13.1.2014

NEWSLETTER INSTAFOREX LOPRAIS TEAM
The seventh stage with a delayed start and loop at height of 3500 meters above sea level

Trucks and cars went to the Sunday’s seventh stage that followed the rest day separately, another route waited for motorcycles and quads. After eight a.m. left trucks the bivouac in Salta and went 114 kilometres to a place named Las Cuevas. From there started the remaining 82 cars and 54 trucks on the special stage, measured 525 kilometres for trucks. But even before the start had the trucks show their patience – organizers postponed the start because rescue helicopters could not take off due to low cloud.

So the special stage for trucks was started twenty minutes after noon local time. As the first went to the track Pieter Versluis with Man, the previous stage winner. Aleš Loprais started not long after him and for all the special stage he held at very near by the fastest.

Let’s see how was Aleš Loprais with the 504 crew doing during the 525 kilometres long stage:
Waypoint 1: 5th place, loss of 40 seconds
Waypoint 2: 7th place, loss of 1:52
Waypoint 3: 7th place, loss of 1:45
Waypoint 4: 6th place, loss of 1:50
Waypoint 5: 7th place, loss of 1:57
Waypoint 6: 5th place, loss of 2:52
Waypoint 7: 7th place, loss of 3:42
Waypoint 8: 7th place, loss of 5:30
Waypoint 9: 6th place, loss of 7:27
Finish: 5th place, loss of 10:23.

And let’s not forget that the whole special stage was run at a height of 3,5 kilometres above sea level, crews with their trucks climbed twice to a height of over four kilometres. There were the fast sections, stones, sand and even salt plain. It was an impressive performance from all, technique had a hard time too.

The fastest was on the circuit that led pilots back to Salta the Russian Nikolajev with Kamaz in 5 hours and 2 minutes. Aleš Loprais on the fifth place fell behind him 10 minutes 23 second. In the overall ranking is Aleš Loprais with the 504 crew on the sixth place, but only 22 seconds after the fifth! Leader de Rooy has lead an hour and 45 minutes. The second team crew of Jan Tománek was twentieth yesterday, they hold the same rank in the overall ranking.

8th stage: Salta – Calama
The connecting section: 510 km / The special stage: 302 km
The eighth stage will lead the racers to Chile. After the start in Salta more than 500 km are waiting for racers, then comes the 302 km long special stage. Competitors will cross the Andes and will climb the Cordillera Domeyko whose ridge marks the eastern border of the Atacama Desert. The measured section to the city of Calama should conform according to the organizers especially pilots who prefer fast tracks in a close environment. Organizers also strongly recommend to pay attention to the other cars on the track. To block the quicker is not worth it, because the data from the Sentinel, which guards the blocking, will be carefully checked in the end of a day.

Have a nice beginning of the week and block your time to the Tatra cars with numbers of 504 and 519 to watching the second half of the adventure called 2014 Dakar Rally.