BUGGER!!

For once I’m afraid the witty comments and music hall gags escape me. Today started out full of promise, with Ian and Sheila lying in 6th place overall and 3rd in the T1 category. And as they set off on this, the last day of the 2010 Desert Challenge, they stormed through the field, soon dispatching one competitor after another on the early stage gatch track and dunes.

Eventually they caught up with friends Fadi and Mario in the “Strange Rover” and knowing Fadi is an excellent dune driver, Ian decided wisely to protect his race position and simply follow Fadi through the rough patches of desert.

Unfortunately, at some point, Ian drifted just a few feet to the side of Fadi’s own route. Maybe the width of a car or two but not more, yet in the desert, at race speeds, these things can make a huge difference. Fadi crossed a dune crest perfectly safely yet as the front of Ian and Sheila’s vehicle broke over the top just to the right of Fadi’s line, it slammed into rising terrain on the other side with such force that it broke the front suspension. With the vehicle crippled, the heart-broken pair knew their race was over. They were just 100kms from the finish of a 2,500 kilometre race and, having started later than Fadi, were incredibly, running in second place on the stage. Only the works BMW driven by a professional race driver was faster.

To add insult to injury, just a few minutes later one of the Abu Dhabi based Fitech cars came over the same dune, smacked into the back of Ian’s Patrol and incredibly, then drove off without stopping to see if anyone had been hurt or what damage had been done. So, to the French driver of the offending car, I take great pleasure in reminding you that if it wasn’t for Britain you’d be called Fritz, speaking German and eating sauerkraut right now. Ever heard of Trafalgar? Remember Agincourt? We whipped your boys there too. So we happily raise two fingers at you, in the traditional English archers salute. Read ‘em and weep.

Anyway, moving on…..

Ian and Sheila traveled back in a support car to the Yas Marina circuit for the race finish, then Ian and Rick returned to the race car to try, without success tonight, to recover it from the desert. Our good friend Streaky is currently driving a borrowed monstrous Ford F350 truck which is probably the most suitably equipped rig in the area to drag the Patrol to the side of the road, so tomorrow he’s offered to help recover it. Rick must hot foot it back to Dubai tonight because he’s on a plane home to Manchester about now – thanks Rick for your sterling support. What are you doing about this time next year mate?

Also thanks to Cesar who ably assisted Rick, Ian and Sheila. Sorry Cesar but it’s back to reality on Sunday – we’ve got an installation for you at Dubai Investment Park.

Aaaah. There’s always next year……………….!

Fadi went on to finish second on the stage I believe and second highest placed gulf team. A prize that might well have been Ian and Sheila’s but for lady ‘luck’.

Malcolm Anderson and Mark Schofield finished just outside the top 10 but Malcolm drove incredibly well today, covering over 100 kilometres in a 20 year old Range Rover with a broken diff and consequently without front wheel drive. Well done mate!

Sorry but as yet the official results are not on the race website so I can’t be sure how Team FJ got on.

Congratulations too to my friend, bike rider James West. After shattering his leg in last year’s race then suffering all sorts of complications with the recovery, James rode the race of his life this week and finished second overall, giving KTM bikes a 1-2 finish with Marc Coma taking the victory. A works ride for James can’t be that far away surely…….are you listening KTM???

Right, I’m so exhausted I’m now taking two weeks holiday to travel around India. Assuming I’m not eaten by tigers in Ranthambhore, in the words of Arnie. “I’ll be back”. Do you think I'll spot any cheese eating surrender monkeys while I'm there? Je ne sais pas.

Meanwhile ‘normal service will be resumed’ with Ian’s first post race post (ooh, I like that, first post race post. Sounds good) in the next 72 hours I’d imagine, when he and Sheila have slept off their exhaustion.

WELL DONE to the pair of you.