VIDEO STAGE 2:https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=KVM3llwtXW0
The third stage – the purgatory
Today’s third stage run from Volgograd to Astrakhan and let competitors to the coast of the Caspian Sea.
“Today started great. We flew from the start and overtook several cars and trucks. I had a great feeling of the Queen. Unfortunately the intercooler pipe burst, we repaired it in the terrible heat for 45 minutes. Then we have tried to delete the maximum of the losses, however the cab mountings snapped, which is the unrepairable issue during the stage. The solution was the only one – to slow down the speed level. We drove 300 km forever. In some places was the average speed of 35 km/h, which was gruelling. The track was extremely rough and I thought that this is like the purgatory. However, we have to rise above the present technical problems and treat it as a test of the new evolution of the Tatra to the Dakar. After all that is what we came for. Get the car to the limit and test it before the next Dakar, which is our main goal. We were able to win the Silk Way Rally, but the new Dakar in the South America we weren’t yet. But we go on!” says Aleš Loprais and sends greetings to all. Crew 301 ended today’s stage on the 15th place, they are on the tenth place overall. The Princess and the crew 306 was in today’s stage on the ninth place, overall they are 13th.
Today it lived by the Silk Way Rally in the centre of Ostrava. Mr Karel Loprais was guest in the programme Dobré Ráno on the Czech Television. You can see his opinions, life experiences of the world racing and travelling, as well as confession to his loving Tatra Puma here:
http://www.ceskatelevize.cz/ivysilani/10435049455-dobre-rano/