Dubai: It could have been a perfect birthday present for Sam Sunderland but instead the British expat had to endure the agony of being so near, yet so far in the recently-concluded Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge. The Dubai-based rider cut a dejected figure as he threw away his chance of a brilliant victory in the bikes class with a basic technical error in the event’s 23rd edition. At the end of the 296km fourth leg, he forgot to pass through the final two gates which officially signify a competitor has completed the day’s competitive rallying, collecting a 10-minute time penalty which ended his chances of winning the event and he eventually finished third.
And when the UAE’s great motorsport adventure reached the finish at Yas Marina Circuit, the biggest cheers were for Sunderland, who had overshadowed the world’s top riders for four days in his Honda CRF 450 X bike, only to lose out agonizingly.
Understandably, Sunderland, who turned 24 on Monday, sounded dejected following the race. “It was a really good week for me, but I made a big mistake,” he told XPRESS. “During liaison I went to talk to the mechanic about my broken exhaust late in the race and after talking to him I forgot to go through the final two gates. I’m really gutted, but those are the rules.”
Sunderland’s mistake let in reigning world champion and multiple Desert Challenge winner Marc Coma for a record seventh Desert Challenge title and the Spaniard said: “It’s always nice to win, and the Desert Challenge is really difficult so it’s a good feeling, but I’m also happy for the whole team. In this sport you need a lot of people around you, so this victory was for everyone involved in the team.”
Coma, who has now won the Desert Challenge bikes title five years in a row, added: “I’m very happy to win but feel sorry for Sam because it was clear he was the fastest rider over the five days and deserved his victory. But those are the rules and we have to abide by them.”
Among the many admirers Sunderland gained for his heroics in outshining Coma over the first four days was Mohammad Bin Sulayem, the event founder.
“It was very disappointing for Sam to lose the bikes title that way after he had been in control,” said Sulayem, President of the Automobile and Touring Club of the UAE, the rally organisers. “He’s very disappointed now, but will learn from this. He has a bright future ahead of him, and many more years in the Desert Challenge.”
