Defending Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge champion Nasser Al Attiyah is looking unstoppable again, winning Monday’s Stage 2 to increase his overall lead at the top to 23 minutes and 3.1 seconds.
Al Attiyah, the two-time defending World Cup for Cross Country Rallies champion (Toyota Hilux Overdrive), finished 11 minutes and 28 seconds ahead of the UAE’s Sheikh Khalid Al Qassimi to win the 289.39km Nissan Patrol stage and consolidate his overnight lead of 11:35.1.
Sheikh Khalid (Peugeot 3008 DKR) has improved his position in second, increasing the cushion between himself and third to 34:01.3. He had a lead of 4:10.8 over two-time Abu Dhabi champion Vladimir Vasilyev (X-raid Mini All4 Racing), but the Russian got stuck in the dreaded dunes of Rub Al Khali and has slipped to fifth, while Czech driver Martin Prokop (Jipocar Ford F-150 Evo) has moved up to third after completing Stage 2 in the fourth-best time.
__________________________________
Read more
■ Sheikh Khalid: Exceeds own expectations on Day 1
■ Video: Sheikh Khalid reflects on Day 1 at ADDC
■ Nasser Al Attiyah: 'Ready and confident' of defending title
__________________________________
“Today was much more difficult than yesterday,” said Sheikh Khalid, the Abu Dhabi Racing chairman. “It was a bit windy and there was a lot of dust that hampered visibility and as a result we lost some time. We also had some difficulty climbing the steep dunes as the sand was very soft. We then were forced to find another line.
“All in all, it was still a good day for us to finish second and hold on to our overnight position of second overall. But, the goal is to continue learning and gaining experience in this format of racing.”
Al Attiyah, who had won four of the five stages last year on his way to an emphatic triumph by over 32 minutes, agreed it was a difficult day out for the drivers and riders, but was happy with his performance.
“Today was a good day for us, though it was not an easy stage,” said Al Attiyah, winner of two Dakar Rally titles. “It was very difficult and hard. To win by a big gap and have a big lead from Al Qassimi is good.”
Vasilyev was not the only competitor to struggle in the dunes. Miroslav Zapletal and quad rider Camelia Liparoti also got stuck in the sands, while Emirati Khalid Al Jafla (Chevrolet Silverado) and Patrice Garrouste (Polaris RZR 1000) crashed, and riders Elio Aglioni and Jan Zatko had to be rescued as they struggled from possible dehydration.
The 2017 Dakar Rally bikes champion Sam Sunderland, however, had no such misfortune. His problem was his starting position for the day at the front of the group.
“You always lose time when you start in front,” said the Dubai-based Briton, who had started the day with a 5.7 second lead. “This race is strange with the strategy — you kind of swap times each day. Tomorrow I start back and it will be the opposite. You just have to take each day as it comes.
“It’s been really hot the past few days and it’s really unpredictable out there. The bike is good. I am happy. The team have done a great job.”
Sunderland is fifth in the overall classification, four minutes and 15.7 seconds behind current leader Paolo Goncalves, while Pierre Alexandre Renet, winner of Stage 2, has climbed up to third.
“It’s good to have a win at this rally,” Renet said. “The heat is really high and, with the sun, you do not see so easy. I guess it is the same for everyone.”
Poland’s Kamil Wisniewski, meanwhile, has maintained his lead in the quads class, though Dutchman Kees Koolen took the Stage 2 honours.
arizvi@thenational.ae
Follow us on Twitter @NatSportUAE
Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/TheNationalSport
Green ambitions
- Trees: 1,500 to be planted, replacing 300 felled ones, with veteran oaks protected
- Lake: Brown's centrepiece to be cleaned of silt that makes it as shallow as 2.5cm
- Biodiversity: Bat cave to be added and habitats designed for kingfishers and little grebes
- Flood risk: Longer grass, deeper lake, restored ponds and absorbent paths all meant to siphon off water
Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Going grey? A stylist's advice
If you’re going to go grey, a great style, well-cared for hair (in a sleek, classy style, like a bob), and a young spirit and attitude go a long way, says Maria Dowling, founder of the Maria Dowling Salon in Dubai.
It’s easier to go grey from a lighter colour, so you may want to do that first. And this is the time to try a shorter style, she advises. Then a stylist can introduce highlights, start lightening up the roots, and let it fade out. Once it’s entirely grey, a purple shampoo will prevent yellowing.
“Get professional help – there’s no other way to go around it,” she says. “And don’t just let it grow out because that looks really bad. Put effort into it: properly condition, straighten, get regular trims, make sure it’s glossy.”
