Qatar's Nasser Al-Attiyah extended his overall cars lead in the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge powered by Nissan Monday while Chile's Pablo Quintanilla grabbed a slender advantage in a fascinating bikes tussle between three of the world's top riders. Accompanied by French co-driver Mathieu Baumel in a new Toyota Hilux, Al-Attiyah won the 279km Nissan Patrol Stage to increase his overnight advantage to 10min 21sec over Saudi Arabia's Yazeed Al-Rajhi and German co-driver Timo Gotschalk in a Mini All4Racing. Russia's Vladimir Vasilyev and Konstantin Zhiltsov maintained hopes of a third successive Desert Challenge triumph in a Mini by climbing one place to third, although at 13min 30sec off the pace will surely require Al-Attiyah to find problems in order to achieve the hat trick. On a day when scattered showers and wind gave the Desert Challenge an unusual look and feel, Polish drivers Jakub Przygonski and Marek Dabrowski followed by four-times WRC runner-up Mikko Hirvonen of Finland completed the top six. After having to replace the gearbox on his Abu Dhabi Racing Mini before the start of the stage, the UAE's Sheikh Khalid Al-Qassimi was unable to improve on his ninth place overall from the previous day. The retirement of eight-time Desert Challenge winner Marc Coma has guaranteed that there will be a new bikes champion this time, and a fascinating contest is developing between three of the world's top riders to decide the outcome. Overnight leader Toby Price finished the day in third place behind Quintanilla and Dubai-based British rider Sunderland, but the leading trio are separated by just 2min 48sec after powering their way through the stage almost within touching distance of each other at times. It was a good day for leading Emirati rider Mohammed Al-Balooshi who climbed three places to finish the leg in fourth place. Talented Spanish lady rider Laia Sanz moved up two positions to seventh while Desert Challenge regular Dave McBride ended the leg in ninth place. "The Nissan Patrol stage is always one of the most testing in the Desert Challenge, and today was no different," said Mohammed Ben Sulayem, president of the Automobile and Touring Club, the rally organizers. "This was cross country desert rallying at its best." After the top ten riders had set off on the Nissan Patrol stage at normal two-minute intervals, the remaining 29 bikes featured in a spectacular mass start in two waves, before the cars followed them onto a competitive section which lived up to its reputation as one of the most demanding. Reaching the finish, a happy Al-Attiyah said: "It was a very difficult stage, needing a lot of concentration on the dunes and there were some very sharp ones. Driving the new car in the sand dunes was a very good experience. The Toyota is working very well, despite having less torque than the Mini. Today I gave 100% and I'm very happy to finish with such a lead." Al-Rajhi said: "It was a good stage, and a better result than yesterday. I'm still getting used to the new car but it was good fun going through the dunes, they are my playground after all. But it was a tiring stage. Coming in just after Nasser is a good indication though." Quintanilla reached the end of the stage to say: "It was quite a long stage and pretty tough. I had a good start position and was catching up with Toby and Sam at refueling. It was cooler today, but it was still tricky through the dunes as there were some lights making it difficult to see." Taking place under the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, the ruler's representative in the Western region, the 26th Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge is organized by the Automobile and Touring Club of the UAE, the national motor sport authority. Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Timo Gotschalk in action Monday
