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10.1.2014
NEWSLETTER INSTAFOREX LOPRAIS TEAM
The fifth stage sorted the field and our battle for survival on the 2014 Dakar continues
Organizers promised that they will prepare really hard Dakar. Stages confirmed they words. Challenging stages are destroying technique, participants are exhausted. The fifth stage from Chilecito to Tucumán wasn’t different. In addition the organizers really rattled the nerves of competitors and foremost navigators. Due to unclear navigation quite a few crews lose time already in the initial part of special stage. Organizers tangled events on the track that they didn’t let go motorcyclist to the second part of the special stage not to collide with the cars and trucks. Due to extreme temperatures of up to 47 Celsia degrees the organizers shortened the measured section from 527 km for quads and motorcycles. Drama because of the temperature experienced Paulo Goncalves, whom burned the bike.
After the repeat failure of 4×4 dust the mechanics of the InstaForex Loprais Team worked really hard overnight to be the Queen 69 fine. It happened, but Aleš started up from the depth of field and had to push through forward. He was sixteenth on the first waypoint, on the second he was seventh. That was true until the fourth waypoint, the 504 crew checked its position. On the fifth checkpoint, which was also the end of the first part of the special, had to fans of the team waited for long 38 minutes to finally see the Queen. After 211 km was Aleš thirteenth.
Neutralization, crossing to the start of the second measured section, has the team mastered and re-released into the sharp racing. It was the ninth place on the seventh waypoint which Aleš retained until the end of the gruelling stage. Dunes, sand, dust, stones and oppressive heat took a pounding to all even though the organizers shortened the stage from 527 km to 428 km. Motorcycles burned, cars and trucks didn’t want to go and many of those who hoped to a good rank, reached the finish with a huge delay. The situation also unfortunately affected the Czechs, Martin Kolomý yesterday didn’t reach the finish. Jaroslav Valtr, Josef Kalina and Jakub First, the crew of the Liaz truck will not reach the finish of the 2014 Dakar Rally like a year before. The same scenario repeats – motor of their vehicle didn’t make the hardest rally in the world.
The Russian Stonikov from Kamaz dealt the best with the rigors of the fifth stage, Aleš lost 42 minutes and 4 second to him. The second 519 crew of Jan Tománek was on the 15th place with the lost of 7 minutes and 34 seconds. Overall is Aleš Loprais on the seventh place with the lost of an hour and 39 minutes to De Rooy on the first place and 20 minutes to the third Nikolajev.
6th stage: Tucumán – Salta
The connecting section: 394 km / The special stage: 156 km
Today will the others envy the trucks. While motorcycles, quads and cars have to go more than four hundred kilometres long measured section, “only” 156 km wait to the trucks. They will go mostly to the west, stones will be under the wheels and they will climb again. But this time to as high as in previous stages, the highest point of the sixth special stage of the trucks will be approximately 2600 meters above sea level. Options for getting some time will be restricted, but let’s hope that our crews can handle it. Deserved rest waits for Saturday.
Problems on track unfortunately met our journalistic vehicle Nissan Navara, so we don’t have video from the fourth and fifth stage. The hardest race in the world examines technique extremely, but also people and their ability and willingness. We are happy that our people are fine and we literally “Go on!”
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