UAE’s Mohammed Balooshi battled tough conditions at the OiLibya Rally to finish the opening day in 21st position on Monday.

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Heavy rains that have hit Morocco in the past few weeks had a major impact on the riders forcing organisers to making last-minute changes to the course.

With tricky conditions, Balooshi put on a brave show and is eager to build on his start. “It was a very tough day,” he said.

“The terrain was tricky and rocky which made it difficult to ride at high speed. It’s new terrain for me but I did not want to take any unncessary risks.”

He added: “We still have four days to go and it’s important that we are in good shape.”

Tuesday’s stage will see Balooshi take on a challenging 400km route, putting his navigation skills to the test.