After a night at the Marathon Camp, where competitors had to maintain their vehicles without assistance from their teams, the rally field returned to Mezaira’a during the fourth stage. The toughest test of this Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, spanning 394 kilometers with 300 kilometers against the clock, brought intense action and significant shifts in the standings.
FIA: Goczał Surprises, Al Attiyah Holds the Lead
Young Polish driver Eryk Goczał (Overdrive Racing) claimed his first victory in the Ultimate class, marking another milestone in his impressive rally career. He defeated Lucas Moraes (Toyota Gazoo Racing) by 2 minutes and 29 seconds and Nasser Al Attiyah (The Dacia Sandriders) by 2 minutes and 37 seconds.
Despite Moraes’ strong performance, Al Attiyah managed to retain his lead in the overall standings, though his advantage has shrunk to just 41 seconds. The biggest setback of the day was for Sébastien Loeb, who crashed and was forced to retire from the rally.
Challenger: Seaidan Wins, Klaassen Takes Strong Eighth Place
Yasir Seaidan (BBR Motorsport) secured his second victory in three days, but Dania Akeel remained the overall leader in the Challenger class. She finished second, followed by Pau Navarro.
Puck Klaassen made an impressive recovery after previous setbacks, finishing eighth. With only a one-minute penalty, the South African driver demonstrated resilience and continues to push for a strong final result.
SSV: Al Helei Strikes Back
After disappointment in the previous stage, Mansour Al Helei (Liwa Team) bounced back with a commanding victory in the SSV class. He defeated Alexandre Pinto by 3 minutes and 3 seconds and Enrico Gaspari by 14 minutes and 14 seconds, though Gaspari retains the overall lead.
FIM: Sanders Dominates, Koolen Holds On
Daniel Sanders (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) delivered an outstanding performance, reclaiming the lead in the bike standings. He won the stage with a 3-minute and 23-second advantage over Adrien Van Beveren and 4 minutes and 52 seconds over Ignacio Cornejo.
Kees Koolen faced a tough day but still managed to finish 24th overall. “Today was really not my day, but I still gained time on my direct competitors in the veterans’ classification,” said Koolen. Early in the stage, he got stuck on a dune and expended a lot of energy to break free. “From kilometer 100, things improved, but at kilometer 200, I had a major crash. Fortunately, just a badly bruised thigh.” The Dutchman managed to keep his bike upright and carefully rode the last 100 kilometers to the finish.
Rally2: Docherty Keeps Winning
Michael Docherty remains unbeatable in the Rally2 class, claiming his fifth consecutive stage victory. With a lead of 7 minutes and 50 seconds over Konrad Dąbrowski and 11 minutes and 6 seconds over Martim Ventura, he appears to be well on his way to the overall win.
Quads: Kanopkinas Takes the Lead
Antanas Kanopkinas regained the lead in the quad category, aided by a penalty for rival Marek Łój. With a 29-minute and 18-second advantage over Gaëtan Martinez, the Lithuanian is firmly on track for the overall victory.
Looking Ahead to the Final Stage
The last stage of the rally will take competitors to the finish line in Abu Dhabi. With 364 kilometers remaining, including 167 kilometers against the clock, much is still at stake. The first bike will depart at 07:30 (GMT+4), followed by the first car at 09:50. The tension builds as the rally reaches its climax!
