ABU DHABI // Vladimir Vasilyev opened nearly a 10-minute lead in the cars competition after the third leg of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge on Tuesday, while Sam Sunderland leads a tight bikes competition.
Sunderland, who is making his debut with the KTM team, lost the stage to Joan Barreda Bort – the Honda driver from Spain, who moved up to fourth in the overall standings – but still opened a 30-second lead over teammate and defending champion Marc Coma.
“I caught Marc after about 80 kilometres and then made the pace up until refuel,” said Sunderland, the Dubai-based rider. “Then the Honda guys caught us towards the end, so we just chilled a bit and let them make the pace.”
Coma, the reigning Dakar Rally champion, said: “I started first and I knew I would lose time. I went over a big jump at the start which left me a bit sore but I’m OK.”
Paulo Goncalves is third overall, 52 seconds behind Sunderland.
Goncalves said: “Me and Barreda finally caught the two KTM guys. Now we have two stages to go and we are really confident. We are very happy with the new bikes in the desert and are not too far behind the leaders, overall. But we will have to ride very fast to catch them at the end.”
The UAE’s Mohammed Al Balooshi held on to seventh position.
“This was the best day for me so far,” he said. “It was very fast and tricky, the way I like it, and I finally found my rhythm. Even though I had good times the last two days I really felt that I was riding my bike perfectly.
“It’s thanks to my whole team and sponsors that I’m here, and I’m really looking forward to finishing the challenge in Abu Dhabi on Thursday.
“It’s a shame that I’m the only Emirati riding in the rally this week, but I’m riding for my country today and I’m very happy overall.”
Among the cars, Vasilyev and his partner Konstantin Zhilstov, in a Mini, seemed to take control of the competition, stretching their advantage from 44 seconds to nine minutes, 48 seconds ahead of the Polish duo of Marek Dabrowski and Jacek Czachor in a Toyota Hilux.
The Emirati Yahya Al Helei is fifth, in a Nissan pickup.
It was a classic day of desert rallying at its spectacular best, as the 38 surviving cars and 48 bikes and quads followed a dramatic trail through mighty dunes in Abu Dhabi’s Western Region.
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You Were Never Really Here
Director: Lynne Ramsay
Starring: Joaquim Phoenix, Ekaterina Samsonov
Four stars
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
How tumultuous protests grew
- A fuel tax protest by French drivers appealed to wider anti-government sentiment
- Unlike previous French demonstrations there was no trade union or organised movement involved
- Demonstrators responded to online petitions and flooded squares to block traffic
- At its height there were almost 300,000 on the streets in support
- Named after the high visibility jackets that drivers must keep in cars
- Clashes soon turned violent as thousands fought with police at cordons
- An estimated two dozen people lost eyes and many others were admitted to hospital
The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
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What is graphene?
Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.
It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.
It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.
It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.
Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.
The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.
The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh12 million
Engine 8.0-litre quad-turbo, W16
Gearbox seven-speed dual clutch auto
Power 1479 @ 6,700rpm
Torque 1600Nm @ 2,000rpm 0-100kph: 2.6 seconds 0-200kph: 6.1 seconds
Top speed 420 kph (governed)
Fuel economy, combined 35.2L / 100km (est)
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)