Silk Way Rally 2011

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SILK WAY RALLYSILK WAY RALLY

www.silkwayrally.ru

2AZOVSEA

BLACKSEA

CASPIANSEA

RUSSIALIPETSK

VOLGOGRAD

MAYKOP

ASTRAKHANSTAVROPOL

MOSCOW

SOCHI

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1 Race Route length

3 940

Special StageS length

2 450

Race Route

AZOVSEA

BLACKSEA

CASPIANSEA

RUSSIALIPETSK

VOLGOGRAD

MAYKOP

ASTRAKHANSTAVROPOL

MOSCOW

SOCHI

10/07

11/07

12/0713/07

14/07

15/07

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The Silk Way Rally organizers kindly appreciate the support of Transneft JSC,

the Ministry of Sports, Tourism and Youth Policy of the Russian Federation, the Russian Automobile

Federation, the Moscow Mayors Office and the Government of Moscow,

the authorities of Kalmykia Republic, Adygeya Republic, Krasnodar, Stavropol, Lipetsk,

Tula, Volgograd and Astrakhan regions and the Administration of Sochi.

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5contentsSilk WaY 2011 The key is to start! ........................... 7

Transneft is the title sponsor of the Silk Way Rally Dakar Series ...................9

Silk Way 2011: The summers leading event ............................13

From the Red Square to Krasnaya Polyana ........................................ 17

Moscow Lipetsk ................................................... 79

Lipetsk Volgograd ...............................................109

Volgograd Astrakhan ............................................131

Astrakhan Astrakhan ........................................... 157

Astrakhan Stavropol ............................................189

Stavropol Maykop ................................................215

Sochi welcomes the winners! ................................. 245

Competitors ............................................................274

Finish .....................................................................281

Project support ...................................................... 282

Rally Organizing Committee ................................... 283

Rally in figures ....................................................... 285

Authors: Olga Yakubova, Erik KhayrullinTexts by: Svetlana BraylovskayaMarketing: Svetlana KlimovaLayout by: Alexey Zyrianov

Photographs by: Roman Fedorov, Eric Vargiolu (DPPI Agency, www.dppi.net), Denis Klero, Anton Elikov, Lina Arnautova,

Alexey Nasyrov, Rishat Valiev, Mikhail Medvedev, Vasiliy Kozlov, Mariya Gorshkova, Olga YakubovaPrinted by KONTY-PRINT, JSC

Number of copies: 3 000 copies

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Today the motorsport unifies the humankindV. Putin

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We start to recall all the best moments of our lives usually when we look through the pages of the family photo albums. And I hope that the album that you are holding in your hands will be precious for every one, who joined us for the third edition of the Silk Way Rally.

How was it? It was extremely complicated for us, the organizers. We didnt want to repeat the route of the previous years that is why we carefully selected every kilometer of the new track. In winter we planned the route using maps. And as soon as the snow melt-ed off we proceeded to verify it directly on site. We wanted to show the whole vastness of the Russian ter-ritory forests, fields, steppes, sands and mountains to our participants.

However, the Silk Way Rally consists not only of the special stages. It is also important to have perfect conditions at bivouacs. The result of the race in many cases depends on the competitors comfort there.

And how was the Silk Way Rally for the competi-tors? Some of them were screaming for mercy as early as in the middle of the race, it appeared to be very difficult for some drivers to cross the halfway point of the event in the dunes of Astrakhan. What were they expecting for? Just to have a light promenade? It is definitely not about the Silk Way. Only the toughest sportsmen could gain the victory here. And we promise that we will make their lives more complicated in fu-ture. We will lay the track in the places where no foot may tread.

Semen YakubovThe Silk Way Rally Project Director

- 2011 !Silk WaY 2011 the keY iS to StaRt!

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Forbes, 2011

The project immensity and the perfect organization impressed the experienced organizers, the top racers and the government authorities

Forbes, august 2011

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tRanSneft iS the title SponSoR of the Silk WaY RallY DakaR SeRieS

The 2011 Silk Way Rally played a special role in the promotion of a healthy lifestyle and patriotic education for the Russian youth, and the finish of the rally drew even more attention of the international community to the 2014 Winter Olympic Games.

For the second year Transneft has an opportu-nity to be a title sponsor of such a massive project which demonstrates the ability of Russia to represent a worlds-class sport events.

Transneft as a socially responsible company func-tioning for the benefit of Russia is aware of all the importance of such activities for supporting national motorsports. Thanks to the Silk Way Rally Russian mo-torsport has received an excellent impulse for further development, and Transnefts participation in this proj-ect has strengthened the confidence of the interna-tional community that the Silk Way Rally is an out-standing project.

Sincerely, President of Transneft JSCNikolai TOKAREV

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WelcoMe note fRoM the DeputY pRiMe MiniSteR of the RuSSian feDeRation, the chaiRMan of the olYMpic coMMittee of RuSSia

TheSilk Way Rally passes over the half of our coun-try 13 subjects of Federation have been involved along this years route. Thus the whole world is trac-ing the rally. It is being broadcast all over the world. It serves as the promotion of our country and lets people around the world to learn more about Russia, which is very important. And also its great that the race finishes in Sochi the capital of future winter Olympic Games!

Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation,

Chairman of Olympic Committee of Russia, Chairman of the Silk Way Rally

Organizing CommitteeAlexander ZHUKOV

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In a rather short period of time the Silk Way Rally has become one of the major events in internation-al motorsports earning a great popularity among the worlds best racing drivers. The structure and number of competitors is definitely evidence of the meaning-fullness and the scale of the event: the drivers from 28 countries had to make almost 4 000 kilometers in seven days from Moscow to the capital city of the 2014 Olympic Games Sochi.

I am sure that further editions of the Silk Way Rally, which has Dakar Series status, will significantly impact the development of motorsports in Russia and in the world, and will also expose plenty of new talented drivers.

Minister of Sports, Tourism and Youth Policy of the Russian Federation,

First Deputy Chairman of the Silk Way Rally Organizing Committee

Vitaliy MUTKO

WelcoMe note fRoM the MiniSteR of SpoRtS, touRiSM anD Youth policY of the RuSSian feDeRation

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Stage No. Route Liaison 1 SS-A Liaison 2 SS-B Liaison 3 Total

1 Moscow Lipetsk 310 260 570

2 Lipetsk Volgograd 365 480 845

3 Volgograd Astrakhan 150 430 10 590

4 Astrakhan Astrakhan 10 400 5 415

5 Astrakhan Stavropol 55 690 20 765

6 Stavropol Maykop 35 120 35 50 150 390

7 Maykop Sochi 230 20 115 365

Total distance:

1 155 2 400 185 50 150 3 940

Total SS 2 450

Race route length: 3 940 kmSpecial stages length: 2 450 kmService route length: 1 490 km

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The Silk Way Rally brought together an outstanding number of participants this year. 130 crews enrolled the race (95 car crews and 35 truck crews), represent-ing almost thirty countries from all over the world. No other large-scale races like the Silk Way have ever been carried out on the territory of Russia. According to the number of applications even the world cham-pionships open for motorcycles were left behind by the rally, and place the Russian race Silk Way Rally to the second position within the off-road discipline right after Dakar Rally.

All the leaders of the discipline and Dakar winner are among the competitors. Thus X-RAID team (BMW) was represented by the nine times Dakar winner Stephane Peterhansel (France), 1997 European Rally Champion and silver medalist of the 1995 European Rally Champion-

ship, Polish driver Krzysztof Holowczyc and famous Rus-sian racer Alexander Mironenko. A serious competition for these drivers was two-time winner of the FIA Baja Cup Boris Gadasin, driving his self-made G-Force Proto pick-up. However, all the crews have demonstrated the persistence and sporting temperament. For example, the buggy drivers Matthias Kahle (Germany), Stphane Henrard (Belgium), Christian Lavieille, Ronan Chabot and Thierry Magnaldi (France).

An intense fight evolved in the truck group: seven crews of the famous KAMAZ-master Team were chal-lenged by the race crews TATRA, MAN, GINAF and DE ROOY. Hans Stacey, the Dakar-2007 champion has returned to rally, and this in itself was a mini-sensation. All these factors guaranteed the highest level of compe-tition and intrigue within all the competitive categories.

- 2011 !Silk WaY 2011: the SuMMeRS Main SpoRtS eVent

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If you only come here and if you see the best city on the Planet, you will remember my words the song is swimming, the heart is singing! This is a quotation from one famous song which was composed at the Soviet Union times and which describes the capital of Russia - Moscow. This song catches the spirit of the city in July with its large avenues and green alleys sparkling in the sunlight. The city center is decorated with flags, policemen staying in their full-dress uniform along the road, everything showed that something unusual and very special is going on in the city. The Silk Way

Rally came to the capital of Russia! For 2 days July 8th and 9th Moscow has welcomed participants and guests of the rally-marathon, which has already become popular all over the world. The rally route, starting in Moscow, the hostess of the 1980 Olympic Games, and rushing to So-chi the capital of the 2014 Winter Olympics, has became a kind of a relay between these two Russian Olympics. The Olympics theme like a red line runs through all the Silk Way events. The Headquarters were located at the famous Lu-zhniki Stadium, scrutineerings were held at the same place.

fRoM the ReD SquaRe to kRaSnaYa polYana!

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Silk way Rally, which started from the Red Square, the heart of Russia, and then went to Sochi destined to fulfill the task, set before the organizers by Russian government, - attract-ing the attention of international community and foreign Mass Media representatives to the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi in 2014.

The most important starting events took place on the 9th of July 2011. Briefing for competitors was held on the Large sport arena of Luzhniki stadium. The grandiose amphitheatre left lasting impressions on sportsmen. And it seemed like the dome of the sky above the stadium invited the competi-tors towards the adventures in the Astrakhan sands, in the Kalmykia steppes and in the Caucasian foothills The atmo-sphere of the pre-start fuss and companionship was reigning during the scrutineerings on the Red Square. But then the grandiose historical decorations of the centre of the Russian capital made the competitors to feel the grand historical mo-ment and to realize the importance of the event.

Thousands of spectators came to the Red Square to sup-port their favorite sportsmen. The sporting festival, which was organized with the help of The Ministry of Sport, Tour-ism and Youth Policy of the Russian Federation and produced

by the professional production Director Natalia Galkina, has started long before the departure of the first car the square was very crowded!.

Firstly the spectators had a chance to witness the grandi-ose Red Bull freestyle-motocross show. During the show the riders were demonstrating difficult tricks on their bikes to the public. Everybody was really very impressed.

Because of the Silk Way Rally the Turetsky Choir has de-cided to postpone its holidays. Specially for their old friends from KAMAZ-master, the best voices of Russia played the anthem of the team, which was composed by Alexandra Pakhmutova and Alexander Dobronravov.

Many other famous Russian artists came to the event to wish to the competitors of the Silk Way the good race. Among them were: Gosha Kutsenko and Diana Arbenina, the Bolshoi Theatre actors, the show group Todes, the Tatar cul-tural centre dancing group, the drummer show group HAM-MERS and the childrens music group Neposedi.

Alexander Zhukov, the Deputy Prime Minister of the Rus-sian Federation, the Chairman of the Sochi 2014 Organising Committee, the Chairman of the Silk Way Rally Organising Committee and Vitaliy Mutko, the Minister of Sport, Tourism

and Youth Policy of the Russian Federation, the Deputy Chair-man of the Silk Way Rally Organising Committee also came to welcome the rally participants. Jean de Gliniasty, the Ambas-sador of France in Russia and Boris Korol, the vice-president of the title sponsor of the Silk Way Rally Transneft compa-ny, addressed the rally competitors and guests with welcome speeches.

The All-Russian State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company broadcasted the ceremony of the start in live mode nationwide.

Each competitor, without exception, was introduced to the public. Semen Yakubov, the Silk Way Rally Project Direc-tor welcomed every participant by shaking their hands on a good luck.The ceremony of the festive start of the event finished only late at night. The dark Moscow sky was totally clouded. Gosha Kutsenko asked all the spectators to switch on their mobile phones, and the entire square was covered with thousands of lights greeting the sportsmen!

By the end of the ceremony the warm summer rain have started. And rain before a departure is a very good supersti-tion in Russia. There were 7 days of challenging adventures in Russia ahead

22 Experts mount the navigation equipment

The Chinese sportsmen take confident steps in rally discipline

DESSOUDE Team DESSOUDE provokes immutable interest of journalists

and the co-pilots already study the routes of exit from Moscow

FIAStewards captiously check the FIA homoloagtion conformity of a helmet

23 The Chinese sportsmen take confident steps in rally discipline

Frederic Chavigny is the old resident of the Silk Way

DESSOUDE Team DESSOUDE provokes immutable interest of journalists

and the co-pilots already study the routes of exit from Moscow

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Intercom check

Experience of Stephane Peterhansel gives confidence to his colleagues before start

Changeable Moscow weather

25 Experience of Stephane Peterhansel gives confidence to his colleagues before start

28 There will be a place for the sponsors advertising even on a bumper

Miklos Kovacs is a man with a lot of rally experience under his belt

Weighing of the vehicle is a compulsory procedure of scrutineerings

. Trailers unloading. The first metres of the Silk Way

29 There will be a place for the sponsors advertising even on a bumper

Miklos Kovacs is a man with a lot of rally experience under his belt

The trucks sparkling by a fresh paint are ready to start

. Trailers unloading. The first metres of the Silk Way

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. Service park. Preparation for scrutineerings

! ! Hurrah! The trailers have arrived!

Videocamera mounting

ERTF TDCOM ERTF and TDCOM experts at work

. There are no trifles during scrutineerings. Andre Olivier and Thierry Garby

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. Service park. Preparation for scrutineerings

- G-FORCE Svetlana Shahova is the team-manager of the G-FORCE team

Videocamera mounting

ERTF TDCOM ERTF and TDCOM experts at work

. There are no trifles during scrutineerings. Andre Olivier and Thierry Garby

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, There is a lot of teams, and there is not enough of stewards

Stock of wheels should suffice till Sochi

Vehicles arrive

35 , Talisman on good luck, its almost Olympic Bear

Young co-pilot Anatoly Volikov was delivered

Vehicles arrive

36 You get the view of the Moscow State University from Luzhenetsky quay

Alexey Yakubov is Rally Logistics Director

Maria Aleksandrovich is the passionate fan of motor sports

. ! Dark blue on dark blue. Transneft so suits KAMAZ!

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Alexey Yakubov is Rally Logistics Director

Maria Aleksandrovich is the passionate fan of motor sports

. ! Dark blue on dark blue. Transneft so suits KAMAZ!

Natalya and Dmitry Galkin

-2010 The winner of the Silk Way 2010 Eduard Nikolaev

38- Team manager Fred Van Putten with the team

Semen Yakubov is glad to welcome Gerard De ROOY in Luzniki

Franz Echter is one of the most experienced marathoners

DE ROOY Team DE ROOY participates in the race by strong composition

VEKA-MAURER (MAN) VEKA-MAURER team (MAN) is very determined

39- Team manager Fred Van Putten with the team

Semen Yakubov is glad to welcome Gerard De ROOY in Luzniki

De ROOY has a beautiful truck

DE ROOY Team DE ROOY participates in the race by strong composition

VEKA-MAURER (MAN) VEKA-MAURER team (MAN) is very determined

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Heavy loaded assistance vehicles are the mobile workshops

NIVA will put up a fine show on the Russian off-road

A number of participants from the CIS increases every year on the Silk Way

ATT The briefing of the ATT team

Ukrainian Vadim Nesterchuk intends to bring to his team a good result to his team

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Heavy loaded assistance vehicles are the mobile workshops

NIVA will put up a fine show on the Russian off-road

ATT The briefing of the ATT team

You can always tell the team of Turkmenistan by their bright uniform

Ukrainian Vadim Nesterchuk intends to bring to his team a good result to his team

42 A single detail wont be escaped by the attentive sight of Andre Olivier

Stephane Henrard for the first time in Russia

43 A single detail wont be escaped by the attentive sight of Andre Olivier

44 130 28 130 crews from 28 countries were engaged on the race

Competitors listen to each word of organizers

The judiciary is in the honourable first rows

-80 These tribunes still remember Olympic Games-80

Competitors briefing on the Big sports arena of Luzniki

45 Competitors listen to each word of organizers

The judiciary is in the honourable first rows

-80 These tribunes still remember Olympic Games-80

Project Director Semen Yakubov

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, The scrutineerings are behind, the start from Red Square is ahead

. , The race starts to live at rally time. Svetlana Klimova, promotion and communication Director

The co-pilots work has already begun

Good mood is the earnest of success

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, The scrutineerings are behind, the start from Red Square is ahead

. , The race starts to live at rally time. Svetlana Klimova, promotion and communication Director

, Frederic Lequien, SWR deputy Director

48 Journalists bombarded the presidium

ASO Yann Le Moenner, General Director of ASO

- Theres not an inch of room in the conference hall of Luzniki

49 Journalists bombarded the presidium

Nikolay Bragin speaks in the name of AK Transneft

- Theres not an inch of room in the conference hall of Luzniki

50 The creative Director of the rally, Bulat Yanborisov, is the main curator of the Moscow program of the rally

- 30 - 138 30 press cars and 138 permanent accredited journalists are under the authority of the press-service

Virginie Soulaire and Olga Yakubova have many common topics for discussion

French and Russian medical teams briefing

The Competitors Department has worked well during administrative checks

51 - The road book use briefing from Sergey Talantsev

- 30 - 138 30 press cars and 138 permanent accredited journalists are under the authority of the press-service

Virginie Soulaire and Olga Yakubova have many common topics for discussion

French and Russian medical teams briefing

The Competitors Department has worked well during administrative checks

54- The KAMAZ-master has a huge popularity in the homeland

, , - The SWR Director Semen Yakubov, minister Vitaly Mutko, the vice-president of Transneft JSC Boris Korol

Welcoming speech of the ambassador of France Jean de Gliniasty

193 The TV Department of the race broadcasts rally on 193 countries

The trophy of the race is given to Andrey Zaharov, first deputy head of the Department of Physical Education and Sport of Moscow

55 ! All flags welcome!

, , - The SWR Director Semen Yakubov, minister Vitaly Mutko, the vice-president of Transneft JSC Boris Korol

Welcoming speech of the ambassador of France Jean de Gliniasty

193 The TV Department of the race broadcasts rally on 193 countries

The trophy of the race is given to Andrey Zaharov, first deputy head of the Department of Physical Education and Sport of Moscow

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Russian Boris Gadasin has told to Alexander Zhukov about features of piloting a race car

The party has begun long before start of the first competitors

Sportsmen synchronise watches with the Kremlin chiming clock

, ? Semen Semenovich, what you plan for the next year?

, : Alexander Polinsky, Vitaly Mutko and Bulat Yanborisov: technics review on Vasilevsky Spusk

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Russian Boris Gadasin has told to Alexander Zhukov about features of piloting a race car

The party has begun long before start of the first competitors

Gosha Kutsenko can inflame the public

, ? Semen Semenovich, what you plan for the next year?

, : Alexander Polinsky, Vitaly Mutko and Bulat Yanborisov: technics review on Vasilevsky Spusk

58 Extreme show quite in the spirit of the Silk Way Rally

, , ! Well, good luck in the way, God helping!

59 Extreme show quite in the spirit of the Silk Way Rally

! It is difficult to realize a better photo session

60- The dress-code of Pieter Versluis crew corresponded to essential colours of Red Square

, 2009 The Tatar dance has reminded that the very first start of the Silk Way Rally has taken place in 2009 in Kazan

! Young Russia!

The rigid guitar riff of Diana Arbenina

Turetsky Choir the best voices of Russia

61 Waiting for idols

, 2009 The Tatar dance has reminded that the very first start of the Silk Way Rally has taken place in 2009 in Kazan

! Young Russia!

The rigid guitar riff of Diana Arbenina

Turetsky Choir the best voices of Russia

62 Ceremony has proceeded in the spotlights light

Helen of Troy crew Elena Pravdina and Elena Golubkina

Nobody was indifferent to the theatrical show

Anton Grigorov and Sergey Mishin bear the colour of Vnesheconombank on the boards

Childrens dancing team Neposedy

63 Helen of Troy crew Elena Pravdina and Elena Golubkina

Nobody was indifferent to the theatrical show

Young talents champions of the future Olympic Games

Anton Grigorov and Sergey Mishin bear the colour of Vnesheconombank on the boards

Childrens dancing team Neposedy

66 Live broadcast of the Vremya program

- Rally VIP

67 The record number of journalists has been accredited on the race

- Rally VIP

70 At times, because of fantastic outlines of Red Square the event seemed unreal

: ! Natalia Yanborisova: The festival has gone right!

, - - Vladislav Kushchinsky intends to prove that Land Rover is suitable car for rally raids

71 At times, because of fantastic outlines of Red Square the event seemed unreal

: ! Natalia Yanborisova: The festival has gone right!

! Crew of Jihong Zhou: towards to adventures!

, - - Vladislav Kushchinsky intends to prove that Land Rover is suitable car for rally raids

72 ! . , , Experience to youth! the main trend of KAMAZ team. Sergey Savostin, Vladimir Rybakov, Eduard Nikolaev and Alisa Yakubova

Krzysztof Holowczyc communicates with the Russian public without the interpreter

The buggy of Matthias Kahle still cause interest of spectators

73 - : , ! Franz Echter tells to the vice-president of Transneft company Boris Korol: Thanks for a holiday, thanks for Silk Way!

Skilled Martin Macik and his teammates are not the beginners in marathons

The buggy of Matthias Kahle still cause interest of spectators

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, , GINAF Wuf Van Ginkel, Marc Vams, Gerard Van Veenendaal GINAF comes to Russia

Co-pilot Sergey Lebedev will always find a route in the cobwebs of directions

2009 Anton Melnikov began as the amateur on the Silk Way 2009

- Czech-Slovak crew of Tomas Kasparek and Miran Kacin

Turkmenistan Autosport Turkmenistan Autosport team

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, , GINAF Wuf Van Ginkel, Marc Vams, Gerard Van Veenendaal GINAF comes to Russia

-2007 The return of Hans Stacey the Dakar-2007 winner in rally discipline has taken place in Moscow

, , , : 130 ! Pavel Kolobkov, Vitaly Mutko, Sergey Girya, Andrey Zaharov and Bulat Yanborisov: 130 crews is not a limit!

Co-pilot Sergey Lebedev will always find a route in the cobwebs of directions

- Czech-Slovak crew of Tomas Kasparek and Miran Kacin

Turkmenistan Autosport Turkmenistan Autosport team

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tors tried to pass on the competitive spirit to the racers, to make it easier for them to cover the first 260 km of the first special stage.

The locals could speak with pilots and take pictures with racers and their racing cars on the background. For the spectators comfort and security the organizers constructed the tribunes. Many locals from the nearest regions came to support the participants. And after the departure of the last racing car they cut a bar-rier tape and took it home as a souvenir. This became a kind of tradition on every stage where the caravan of the Silk Way Rally passed. To avoid the rally participants getting hungry the organizers kept an open table and served different kinds of soft drinks and snacks, such as fruit drinks, tea and pies for them.

At the beginning of the race the track of the first special stage crossed the last year route in some places, which was laid between Vyazma and Lipetsk. The rac-ers had a chance to drive with high speeds, as this special stage was quite fast, and only afterwards they met hills on their way. The co-drivers were warned that the road will quickly change its direction and that it was easy to get lost by loosing the landmarks. Like it was the year before when many crews had problems on the first stage underestimating it and as a result loosing a lot of time and efforts.

Everything seemed to be good, but then the sud-den rain complicated the situation. And this was the moment when the real race with its adventures started.

Many competitors will remember this stage for a long time and for sure that it engraved into memory of the French driver Stephane Peterhansel. As recently as the day before everybody thought that he would win the stage without any problems. He was supposed to be the leading light for the rest of the racers. But no matter how professional a driver is the final word rests with a car. And the car of the Dakar champion let him down in the most inappropriate moment. On the 43rd km of the race his Mini All4 had some technical prob-lems, and Peterhansel whose Russian nickname during the race was Petrukha, finished several hours behind the leaders. As soon as we started to speed up the engine stopped it was the only words that Stephane could say on the finish of the stage. Probably it was

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MoScoW lipetSkThe organizers have drawn the starting line of the

race in Tula region right near the Kulikovo field, where the battle took place in 1380 between the join forces of Russian princes under the command of grand prince of Moscow Dmitry Donskoy and the Golden Horde troops led by their Mongolian khan Mamay, the powerful en-emy was defeated. To reconstruct the picture of those days there was a specially organized pageant of the battle for the guests and participants of the rally. Ac-

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an electronic problem. There are many electronic gad-gets in this car. But now it seems that everything is ok.

Its needless to say that it was the real gift for his rivals. And especially for Aleksandr Zheludov on his Nissan Frontier with the side number 118, which was prepared by Prodrive Team for the race.

Aleksandr Zheludov, the two-time Russian Rally Championship winner in 2006 and 2008, in spite of his 17th position in the start list managed to show the best result in the car category. He was considered to be lucky, as the first competitors were able to look for the right destination in the deep grass and Aleksandr had a chance to use their traces and to become the leader of the stage. Whatever the case, the Russian driver left 10 crews behind his back.

Krzysztof Holowczyc on his BMW, a teammate of Peterhansel, was expected to become the leader of the stage, but unfortunately his co-driver let him down. Jean-Marc Fortin made a mistake in navigation and as the result the crew showed only the second best time.

Later Holowczyc tried to explain the situation. There was a lot of mud and the road was slippery. In addi-tion the crew had the tire puncture and at the same time they had to stop for a while, as there was a lot of grass in their radiator. By the way in his interview the Polish driver said nothing about the pressure which he managed to stand from the Ukrainian crew of Bogdan Novytskyi driving a G-Force prototype.

The sportsman followed Holowczyc all the way until the finish of the stage and as the result Bog-dan was the third on the finish. Boris Gadasin, the leader of G-Force Proto team, also was satisfied with his result as he managed to achieve the top five. We didnt replace our universal car tires to the mud-terrain ones. And of course it was quite slip-pery to go on wet chernozem soil, but those kind of difficulties usually make the race even more in-teresting the sportsman said. It may be said that Boris was lucky that day, as many racers who were considered to be the leaders lost a lot of their time

off the road, trying to repair their cars or to help their co-drivers to find the right way, as they were lost in the deep grass.

At the same time the trucks do not afraid even the deepest grass. And if this grass is growing on their native soil, it means that the crews surely wont have any difficulties on their way. That is why KAMAZ-master Team predictably took the first three places. The leader of the truck classification was Eduard Niko-laev, Firdaus Kabirov clocked the second best time, and the third position was taken by Artur Ardavichus. De Rooy team had their first trouble: Hans Stacey lost 50 minutes because of the explosion of the back wheel of his Iveco. Of course it was not the reason to say goodbye to the race. So, after having repaired their car the team got back in the rally caravan and could catch up the lost time.

The race had only started and the change of leader-ship would definitely happen more than one time, so it was not yet the right time to name the winners...

82 The race start has begun with the dramatized battle

83 The Silk Way Project Director Semen Yakubov didnt resist the temptation to take bow and arrows

84 , Ayrat Mardeev tried him-self as a marksman

Kamaz pilot Eduard Nikolaev

Specially for the rally competitors the Tula masters have baked their well-known spice cake

Each stone here reminds of the Kulikovo battle

During the show on the Kulikovo field actors have tried to transfer a fighting spirit to competitors

85 Now on the field of military glory the modern history is writing

Kamaz pilot Eduard Nikolaev

Specially for the rally competitors the Tula masters have baked their well-known spice cake

Each stone here reminds of the Kulikovo battle

During the show on the Kulikovo field actors have tried to transfer a fighting spirit to competitors

88

Start scenery is the best examples of Russian architecture

, The more difficult a stage is, the more sporting blood Boris Gadasin has

! Russian Sergey Lebedev is assured that at home even the walls help!

Two seconds before start

89

Start scenery is the best examples of Russian architecture

! Russian Sergey Lebedev is assured that at home even the walls help!

You have to consider Semen Yakubovs words

Two seconds before start

90

Young fans

G-FORCE The prototype of the G-FORCE team is not similar to one other race car

500- Stela in honour of the 500-years anniversary of the victory on the Kulikovo field

91

The competitors patiently waited the invitations to start

500- Stela in honour of the 500-years anniversary of the victory on the Kulikovo field

Christian Lavieille took good rate from the start

96 Daira Vilcans is always near to her husband Maris

97 Daira Vilcans is always near to her husband Maris

98 ! At any cost to overtake the contender

Important instructions to the co-pilot from Yves Fromont

, Vladimir Rogozhin has no time for television, he has to verify definitively the CAP

99 ! At any cost to overtake the contender

, The route washed away by the rain and became slick, as soap

Important instructions to the co-pilot from Yves Fromont

, Vladimir Rogozhin has no time for television, he has to verify definitively the CAP

100 The TV signal dispersed worldwide through the satellites

The unidentified flying object the buggy of Yves Fromont

You have to go to a victory with a smile

Thierry Magnaldi the pilot and the co-pilot in one person

The main task of the cameraman is to appear at the right time and in the right place

101 And here it is required to reduce to order a little

The unidentified flying object the buggy of Yves Fromont

You have to go to a victory with a smile

Thierry Magnaldi the pilot and the co-pilot in one person

The main task of the cameraman is to appear at the right time and in the right place

102 - The ambulance caravan of the Federal Bio-Medical Agency was supporting the race this year

The helicopter played a role of one of the ambulances

Mutuaide Gouram Assathiany, the head of Mutuaide has the situation under his control

Medicals do the follow-up on all the competitors and organaizers

103 - The ambulance caravan of the Federal Bio-Medical Agency was supporting the race this year

The helicopter played a role of one of the ambulances

Vladimir Uyba, FMBA Director

It was not difficult to find the medical service

Medicals do the follow-up on all the competitors and organaizers

104

The creative Director Bulat Yanborisov makes a trial

The scent of Shashlik isnt uncommon on the bivouac

. Thanks to these guys there has never been any queues in the dining area. Radik Muhamadeev and Leisan Khazieva

Chill-out zone a favourite place of many participants

. Everything was incredibly delicious on the bivouac. Timur Narulin

105

The creative Director Bulat Yanborisov makes a trial

The scent of Shashlik isnt uncommon on the bivouac

. Thanks to these guys there has never been any queues in the dining area. Radik Muhamadeev and Leisan Khazieva

Chill-out zone a favourite place of many participants

Chris Rodrigo is ready for tasting

Documents

Silk Way Rally 2011