Kees Koolen delivered an impressive performance during the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge (ADDC). The Dutch rally veteran, riding for HT Rally Raid on a Husqvarna FR 450 Rally, started the rally with a 34th place finish in the FIM class during the prologue, clocking a time of 10 minutes and 32 seconds.
Throughout the rally, Koolen demonstrated consistency and experience. On the final day, he finished 28th, securing first place in the veterans’ class and 23rd overall. Despite losing only 15 seconds to the first-place finisher that day, he maintained a comfortable lead of approximately 47 minutes over his closest competitor. Koolen opted for a calm and safe approach in the final stage, a strategy that paid off.
An interesting aspect of the final stage was a strategically placed waypoint that multiple participants, including the third-place competitor in the veterans’ class, missed. This highlighted the challenging navigation elements of the ADDC and the importance of precision during the rally. With this performance in the ADDC 2025, Kees Koolen has once again demonstrated the power of experience and composure.
