(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Dakar Rally champion Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah yesterday said healthy time lead on the first three days set up his title win at this week's Sealine Cross-Country Rally.
The Qatari rallying star completed a hat-trick of Sealine victories alongside French co-driver Matthieu Baumel after claiming three of the five stages in the desert duel.
Al Attiyah enjoyed a 4-minute 21-second lead one day one which was stretched to 13 minutes 4 seconds the next day. On day three, Al Attiyah and Baumel enjoyed a lead of 21 minutes 43 seconds.
"We were leading from the beginning. The good lead on the first three days really set us up for this win," Al Attiyah said at the post-race media chat yesterday.
"After that we just tried to control the race. This was a long and difficult rally. You had to do a tough job to win," the 44-year-old added. "I am so happy to win in Qatar but it was not easy on the tyres," Al Attiyah said.
"There were a lot of punctures. We had to really concentrate a lot on the track. On the last three stages we were doing 400 kms every day. It was not easy on anyone of us," he added.
The Qatari - who won the Dakar Rally for the second time in his career this January - was delighted with his performances in 2015.
"It has been a good start for us this year - we won Dakar and then this. Two different races," Al Attiyah said. "I am happy. I am looking at next races. Matthieu did a good job. We always feel good together. We understand each other. We were determined to win," Al Attiyah said.
Al Attiyah, who was driving his Mini All4 Racing this week, said competing on home soil was a tough task.
"Of course there is pressure (to win at home). You don't want to make a mistake," Al Attiyah said.
"Everybody wants to see Nasser to win. I think we know many, many things in Qatar. This was a really nice win," he added.
Al Attiyah said the Sealine Cross-Country Rally had become a major event on the international calendar but there was room for improvement.
"This rally has taken big strides in the last three years. The roadbooks, the cautions on track all are good," Al Attiyah explained.
"We have to keep working on it. We could put arrows (for directions that show what is at) 50 meters right or 50 meters left.
"Sometimes we are not sure. Sometimes we are not sure on the exit for dunes or on cautions. This could be done next year," he said.
"Also we would like to see more competitors for this race (but) this year it was really good," he said.
Marc Coma, the five-time Dakar Rally champion in bikes, was thrilled with his third win on Qatari soil.
"It was a really tough race on all the five days. There was plenty of sand and stones on the way. The conditions were not easy," Coma said yesterday.
"We (KTM) worked very hard. The team did a great job. We were working in the same directions and obviously we are happy. It was important for us to win. We have started 2015 really well," he added. "We had a good results in Abu Dhabi. We are not very happy with all the rules changes. Maybe we could see some changes in the future.
"Right now I am happy with the victory," Coma, 38, said.
"We know from the past that navigation is always very difficult. It is wide ground. You really can't see the lines from other riders. This takes a lot of energy from your side.
"For most part of 200 kms it feels okay but after 400kms, it becomes difficult. I am happy because I had a lot of time (advantage) ahead of me. This gives me confidence for the future," he said. "It depends on each morning when some (KTM) riders want to push and some want to continue in the back of the group," Coma said when asked about the roles for each of the KTM riders in Qatar.
"Every morning and every stage, the situation is different and you can push to break the group. Here it is difficult because it is impossible to break five or six riders," he added.
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