Nasser Al Attiyah lost the Silk Way 100km from the arrival ! His Race Touareg flipped on an oued and he let Carlos Sainz take the lead of the race. The exceptional presence of the Presidents of Russia, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan at the start tomorrow morning in Turkmenbashi changed the plans and tomorrow’s special will not count for the overall standing. After the 24km of SS, they will be in liaison until the podium in Ashgabat. Virdaus Kabirov wins the trucks race.
It’s very possible that the stage in Turkmenbashi will stay in the rally raid school books, along with the one at the Dakar 2003, when Stephan Peterhansel missed the victory because of Egyptian stone or Dakar 2009 where on the 13th stage Carlos Sainz had to leave the race because of an accident. Today Nasser Al Attiyah got into similar situation. On km 283 of the route, in the moment he went through an oued, Nasser Al Attiyah flipped his Race Touareg on his roof. Obviously an accident Nasser will remember for a while as well as his navigator Timo Golchak. Maybe after this lost Nasser will make some conclusions, people saying his driving is too extreme.
Some time ago it seemed that the whole podium was going to be monopolized by KAMAZ-master in the trucks race. But the trio which will be on the podium shows a more realistic situation. Ales Loprais, who came to Russsia to win, faced during this week a lot of knocks of the wood and almost lost any hope. He got today’s best time of the stage, and proved his ambition is not groundless. He finishes third overall. Gerard De Rooy, who felt from time to time lack of luck as well, was able to test his new Iveco truck. In spite of challengers he managed to take the second place, what was fully deserved. Kamaz-Master Firdaus Kabirov quite not worried since Chagin’s incident, wins the race as expected on his own soil.