Riders vying for the FIM Bajas World Cup title rode through the Saudi Arabian dunes on round one but will tackle a route through the Spanish countryside, near Badajoz on the Portuguese border, this weekend.
Baja TT Dehesa Extremadura has attracted 23 FIM riders on motorcycles and quads and they will compete over 412 competitive kilometres.
Mohammed Al-Balooshi is the provisional leader of the FIM Bajas World Cup and has made the trip but will face tough opposition from last year’s winner David Megre and Bruno Santos.
In the quad category, the Saudi Arabian duo of Haitham Al-Tuwaijri and Hani Al-Noumesi are also present to defend their positions.
Twenty-three FIM riders, including 20 on motorcycles, three on quads, two in the Women’s category, four Juniors and 11 Veterans (including Pedro Bianchi Prata) make up the entry list.
Al-Balooshi is not accustomed to riding on the tracks of the Iberian Peninsula but carries the number one on his bike as the defending champion. Megre, from Portugal, shadowed the Emirati in the championship last season and has his sights on going one better on this occasion, as does his compatriot Santos – both of whom are used to riding on this type of terrain.
Spaniard Sara Garcia and Poland’s Joanna Modrzewska will battle it out in the Women’s category, while Edgar Canet and Filip Grot on motorcycles and Al-Tuwaijri (provisional quad category leader) and Abdulaziz Al-Shayban will fight for Junior supremacy. Al-Noumesi also joins his Arab rivals in the quad tussle.
Riders and their teams will meet in Badajoz for administration and technical checks on Thursday (May 2), followed by the pre-event press conference at 20.00hrs.
The opening televised six-kilometre Prologue starts shortly before 08.00hrs on Friday (May 3) and this precedes an afternoon stage of 116km for a day’s total of 122km. On Saturday (May 4), riders will tackle a 290km stage before reaching the finish.
In a total of 646km, 412km will be timed against the clock with 234km in liaison and connections between stages.
FIM Bajas World Cup – positions after round 1:
Motorcycles
1. Mohammed Al-Balooshi (KTM) 25pts
2. Abdullah Al-Shatti (Husqvarna) 20pts
3. Abdulhalim Al-Mogheera (KTM) 16pts
4. Hamdan Al-Ali (Husqvarna) 13pts
5. Pedro Bianchi Prata (Honda) 11pts
Quads
1. Haitham Al-Tuwaijri (Yamaha) 25pts
2. Hani Al-Noumesi (Yamaha) 20pts
3. Abdulaziz Al-Shayban (Yamaha) 16pts
4. Abdulaziz Al-Atawi (Yamaha) 13pts
FIM Communications