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8.1.2014
NEWSLETTER INSTAFOREX LOPRAIS TEAM
How does it see Karel Loprais this year?
Monsieur Dakar, as is Karel Loprais called thanks to his six victories in the Dakar Rally, watches this year’s 36th Dakar Rally from home. What does the Dakar legend say about performance of his nephew Aleš?
Aleš was on the second place in the first stage. What do you think about it?
In any case, it’s fantastic. They are all poised at the beginning to start as good as they can. The first time control point pointed it. Ten trucks in two minutes! An Aleš was ahead.
Aleš donated the symbolic silver to his new-born son Alex. How does such an addition to the family affect racer?
I think it’s encouraging. He has the son, everything went well. It just start him up, it has already has been seen.
What about the second stage? Aleš’s crew had to cope with difficulties.
This is Dakar. You cannot race without a problem and at rest, especially today, when the competition is strong. They all are pushing, going forward, as they can. But problems also affected the others. There were accidents, defects, something can always happen.
The crew had to go without a windscreen for a long time. Have you experienced this?
I have not, it would be like riding a motorbike… Seriously, in the dust and rocks it is not fun. And Aleš isn’t the type of racer who would hold far behind to not catch a wound. When racer needs to overtake, it’s a problem.
In addition, Aleš had to overcome dunes without all-wheel drive.
This is a fantastic performance to cross the dunes, though the front didn’t work. I experienced this just in situation we were not in the race. Be stuck on the dune would be end.
The loss is in tens of minutes. Can anything be done?
It was only the second stage. If this was a loss before the last stage, it would probably be no chance. But they have the race ahead, it’s open. I believe Alda can handle it.
De Rooy seems strong. He helped Merdejev but leads.
It’s disputed. It is said that he helped about a quarter of an hour and organizers subtracted 22 minutes. It just does not seem fair. In our times it was not like that. Who want to help, help without the right to subtracting the time.
What pitfalls had yesterday’s third stage? The race was at altitude of around three kilometres.
Technique loses power at that height. It is important not to make a navigational error, not to capture defect. The boys made it great. I keep my finger crosses and hope that this year it comes out. |
