Official Xtreme+ Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge Update Thread

[JoeyD23]

ABU DHABI DESERT CHALLENGE: Rookies Discovering the RZR Polaris Xtremeplus!​

Thursday, April 3, 2014

Administrative checks: Yas marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi

The sky is covered but temperatures reache 35° Celcius in Abu Dhabi for the first day of scrutineering before the start of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge.

In the paddock of the Yas Marina Circuit, we start feeling the heat while the service teams take care of the last details. At the Polaris Xtremeplus Team, the mechanics start adjusting the seats and steer wheels of two RZR, a blue and a red one for the two “rookies†of this class: Pietro and Ale Fogliani and Jes Munk, with Sebastien Delaunay as his co-driver. The Danish returns to cross country rally after being badly hurt in a bike accident two years ago … but this time on four wheels!

Jes Munk / Sébastien Delaunay N°347: “ It´s a pleasure for me to see my old rally buddies again, and they have all given me a warm welcome, tells Jes. I discover the RZR which is quite different than the one I have at home… it has buttons everywhere, and Sebastian tries to explain, but I think that there will be some work before I remember everything, says while laughing. I am a bit old and I can´t wait to start, and to be back in the dunes!â€


Pietro Fogliani N°348: It´s been six years since the Italian was not face to face with the desert, but the call from cross country rally is irresistible, so after having spent many races in the truck with Marco Piana, owner of Xtremeplus Polaris Factory Team, he has also participated in the Dakar 2009 on a quad. Tomorrow, Pietro will be steering the RZR in the start of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge. “I have never driven an RZR, tells Pietro with a hidden smile, I just arrived this morning. It´s a beautiful machine, simple and smartly developed to go on the sand.â€

Ale Fogliani N° 348: Ale is 19 yrs. Old and discovers a new world in his first rally raid race. “I have raced in mini-cross and scooter, but never on a car… and even less on the sand! I had the opportunity to test the RZR with Marco in Dubai a couple of days ago and I really liked it! Now we will see… There is a lot to learn!â€
__

Tomorrow, the RZR Polaris Xtremeplus crews will go for their first tours before completing the technical scrutineering and leave their machines in the Parc Fermé until the start of the race.


Xtremeplus Polaris Factory Team ©JTomaselli

​

 

[JoeyD23]

THE TWO POLARIS RZR XTREMEPLUS AT THE QASR AL SARAB BIVOUAC IN GOOD POSITION

Alle & Pietro Fogliani ©JTomaselli​

ABU DHABI DESERT CHALLENGE
Sunday, April 6, 2014

Stage 1: Abu Dhabi – Qasr Al Sarab
SS: 290 km

This first special took competitors from Yas Marina in Abu Dhabi to the bivouac of Qasr Al Sarab in the middle of the desert.

The menu of the day was composed of dunes and fast tracks…

Started at 10 am this morning, the cars quickly faced high temperatures and many competitors suffered in this first selective section. At 5 pm, the two RZR were at the arrival in spite of some difficulties.

Alle and Pietro Fogliani N° 348 - 17th : “It was my very first special stage and I got stuck in the sand because I used the brakes too much. My dad had to take the shovels out and push the car… The RZR worked well, but at 100 km from the finish line, the gauge gave zero autonomy. I first went slower and then I decided to keep on going because it seemed like an electrical problem.â€

Jes Munk/Sébastien Delaunay ©JTomaselli​

Jes Munk / Sebastien Delaunay N°347 - 25th: “I had so much fun in the dunes, but we faced problems with temperature and at the end of the special we have to change the belt. At the beginning of the special stage we had passed Alle and Pietro, but then, they took over of us when I got stuck in the sand… Then, it was their turn to take out the shovels and we ahead of them until we had to do some mechanics. I keep learning about being on 4 wheels and I hope tomorrow will have more dunes and less fat tracks that penalize us strongly.â€

Tomorrow, the second special stage is a 269 km loop

Pour suivre le rallye en live : ABU DHABI DESERT CHALLENGE

To follow the rally live, please go to : ABU DHABI DESERT CHALLENGE

More pictures and information about in our website XTREMEPLUS (French & English)
Follow the Xtremeplus Polaris Factory Team on Facebook

 

[JoeyD23]

THE ROOKIES PASS THE SAND TEST WITH A BRIO

Alle & Pietro Fogliani ©JTomaselli​

ABU DHABI DESERT CHALLENGE
Monday, April 7, 2014
Stage 2: Qasr Al Sarab – Qasr Al Sarab

Road connection: 124.10 km – Special Stage: 269.67 km – Road connection: 92.89 km - Total: 487.66 km

Today, car competitors of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge started by a road connection of more than 100 km to get to the start of the special stage of 270 km on sand and dunes. This was not only a simple ride.

For the Fogliani, father and son, this second stage was smooth and the Italian crew joined the bivouac at the Qasr Al Sarab with smiling faces.

Misfortune hit For Jes Munk and Sebastian Delaunay and they had to stop to change the belt twice and … a third time during the road connection.

Alle and Pietro Fogliani N°348 – 22 of the stage and 18 overall: “This morning, when we started it was really cold, and Pietro´s hands were frozen. It was a long but beautiful day, and very warm afterwards too. The RZR worked perfectly, with not a temperature problem. I took ownership of the Polaris RZR and I feel very confident and I´m having fun. I only thing I can think is that there are not enough big dunes as I would like to have. To be able to drive next to my dad is a pleasure and his experience is extremely helpful.â€

Jes Munk/Sébastien Delaunay ©JTomaselli​

Jes Munk / Sebastian Delaunay N° 347 – 26th of the stage and 23 overall: “_During the first part I had so much fun and we had a good rhythm going on, and a cruise speed! We passed a number of competitors and only once, because a car was stuck in the sand, I had to back up. Unfortunately, we broke two belts in the sand and one in the road connection. It´s not normal, but we talked about it to our technical team. Tomorrow I will try to change my driving style to check if that could be the problem.â€_

Tomorrow, competitors will launch for a new look of 372 km and a special stage of 256 km.

To follow the rally live, please go to : ABU DHABI DESERT CHALLENGE

More pictures and information about in our website XTREMEPLUS (French & English)
Follow the Xtremeplus Polaris Factory Team on Facebook: FACEBOOK

 

[JoeyD23]

THE RZR POLARIS XTREMEPLUS CLIMBED TO 18 and 19 OVERALL!

Alle & Pietro Fogliani ©JTomaselli​

ABU DHABI DESERT CHALLENGE
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
Stage 3: Qasr Al Sarab - Qasr Al Sarab

Road connection: 88.05 km – Special stage: 256.40 km– Road connection 27.57 km – Total: 372.02 km

It was more than 40 degrees in the shadow when the two RZR Polaris Xtremeplus arrived to the overheated bivouac of Qasr Al Sarab. The special stage, of more than 250 km was, of course, on the sand, crossed a magnificent ocean of dunes. For the Xtremeplus Polaris Factory team competitors, learning was awarded with the 22 and 23 places in the stage ranking, and 18 and 19 in the overall rank.

Alle and Pietro Fogliani N°348 – 22nd of today´s stage and 18th overall. “It was awesome, and everything worked well,†said Alle at the bivouac. “We saw a number of cars trapped in the sand and in places where there was not many options cross. But, because the RZR makes crossing easy, we were able to keep going. The sand became softer with the high temperature so we had to stay much focused. At a moment, we followed a lonely trace that took us out of the race track. I don´t know who was that “opening car†but it passed through amazing places. When we realized we were getting far from the race track, we turn and went back to the traces.â€

Jes Munk/Sébastien Delaunay ©JTomaselli​

Jes Munk / Sébastien Delaunay n°347 – 23 of today´s stage and 19th overall: “Today, we did not have to change the belt… but I made a mistake and we lost 20 minutes. It´s sad because we were doing all right. I keep learning and I have learned a lot crossing the dunes. But I still make mistakes that have cost me a puncture because I hit hard after a downhill path. Slowly I am learning how to drive these 4 wheels. It´s just sad that we do not have 15 or 20 km/h more in the straight lines…â€

Tomorrow, the fourth stage is the fourth loop of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge. This time, it will be 378 km long.

 

[JoeyD23]

THE ROOKIES MADE IT!​

Alle & Pietro Fogliani ©JTomaselli​

ABU DHABI DESERT CHALLENGE
Thursday, April 10, 2014

Stage 5: Qasr Al Sarab

Road connection: 7.8 km – Special Stage: 244.77 km – Road Connection: 107.3 km – Total: 359.87 km

The last special stage of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge was composed of 244 km from Qasr Al Sarab to the Yas Island Marina in Abu Dhabi. Extremely hot weather, a few dunes and lots of straight lines were the menu of the day. A uninteresting special stage that Alle Fogliani and his father managed smartly and crossed the finish line taking the 15th place overall.

Unfortunately, Jes Munk and Sebastian Delaunay were not as lucky and they broke the cylinder head gasket at kilometer 17 of the special stage. The Danish/French crew had a struck of mechanic luck because the breakdown occurred in the asphalt. They were able to be pulled to Abu Dhabi so that they could finish the rally in the 25th position.

Alle and Pietro Fogliani N°348 – 15th overall: “I drove calmly, the special stage was all straight, just a few dunes. This was my first race and I think that cross country is a beautiful discipline, I enjoyed it. I only regret that there was not enough sand, with the RZR, it is such a pleasure to cross the dunes and it´s funâ€, says the 19 years old Italian driver.

Jes Munk & Seb Delaunay ©JTomaselli​

Jes Munk / Sebastian Delaunay N°347 -25th overall: “So, let’s be positive,†says the former bike rider, “At list I didn’t make a mistake this time. “It’s a pity not to be able to do the last special stage, but honestly we were lucky because the breakdown happened on asphalt, in a limited speed area, right before going back to the sand. If that would have happened further, then we would still be in the dunes. At least, we were able to get help and we went through the podium! Now we are going to grab a well-deserved drink with the team. The mechanics are fantastic, great sportsmanship among them, they did a great job! They gave me great advice every day, just like Seb an outstanding co-driver. It´s a nice team and I had fun with them and with the RZR, especially in the dunes!â€



©2014 Amadlozi | 45 rue de Sèvres - Paris 75006 - France

 

[badassmav]

It's cool that you give coverage to the "other" desert racing that this world enjoys. Rallye racing really exposes the teams who are (and aren't!) truly prepared. It's like doing a Mint 200, followed by an IV 160, and a Henderson sprint all in consecutive days with the same car, and with just hours to prep for the next race!
In any given race, most any team can have a good day and finish well in our arena, but only the teams that are totally prepared can have such a finish in rallye racing. To outperform others, day in and day out, definitely weeds out the would be "lucky" finishers in a single-day event. My guess is there are not a lot of "fluke" winners in the multi-staged rallye races. Wish there was more internet video coverage of these international events. ESPN's Speedworld coverage of "all flavors" of motorsports was pretty complete in the 80's and 90's. If they weren't live at the event, they had an affiliate that was.
Props to you, Joey!
Hey, how come you didn't show any Can-am's Lol!!! Chill out. I'm being sarcastic!