Intro:

Vladimir Vasilyev and Paulo Goncalves win Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge on Thursday (April 10).

Script:

Russian Vladimir Vasilyev cruised to a commanding cars victory in the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge on Thursday, as Portugal's Paulo Goncalves produced a brilliant surge on the final leg to snatch the bikes title from seven-times winner Marc Coma.

Partnered by Konstantin Zhilstov in a Mini, Vasilyev took the 244-km Stage 5 to win by an impressive 47 minutes, 55 seconds from Poland's Adam Malysz and Rafal Marton.

In one of the most dramatic individual battles of the rally, Czech driver Miroslav Zapletal clung on to third place in his Hummer, edging out Yahya Alhelei by eight seconds after a valiant effort by the Emirati to snatch the last podium place.

Matching the tussle between Zapletal and Alhelei was the one which saw reigning FIM world champion Goncalves wipe out a 1 minute, 31 second overnight lead for this year's Dakar Rally winner, Coma, to deny the Spaniard an eighth Desert Challenge crown and secure a first for himself.

At the end of a five-day passage through some of the most demanding desert terrain on earth, the Portuguese rider won the opening round of this year's FIM Cross Country Rallies World Championship for bikes by 20 seconds.

Poland's Rafal Sonik captured the Desert Challenge quads title for the first time to add to his 2013 FIM world championship success.