Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge tests riders to the limit

HAMIM // Racing across the desert at speeds of up to 140 kph, Mohammed Baloushi knew he was going to crash. The Emirati motorcyclist had fallen back in the field on the second day of the and was struggling to make up lost time. But he misread a small dune, braked heavily and fell. Baloushi hit the sand, shattering his left hand and collarbone, and knocking himself out of the event, a gruelling five-day race across the dunes of Al Gharbia that will conclude today. "I saw the dune about 10 metres away but could not turn because I was going way too fast," he said after his crash on Monday. "I braked hard and didn't make it over properly. "I knew it was too late when I saw the dune. I knew I was pushing it too hard and now I am out." Baloushi was one of many riders who have relied on the rally's medical team since the race began on Sunday. When his bike fell, an IriTrack alarm - a satellite monitoring system that is triggered automatically if a vehicle rolls or crashes - sounded at the central control room. The control room then radioed the competitor to assess the damage. More often than not, motorcycles and cars break down, but the competitors are safe. If not, a rescue helicopter is scrambled. Four police helicopters are kept on standby, each with two pilots, two medics and two crew. They aim to be at the scene within 20 minutes - a challenge in a race that covers such a vast area. Teams can travel up to 280km a day. The medical teams have been kept busy, making seven airlifts in the first two days of racing alone. Two competitors were suffering from life-threatening dehydration, according to the rally's chief medical officer, Dr Sean Petherbridge. Each vehicle has to carry at least three litres of water on each stage. "Sometimes they drink more water than they realise and sometimes they use more salt than they realise," Dr Petherbridge said. Riders often fall from their bikes because of dehydration, while others stop before they collapse. The sweep teams - each with three four-wheel drives with one doctor and two crew on board - can pick them up. Together with Angus "Gus" Duthie, Dr Petherbridge leads the rescue team of 22 medics. They are based at the camp that has also been home to the rally teams since the weekend. Baloushi, however, refused to be evacuated by air. "The helicopter is for someone with a broken back and not for someone with a hand injury," he said. Instead he waited for a sweep car to pick him up, then suggested he could ride his bike back to base if someone would start it for him. It fell to Dr Alister Hayes, a British accident and emergency doctor, to warn the competitor this was risky. Dr Hayes refused to let Baloushi go any farther and radioed for advice from Dr Petherbridge, who persuaded the motorcyclist to take the helicopter. Within minutes, the chopper appeared on the horizon and Baloushi, his arm in a sling, was on his way to hospital in Abu Dhabi. Tonight, after five gruelling days, those who remain of the 120 competitors will roll into rally headquarters at Yas Marina. Philippe Morbelli, who was riding a motorcycle for the Desert Frogs team, also broke down on Monday, but did not require the services of the rescue helicopter. He radioed in to let the control room know he had enough water and was not ill. "I dug a hole and lay under my bike," he said. Rescuers took two hours to reach him. "They kept calling me, but I said I was fine. I was not too hot, I had water and I was not feeling dehydrated. There were seriously injured people on the helicopter." By yesterday, four competitors in the rally had suffered spinal injuries. All were airlifted to Abu Dhabi for treatment. That was far from unusual, Dr Petherbridge said. "We have had incidents where I've had four emergencies at one time, when we have used all four helicopters at the one time," he said. "We coped well and we are strong."

Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge tests riders to the limit

Heat, treacherous terrain, dehydration ... competitors in the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge confront any number of life-threatening challenges. And the event's rescue teams face their own race against time when things go wrong.