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9.1.2013
NEWSLETTER INSTAFOREX LOPRAIS TEAM
After the technical issues, the sixth but the gold!
At the beginning of the Dakar Rally, the difficult stage is switched by another one, even the harder. Yesterday, during the stage many crews failed. The difficulty of the stage hosted by the desert in the fourth day even escalates. During the most important first weeks stage the competitors had to complete the 2 km long extremely hard acclivity, which is probably more difficult than the famous Dakar downhill of the sand hill into the Iquiqe in Chille in the ninth stage of the Dakar 2012.
Aleš got with his result and the sixth place in the stage to the leading of the Dakar 2013 in the trucks category! There are more reasons, why did this happen. The stage was leveled, all the top drivers had their times fitted in the half an hour. Plus the Dutch driver De Rooy had firstly bad luck, because he ended in the finish behind our Aleš. The time difference is only 56 seconds, nonetheless the crew 503 and also the Princess 503 is in the most precious and the most beautiful place as they can be. The stage did mostly fit to the Russian crews in the Kamaz. Mardeev won the race right before his fellow countryman Karginov and Nikolaev was the fourth.
However, the driver of InstaForex Loprais Team, Aleš Loprais, was not satisfied after finishing the race: ”Todays stage was really interesting! High dunes, dried riverbeds, the first cactuses and the soft sand called the fesh. I tried to keep my pace, but also not rush and not mindlessly attack the lead. We do not have the back up, I mean the fast assistance as the De Rooy or other teams have. We did the whole special stage well unless one small trouble. About hundred kilometers until the finish we got broken the front damping, so I had to slow down. I was afraid, that I will pluck the wheel.”
Wars Aleš about the first technical problems of the Princess 69 a adds with smile: ” I have been fondling the Princess on the driving wheel and I have been telling her, to survive. But he hits in the cabin were uncomfortable in my back is hurting now. The crew is fine, we are gonna recover in the afternoon and the Princess will get new damping. But we are having very long connection distance in front of us and we will work on it after that.” Said goodbye todays golden Aleš Loprais from InstaForex Loprais Team!
A the end the words of Karel Loprais were true: “It is important to stay concentrated during the whole stage. To pay attention to all the troubles waiting in this hard landscape. Plus the crew must expect the heat, which will be hard even for the technic.”
Actual photos: http://www.loprais.cz/dakar/en/photogallery/126-dakar-2013
Lucie Houthoofdtová
January 9th, 2013
January 8th, 2013
January 8th, 2013
In the truck category, Gerard De Rooy’s is no longer going solo out in front. The title holder encountered mechanical problems and two punctures, as well as some driving mishaps, getting stuck in the dunes for a prolonged period. In total, he lost almost half an hour on the day’s special stage, losing the command of the race to Ales Loprais. A genuine battle looks to be on the cards, because in addition to the Czech driver, the road to Arequipa saw the return to form of the Kamaz trucks. Nikolaev put his on the provisional podium, 7′08” behind Loprais, whereas Ayrat Mardeev, who won his first special stage on the Dakar, took 4th place, 18′ behind the leader.
January 8th, 2013
8.1.2013
NEWSLETTER INSTAFOREX LOPRAIS TEAM
Leveled third stage and we stay silver
7th January 2013, Monday: Pisco- Nazca
Connection distance: 100 km
Special stage: 243 km
The Princess with Aleš, Serg and Radim headed yesterday into the third stage of Dakar pretty well and in the sharp pace. Aleš did not feel very well, he started to complain about the headache right after the second stage, which could meant a little worse concentration. After the start there was tricky 80 km long section with high dunes, whose difficulty was as same as the whole second stage. But the stage does not end after that, it only gets way faster. Then are following long passages in the landscape and in the sand plains. The concentration was necessary especially in the last tens of kilometers until the finish. Only after that the crew gets into the city Nazca.
When the tricky stage is over, we appreciate the fact, that even though the crew finished in the fourth place, it still means in the Dakar Rally Aleš Loprais with Princess 69 is staying second in the overall. They only competitor driving faster right now is Dutch De Rooy from Ivec. He was not beaten until now in any stage. The fourth place, but only less than 5 minutes time difference shows, how leveled is the competition. Nikolaev from Kamaz once again showed his skills finishing in the second place right before the Italian Biasione. How unlucky can the Dakar Rally be showed Stacey that lost 46 minutes and fell in the order again.
Aleš reviewed the stage: “The most important thing is that we managed the stage. We didn’t want to make a mistake, even though it is the unpopular fourth place today. We did what we could but in some places The Princess understand with the terrain not much. On the last dune before the end we finally made one small mistake. However it turned out well and we didn’t sink. We can get out of the sand clenching.”
We convince ourselves again how important it is to maintain the concentration throughout the stages and the whole race. To this Aleš adds. “It is not a bad starting position for tomorrow’s start to the long challenge. More than 420 km is the proper portion and we should be ready. We are still the second and we still fight!”
Video from the third stage, where we managed to catch even get out of a sand dune, including immediate interview after the finish of the cabin:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGm5-9DemxM&list=UUWTN58_2I2AAGRQVnUeO7jw&index=1
The fourth stage
Thousand and one dune
Tuesday 8 January 2013: Nazca – Arequipa
Bikes/ Quads
The connection section: 429 km
The speed trial: 289 km
Cars/Trucks
The connection section: 429 km
The speed trial: 288 km
Last year it was painful for many contestants discover this region. At the beginning one difficult dune is followed by the second one. Dunes are spread out in the desert that can unsettle even the best riders. Stéphane Peterhansel and Nani Roma, both experts for a ride in the dunes, have lost there 15 minutes and risked leading position in the running standings.
In this time the intensity will increase, for motorcyclists it will be even more difficult. They will have to go down the extremely challenging two-kilometers escarpment. Against him is the famous Dakar downhill of the sandy hill to Inquiqe just a ride down a slide.
Let’s go and see how the Princess 69 with the crew number 503 will slide today. Hopefully they will succeed. Have a nice Tuesday…
Lucie Houthoofdtová
January 8th, 2013
January 8th, 2013
Not a single truck aficionado will be surprised to learn that Gerard de Rooy won today’s stage. Miki Biasion’s third place (+2′31″) means there’ll be two Ivecos on the podium at the end of today’s 243 km special. Eduard Nikolaev managed to sandwich his Kamaz in between them, 1′24″ behind the winner. Ales Loprais’ Tatra came in fourth, 4′43″ down on the Team Petronas Iveco leader, with Pieter Versluis fifth at 6′32″.
January 7th, 2013
7.1.2013
NEWSLETTER INSTAFOREX LOPRAIS TEAM
The second stage, the second place
The second stage: Pisco- Pisco
6th January 2013, Sunday
Connection distance: 85 km
Special stage: 242 km
Once again the beautiful weather. This is what was connecting todays stage with yesterdays prologue. The competitors had to deal with the 242 km long stage, whose brought them more into backlands and much higher above the sea. The same, very good, lasted also the performance of our driver Aleš Loprais and the whole crew of InstaForex Loprais team with number 503. Aleš was able to drive in high, but in his words not the highest dunes once again very fast and he was after the last years winner, De Rooy in Ivec. In the finish the difference between them was only one minute and one second, the sum 1+1 means the second place. On the other hand, something new in the “top 3” is the time of an Italian racer Miki Biasion from Iveco team. He lost little bit less than 8 minutes, which shows how small differences are between this years drives on Dakar.
Thanks to the result you might think everything worked well to the guys, however it is not completely truth. Aleš complained a little bit today:
“The stage was very beautiful, but also quite difficult. A lot of jumps trough dunes, which brings causes. I have a headache during the whole day and they are caused mainly by the security system HANs. It is necessary, but in my opinion completely useless. It hits the helmet from the back. You may imagine it as you are being hit by someone to the head whole morning!”
“In spite those little troubles we are continuing with the Princess and fighting with the landscape. The crew is alive, Tatra drives and the whole team works quite well”, added happy, but tired Aleš Loprais.
He was also modest and carefull trying to sum up his performance:
“The first five drivers are really great. The race will be decided by the small things, such as defects, technic, but also by the navigation, which confused today a few other drivers, especially on the motorbikes and in the cars. We also saw Hans Stacey stuck in on of the dunes. I have seen many thing on the Dakar, so I try to be realistic talking about my position. Plus we are jumping with the Tatra a lot and I sometimes feel my back. Anyway, we are ready to make our best.”
He did not forget to send his greetings to the czech fans back home and then he got back to the preparing for the third stage, which characteristics we bring below.
The third stage
Watch out, the Erg!
7th January, Monday: Pisco- Nazca
Connection distance: 100 km
Special stage: 243 km
The mood inside the trucks may be changed by increasing the stress. The first hundred kilometers will properly test the crews. They will have behind them quite difficult terrain called by the South Americans the Erg- it is a hard combination of duns, that must be beaten by the teams. All the competitors passing the Erg without getting stuck may be proud of themselves. The first reward will be driving alongside the coast in the second part of the stage. However, the relief will not last for long, because at the end of the stage there will be needed the drivings skill and the endurance of the crews.
Lets hope for as good results as until now and lets beat the Erg!
Lucie Houthoofdtová
January 7th, 2013
January 6th, 2013
Results: www.dakar.com
January 6th, 2013
