. Pablo Quintanilla (CHL) Husqvarna 450 Rally Factory 1 11:36.22
4. Mohammed al-Balooshi (ARE) KTM 450 Rally Replica 12:04.33
5. Txomin Arana Cobeaga (ESP) Husqvarna 450 Rally Replica 1 12:04.37
6. Laia Sanz (ESP) KTM 450 Rally Factory 1/3 12:12.24
7. Jakub Piatek (POL) KTM 450 Rally Replica ¼ 12:13.04
8. Pierre Alexandre Renet (FRA) 12:14.13
9. David McBride (GBR) KTM 450 Rally Replica 1 12:19.47
10. Jose Ignacio Cornejo Florimo (CHL) 12:31.13