By winning both of the 170km special stages, Mohammed Al-Balooshi (Yamaha) sealed victory in the Dubai International Baja and the 2023 FIM Bajas World Cup title. By finishing second in the quad category, Kevin Giroud (Yamaha) was crowned as the 2023 champion, with the Junior title going to Jonathan Finn (Honda). The laurels in the Women’s category went to Esther Merino Garcia (Husqvarna) and, once again, Pedro Bianchi Prata (Honda) earned the Veterans Trophy.
It was very hot in Dubai for the final round of the FIM Bajas World Cup. After a two-kilometre Prologue on Friday evening, the riders tackled two loops of 170km over sandy tracks and dunes on Saturday and Sunday.
David Megre (Kawasaki) arrived in Dubai at the top of the motorcycle rankings and won the Prologue, but seventh place in both SS1 and SS2 relegated the Portuguese to fifth overall and cost him his chance to prevent Al-Balooshi winning the title. For this Baja, the Dubai rider used a Yamaha MX bike and benefited from an error in the allocation of fuel jerrycans at the refuelling point. Al-Balooshi won the first of the desert stages on Saturday and opened the track on the final morning. But he had to wait at the refuelling station until the fuel problem had been resolved. He eventually continued on the stage, 32 and a half minutes later and that time was eventually returned to him. He went on to win the last stage to claim victory in the Baja and the FIM Bajas World Cup with 90 points, against 88 for fifth-placed Megre.
Kuwaiti rider Abdullah Al-Shatti (Kawasaki) finished second overall and Frenchman Jean-Loup Lepan (KTM), who came to Dubai to train with the Duust Rally Team, climbed on to the third step of the podium.
After Saturday’s retirement of quad rival Haitham Al-Tuwaijri, Kevin Giroud was able to slow down and secure second place behind the Emirati racer Abdulaziz Ahli (Yamaha) and return to France with the title of quad champion in the FIM Bajas World Cup.
Esther Merino Garcia (Husqvarna) finished ahead of Sarah Khuraibet (Husqvarna) to seal the Women’s category by a narrow margin from her Kuwaiti rival.
In the Juniors, Jean Loup Lepan (KTM) won the Baja and Jonathan Finn finished 14th in the Baja after making a few errors when the sun was high in the sky and reduced his visibility in the sand dunes. But the Canadian leaves the UAE with the Junior title.
Once again, no-one was able to wrest the Veterans Trophy from the clutches of Portugal’s Pedro Bianchi Prata. His task was made that much easier with the absence of main opponent Andrew Houlihan with an ongoing injury.