Mohamed Abu Eisa is fast becoming a name to respect in quad rallying. In 2013, the 24-year-old Qatari won the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge and early this year finished fourth in the Dakar Rally on debut. Abu Eisa, a brand ambassador for Cartier, spoke to Sport360° on where he is completing his university before shifting his focus 100 per cent to rallying from next year.
What are you doing in England?
I practice here and I am completing my university studies before moving back to the Middle East. I am studying marketing management at Regent University in London.
How are you balancing your studies with your passion for rallying?
It’s very hard, but I am managing somehow. I couldn’t take a full-on course because of the competitions. I had to cut it in halves. So, what was supposed to be a three-year course, I am completing in five so I can train and travel.
But despite all that, it’s great to see you are still persevering with your studies.
Yes. I think education is very important. The thing with sports is you never know what will happen to you and you are never sure of a long career because it might end anytime with an injury. You’ve got to have a back-up plan. And my family and me decided that I could do whatever I do, but I will have to complete my studies. I think it has been a good deal for me.
What are your rallying plans for the future?
I think I will be done with my studies in a month or two. I am finishing all my papers and handing them in now. And along with it, I have already started preparing for the Dakar Rally, which will be my next event in January 2015.
And as I said, I am moving back to Qatar and I will be involved in programmes to promote the sport and promote safety there. I hope to create an academy, or a community, there. I will take part in some small events in the Middle East, but the main aim is to continue with my training for Dakar.
Just tell us about the Dakar Rally…
Dakar really is the toughest challenge for a man on a machine. It was always a dream for me and I was delighted that I got accepted this year. I could imagine the difficulties that I would face, but you can never be prepared for it until you experience the difficulties. It was a life-changing experience.
Now that I have done it once, I just cannot stop. I want to do it again and again. It’s my new passion now. If I cannot continue on the quad, I will shift to a car in the next four, five years. But I am going to be there.
Not only did you finish the Dakar Rally, which in itself is a great achievement, but you actually finished fourth on debut. And I believe you were not in the best condition physically when you took part.
Finishing fourth was a huge surprise for me. I had a crash a couple of months before Dakar and that led to a broken rib and a fractured wrist. Doctors told me I could not race for months; but I was there at Dakar, finished the race and finished fourth. It was huge for me.
I had a cast on my wrist on the first day of the rally, which I removed every morning and put back in the evening. I was not even looking to finish the race. Really, I just wanted the experience, but I think God was very kind.
When we talk of rallying, quad bike does not get the kind of recognition it deserves. Is that frustrating for you?
You are absolutely right. It’s not as big as other categories and it is not well supported by the manufacturers. So, the sponsors and media are also less attracted. I do face a lot of problems, but I still think I’m the luckiest one in the category. I come from the Middle East, where the sport is very big. I am supported by Qatar Motor and Motorcycling Federation, and beIN Sports covers my races very well.
What kind of fitness do you need for quad rallying?
Obviously, there is a basic fitness level that you need. You need to work on some core muscles. But you cannot become too big, because weight is a problem. And then the main thing is endurance. I do a lot of cycling, almost every morning. I also do a lot of long rides on the quad, and short-intensity workouts in the gym and things like cross-fit and weights.
What about the diet?
That’s super important. Your food is limited during rallying. You live mostly on fluids and eat energy gels. Hunger and dehydration are unique to our sport. One of the main things you’ve got to take care of is hydration. The hydration process starts almost a week before the race, because you cannot do it in one day. I take hydration fluids, drink more water than usual and try and stay out of the sun.
I also have to stock up on my carbs, which is a slow burning energy and useful for rallying. I normally don’t eat too much carbs, but do that a week before a rally. And during rallies, I have lots of protein in the evenings.
What about technical training? Do you have a coach?
I had a coach, who was a quad cross-rally professional. I always had the basics of quad rallying, but he enhanced it with knowledge of driving on moto-cross tracks, rocky terrains and sand. You don’t need all that intensity while rallying, but they are great skills to have. Now, it is more about fitness and diet. I don’t have a specific riding coach now.
But I do have a personal trainer who is with me most of the times, and his biggest role is to monitor my heart rate, which is very important for a driver.
Do you have someone for mental training as well?
Well… I have somebody to monitor my reflexes, and we do a lot of training to keep improving on it, like bouncing balls etc. My reflexes are monitored in the morning, and nights and during the day. If we find out that my reflexes are slowing at any point, that’s not good for someone who is a rally driver.
