With the Pyramids of Giza looming in the background, Mohammed Al Balooshi hopes to continue his climb to the summit of the FIM Cross-Country World Championship standings with a strong showing at this week’s Pharaons Rally in Egypt.
Al Balooshi, who rides for KTM-UAE and sits sixth in the standings after two rounds, is the only Emirati in the field of 22 going into the 2,500-kilometre event that starts on Tuesday.
With several of the sport’s high-profile names absent, he has a strong chance of securing a podium. Should he achieve it, he would become the first Emirati to reach as high as second in the championship.
Al Balooshi, who said budget constraints mean Egypt might be his last race of the season, was playing down expectations.
He also knows an impressive performance at one of the most illustrious rallies on the calendar could change his fortunes and his future.
“We’re a small team with a small budget and racing on a 2014 bike,” he said.
“With very hard work and a lot of heart though, we managed to squeeze between the powerful factory teams.
“My team will keep working on finding sponsors and of course we dream about a full programme that includes Dakar, but sometimes it is not so easy to get the support you need.” Although Al Balooshi refused to consider any talk of a title push, he said the recognition he has been receiving from his peers has made his participation worthwhile.
“I can’t think in terms of a full championship, but we have earned the respect of the world’s best cross-country specialists,” he said.
“They recognise me and accept me as one of their own.
“Sometimes I have to pinch myself: I am part of the elite. It makes me very proud and as a proud Emirati you have no idea how good it feels to be able to hold the UAE flag high at the finish line.”
The race starts today close to the Mediterranean coast in El Alamein before heading south towards the Tibniya Oasis.
On the final day, the field return north for a podium finish in front of the Pyramids.
gmeenaghan@thenational.ae
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