Finishing eighth in yesterday’s stage was a good result and I am happy with my progress – but today I am expecting the toughest challenge yet.

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It will be quite an open desert stage unlike the previous three, so I’ve spent a lot of time studying the route with my team for this tricky stage.

There will be a lot of dunes but there will be other obstacles that I have to be careful of.

Having said that, my main priority at the starting point is to regain as much time as I can on the other riders who are in front of me. I’m hoping the stage won’t be as fast, as the riders in this category are very quick but I’m ready for any challenge that awaits.

I just have to keep to my strengths, think positive and concentrate throughout today.

At the end of the day, I just have to try as hard as I can on the day because every rider has their strengths.

With some very strong riders in the field, that can only be an advantage because it keeps me on top of my game.

Riding in the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge is definitely not easy. It requires a lot of skill. You have to remain alert. But it’s a learning curve and I want to try and gain as much experience as I can and keep building on my strong results so far.

Looking back at yesterday’s stage, it was one to remember. I’ve never opened a stage in first position before so I didn’t know what to expect. People would think it’s an advantage to go first but it certainly isn’t true. Opening the stage was definitely a disadvantage because in the desert when you drive or walk, you leave trails so the guys behind you don’t have to do much navigation as the trails are there. The same applies for the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge.

The navigation was much easier for those behind me, and it was quite difficult to lead at times. Yet it was a good learning experience. I had to go very fast as the track was 80 per cent flat.

I’m quite proud of how I’ve done so far. There are two more stages to go and no doubt I will continue to go as fast as I can.