The Qatar International Baja held recently saw X-Raid Mini Team’s Denis Krotov and Konstantin Zhiltsov clinch a thrilling victory in the cars category by overtaking the overnight leaders Dania Akeel and Stephane Duple. In the motorcycle category, Mohammed Al Balooshi of MX Ride Dubai delivered an impressive performance to secure his second win, overcoming a 15-minute deficit and outshining his teammate Abdullah Al Shatti. Hani Al-Noumesi from Saudi Arabia emerged victorious in the quad section.
The final stage of the event covered a distance of 251.10km, starting from Dukhan and traversing through the western deserts of Qatar before heading towards the dunes near Sealine and the Inland Sea in the south. The stage concluded south of the Al-Udeid Airbase, east of Mesaieed. Akeel, who was aiming to become the first woman to win a Baja-type event in the Middle East, had to settle for second place as Krotov took the lead and secured the win with a margin of over 30 minutes.
Despite a broken steering arm, Akeel managed to reach the finish line in fifth place, allowing the Portuguese duo of Joao Ferreira and Filipe Palmeiro to claim the second spot overall. Multiple time penalties were imposed on several participants for route violations, while engine issues forced local hero Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah to withdraw from the event. Al Yaeesh was penalized for using non-compliant tires and forfeited his points in the FIA Middle East Baja Cup.
In the motorcycle category, Al Shatti defended his lead in the final stage, but Al Balooshi put up a stellar performance to claim victory by a significant margin. Al Noumesi maintained his composure to secure a comfortable win in the quad category. The event witnessed several retirements due to mechanical issues and fatigue, including notable riders such as Terrell Thien and Hanno Geyser.
The next legs of the FIA World and Middle East Baja Cups are scheduled to take place in Aqaba and Portugal, respectively. The Qatar International Baja podium winners included Denis Krotov and Konstantin Zhiltsov in the cars category, Mohammed Al Balooshi in the bikes category, and Hani Al Noumesi in the quads category. The thrilling three-day event showcased the resilience and determination of the participating athletes, as they battled challenging terrains and fierce competition to claim the top honors.
