Dubai: Mohammad Al Beloushi finished third in the Pharaons Rally, round three of the six-stage FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship, in Egypt on Saturday.
The podium finish saw him move up to third in the rankings. He also became the first Emirati to finish on the podium in three consecutive legs of a motorcycle world championship rally.
Al Beloushi had to push his bike for 5km during the rally due to technical issues. The Emirati rapidly made up for the time lost the previous day and caught up with the riders in front of him until his bike stopped working half way through the day’s route.
“The bike started having electrical problems and stopped a couple of times for no apparent reason and then one of those times it just didn’t start again. I tried everything and nothing worked,” he said. “I was desperate and could not resign myself to end the rally like that, so I started pushing the bike towards the passage control where my team awaited and the regulations allow assistance.”
Al Beloushi expressed satisfaction with his third place finish that also assured him the number three world ranking. “This rally has been an amazing experience and will be in my heart forever. I am a proud and happy Emirati. I couldn’t have done this without the help of my team, family and sponsors,” he added.
