RALLYING

still tricky through the dunes as there were some lights making it difficult to see.”

Sunderland said: “I rode out mostly with Toby and Pablo but it took me some time to catch Toby at the start, then we all rode together, I did bury my bike in a dune towards the end and lost about 10 seconds but overall it was good. I’m enjoying the temperature but being overcast affects the visibility, makes it harder to see. I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”

Price commented: “It was a long but good day, some challenging dunes with one which got me off guard. It has been very much plain sailing, with a nice tussle between the three of us in the last 30km. The weather is nice and I’m pleased it’s not 40 degrees plus.

Taking place under the patronage of HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Ruler’s Representative in the Western region, the 26th Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge POWERED BY Nissan is organised by the Automobile and Touring Club of the UAE, the national motor sport authority.

The Nissan Patrol, the “Hero of All terrain in Life”, is positioned for the 13th year as the official vehicle of the event. The line-up of strategic sponsors and partners includes the Ruler’s Court in the Western Region, Western Region Municipality, Abu Dhabi Municipality, the UAE Army, Abu Dhabi Police, National Ambulance Service, Nissan, Yas Marina Circuit, ADNOC, Abu Dhabi Aviation, Tadweer (The Center of Waste Management – Abu Dhabi), Rotana and Centro Hotels — Yas Island, Qasr Al Sarab Resort, and DP World.