37 bikes and 10 quads are on entry lists for Dubai International Baja, which will open this year's FIM Cross-Country Bajas World Cup. The rally starts on Friday, 8th March. 

On Wednesday, March 6th, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President of the ATC UAE, will host a press conference at 13.00hrs at the Dubai Autodrome, announcing the official opening of the 2019 FIM Cross-Country Bajas World Cup.

As in 2018, the event will be based at the Dubai Autodrome and is being organised under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai.

Administration and technical checks will be carried out at the circuit on Thursday, March 7th and the starting podium will also be staged there, in addition to Parc Fermé and the service park.

The first rider will leave the start at 06.45hrs on Friday, March 8th for a 50km liaison section before starting the opening selective section of 201.60km, one hour later. The second timed section of 204.03km takes place on Saturday, March 9th. In a total of 607km, 407km will be timed against the clock.

Thirty-seven motorcycles and 10 quads are registered for this third edition of the Dubai International Baja. Last year’s winner Mohammed Al-Balooshi tops the field, although the defending champion has opted to ride a Kawasaki KX450 on this occasion.

He will fight against the Italian Manuel Lucchese (Yamaha), Benjamin Melot (KTM), Mohammed Jaffar, his younger brother Sultan Al-Balooshi and five Juniors, including Aaron Mare (Husqvarna).

Another well known rider, Tomas de Gavardo, will take part in his first Baja of the season, riding a KTM, in Melot’s team with support from KTM Dubai. The eldest eon of the late Chilean rider Carlo de Gavardo has embarked upon a quest for the Junior title and should tackle all rounds of the championship.

Indian rider Aishwarya Pissay is also registered on a Yamaha in both the Junior and Female categories.

In the quads, Junior rider Fahad Al-Musallam (Yamaha) will sport the number 200 and faces nine other seasoned campaigners in the desert, including the Russian Aleksandr Maksimov, the winner of the 2018 FIM Cross-Country Rally World Cup.

Source: FIM Bajas & Cross-Country Rallies