The first competitive stage of the Baja Jordan immediately delivered spectacle. The 225-kilometer special through the impressive landscape of Wadi Rum proved to be a tough test for both man and machine. Technical rock sections and mountainous terrain later gave way to faster open stretches. At the end of the stage, Lionel and Lucie Baud surprisingly led the car classification, while Alex McInnes convincingly pulled away from the field in the motorcycle category. Misfortune struck Erik van Loon and Wouter Rosegaar, whose stage ended prematurely due to technical problems.
Father and daughter lead in the cars
The French duo Lionel and Lucie Baud described it as the best performance of their careers. In their diesel-powered X Raid Mini JCW Rally Plus, they steadily climbed through the field in the final kilometers and claimed the lead with a margin of just 1.8 seconds. Sharp navigation combined with high speed in the faster sections ultimately made the difference.
Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah and his navigator Max Delfino finished second. The Qatari driver lost time early in the mountainous section but later made full use of the lightweight two wheel drive MD Optimus buggy in the faster desert stretches. He briefly took the stage lead but was overtaken by Baud in the closing phase.
Dania Akeel guided her Toyota Hilux Evo to third place, opting for a cautious approach in the technical terrain. Saood Variawa finished fourth in a Toyota Hilux and had to open the road early in the stage without clear tracks to follow, which cost valuable time.
In the Challenger category, Yasir Seaidan maintained control and holds fifth place overall. Miroslav Zapletal drove his Ford F150 Evo to sixth position. Abdulaziz Al Kuwari placed seventh overall and second in Challenger. Norway’s Hedda Hosås was the fastest in the SSV category and stands eighth overall. Mohammed Al Marri finished ninth, while Hamed Al Wahaibi completed the top ten.
Strong start, but setback for Erik van Loon
For Erik van Loon and navigator Wouter Rosegaar, the day began in promising fashion. After a strong prologue, they started confidently in their Can Am Maverick R. After 35 kilometers, the Dutch duo recorded the fastest intermediate time in the SSV category and appeared on course for a top result.
Shortly after, however, the car began to lose power. It soon became clear that the turbo had failed, abruptly ending their fight for the stage win. Van Loon spoke afterwards of a promising rally once again interrupted by technical issues. According to him, the speed was clearly there and the pace was competitive, but mechanical problems put an end to their ambitions. Despite the setback, the team is looking ahead to the second stage around Aqaba, covering 195 kilometers. If reliability holds, Van Loon still sees opportunities for a stage victory.
McInnes makes his move in the bikes
In the motorcycle category, Alex McInnes was once again the standout performer. The Briton chose not to start at the front and made full use of the conditions. While several competitors lost time in the technical mountain section early on, McInnes maintained a consistent and high pace. He took the lead at the first checkpoint and steadily extended his advantage.
By the end of the day, McInnes held a comfortable lead of 13 minutes and 28.3 seconds over Abdulhalim Al Mogheera. Abdullah Al Shatti occupies third place. Mohammed Al Balooshi had a difficult start due to navigation problems and a technical issue with his Stella system, but recovered well to finish fourth. Rafic Eid and Philip Horlemann followed behind.
In the quad category, Hani Al Noumesi remained dominant aboard his Yamaha YFM 700R.
Decisive second stage ahead
With one stage remaining in this compact Baja format, the battle is still wide open. On Saturday, competitors face another 195-kilometer special through Wadi Rum, followed by the ceremonial finish in the afternoon at the marina of the Ayla Resort in Aqaba.
