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Dakar Rally 2013: Tatra´s Loprais – “We really thank you for everything”.
The last speed trial offered a nice, wide and fast tracks. So the crews were not allowed to take a break in concentration. At the gates of Santiago a short racing circuit waited to the riders to entertain the audience. Racers could perform in a variety of jumps and drifts. But it was just a starter for the closing ceremony.
But do not anticipate. The crew number 503 and the Czech Loprais Tatra even in the last stage held between the best and finished on the 4th place with the loss of 2:19. Versluis (MAN) won the stage, De Rooy (Iveco) was the second and Biason (Iveco) the third.
This means for the Tatra-crew in the final order the 6th place with the loss of 01:16:10 hours to the winner, Nikolaev (Kamaz) and hat-trick for Kamaz. Everyone from the team is tired, but healthy. “Maybe we feel little sadness, that we stayed for so long in the sixth place and could not coax the Tatra to move in the most precious medal places” Loprais said.
The whole competition Ales Loprais and his codrivers Radim and Serge and also all the mechanics and support fought on the track for every single minute and also with all the pitfalls bravely and with pride. They tried to cut the almost 2 hours loss from the 5th stage and did not stop believing, even though the old Tatra was little stubborn.
“This years performance leaves no doubt about the fact, that on “Silk Way Rally” and Dakar 2014 will “InstaForex Loprais Team” with the Racetruck attack the victory” the team reported after the race.
Watch with us the podium finish, the trucks will get on the podium at 14:04 local time, our crew about 16:00 local time. We are preparing for you report from this unbelievable fan base with an awesome atmosphere, that can not be describe by any words. We are saying goodbye by wishing you calm Sunday and by message from Ales Loprais: “Once again we really thank you for everything!”
2013/01/21 | 19:59 CET | ARTICLE: MR/HS/HOUTHOOFDTOVA
January 22nd, 2013
The 2013 edition saw the comeback of the Kamazs, which took their 11th win and, most importantly, pulled off a stunning 1-2-3 in Santiago with Russians Eduard Nikolaev, Ayrat Mardeev and Andrey Karginov! A nice gift for Vladimir Chagin in his first year as team manager. But the race wasn’t dyed in the same deep blue hue as it was during the Tsar’s reign. Champion Nikolaev was the first truck driver in the history of the rally to win the race without taking any stages and, all in all, the Russian juggernauts only won four, with defending champion Gerard de Rooy taking six. There’s no doubt he was the fastest man on the course, but a broken turbo in the 9th stage put paid to his hopes. He lost an hour and was unable to claw it back, finishing in fourth place, 4′19″ from the podium and just ahead of the two ageing Tatras driven by Martin Kolomý and especially Aleš Loprais, his only rival in the early stages and ephemeral leader after stage 4, before a failing battery dashed his dreams of fighting for the top honours the very next day.
January 20th, 2013
Eduard Nikolaev, Ayrat Mardeev and Andrey Karginov. A podium with a deep hue of Kamaz Master’s colours. Just under 38 minutes separate the Top 3 at the end of the 2013 Dakar. Gerard de Rooy was the best Team Iveco driver, missing the podium by less than four minutes. Martin Kolomy and Ales Loprais (Tatra) finished fifth and sixth, ahead of Pieter Versluis and Marcel van Vliet (Man).
January 19th, 2013
With Kamaz drivers the top 3 in the overall standings, it seems clear that Kamaz will win the 2013 Dakar. De Rooij however, will try to finish on the podium and with just 5 min behind Mardeev and the third Kamaz, it is a possibility, though in the past the Kamaz team strategy of slowing down other competitors to help threatened Kamaz competitors, did the job. Karginov would be the ideal candidate to slow down de Rooij.
With the Tatras currently 5th and 6th overall, Loprais will probably try to make up the 15 min he is behind the surprising Martin Kolomy, to become the best Tatra driver. Kolomy, on the other hand, would like to shine himself as the best Tatra driver.
January 19th, 2013
19.1.2013
NEWSLETTER INSTAFOREX LOPRAIS TEAM
Bronze in the penultimate stage
13th stage: Copiapó – La Serena
Friday 18 January
The connecting section: 294 km
The speed trial: 441 km
The initial segment of the stage in the Camanchaca area was steep; it was necessary to climb to a height of 2600 meters above sea level. After descending the slopes to the valley the last Dakar san dunes were waiting for the riders. Third of the stage led along sandy track where it was possible to attack. Last place of bivouac for riders and their accompaniment became the La Serena City.
In the penultimate stage win Karginov, the second was De Rooy with the loss of 2:48. Aleš managed to keep the pace and to attack, he was satisfied with the third place (the loss of 8:04): “It was a nice stage. The whole first five went really fast. Start turned out well, even though sometimes the lack of power was seen, particularly in long passages uphill compared to Kamaz and Iveco, but we are accustomed to it with the Princess. Bronze is for her a decent placement. So Full Attack again tomorrow!”
In the overall ranking the top three places receive the Russians, so a hat trick form the Kamaz Team. The fourth is De Rooy, Martin Kolomý is fifth. The crew number 503 and the Princess 69 are sixth. The difference between the Czech riders is about 15 minutes.
Link photogallery: http://loprais.cz/dakar/cz/fotogalerie/39-dakar-2013
14th stage: La Serena – Santiago
Saturday 19 January
Comfort and amusement in the capital city
The connecting section: 502 km
The speed trial: 128 km
Finish of this year Dakar Rally is in the capital city of Chile. To saw it the racers must not let up in concentration. Last speed trial offers a nice, fast tracks, where it will go fast. In the finish is prepared a short racing circuit for entertain the audience. Riders will be able to showcase the various jumps and drifts. It will be figuratively starter for the final ceremony, which is scheduled for the following day. The venue – Plaza de la Constitución.
Today is planned the final stage. Have a nice Saturday. We say goodbye with the words of Karel Loprais who never forgets to add: “The Dakar Rally goes up to the last kilometre of the last stage, the last second!”
Lucie Houthoofdtová
January 19th, 2013
Austrians Johann Kofler and Gery Hofer at the 2013 Planai Classic
http://herrenfahrer.com/post/view/id/527#.UPnraR38LxA
January 19th, 2013
Kamaz driver Andrey Karginov has completed the day’s special in 5:16′30, ahead of the Iveco Petronas team leader, Gerad De Rooy, 2′48″ behind. Ales Loprais is third and the first Tatra driver, 8′04″ behind the Russian, but ahead of Italian Miki Biasion, himself 10′57″ behind Karginov. General standings leader Eduard Nikolaev rounds off the Top 5, 14′02″ behind his team-mate and stage winner.
January 18th, 2013
18.1.2013
NEWSLETTER INSTAFOREX LOPRAIS TEAM
The 12th stage full of cheering and the last section like a turtle
This time racers crossed the Andes from east to west through the St. Francis pass and returned to the Atacama Desert. The organisers had arranged almost all the possible pitfalls that you can imagine in this marathon rally – from fesh– fesh sand to gravel and rocky paths. So it was the diverse terrain that was predestined for the big race and compete the best riders. Most of the sand dunes were waiting in the middle of the stage. Their height was majestic, as well as the depth of valleys and hollows between them. Large temperature differences made difficulties mainly to motorcycles riders but also tested the technique of cars and trucks. The swollen Rio Grande, which caused the cancellation of the rest of the 11th stage, today brought bedstraw only fans who follow the whole Dakar convoy.
The fight between the best riders was huge, only with seconds difference. One of them was definitely Princess 69 with the crew, especially in the first half of the stage. We did not even noticed, that they had troubles with gear stick. We heard this news from Aleš about the drama on the last part of the stage: “Capiapo, traditionally difficult dune stage. The beginning was pretty good, we were fighting to get between the best 3 stage teams. However, in the last third of the race we started to have problem with gear. We were able to shift only 2 gear and only the slow ones, so the system called turtle. It was suffering, because sometimes we needed higher speed. For example, in some dunes we did not have enough speed and had to jump some places trough air, to keep the speed to the next dune. I was worried about the clutch, because it absorbed bigger endurance. I could not shift backwards, which might be fatal in dunes. I tried not to make any mistake, because rescuing the Tatra from dune field would take the support trucks about 2 days. We finished with the turtle mode 4 minutes after the winner, which is for us after those problems little victory. Keep on pushing!” So we continues in the pressure and also in the race.
Even though the huge support did not mean we won the stage, the “jackpot” is that after all those troubles the crew got into finish with only 4:02 loss to the winner Karginov. We are still staying in the sixth place and make fun, if the Princess 69 does not want to stay in this place only because of the image. The mechanics will definitely repair “the turtle system” and Aleš, Radim and Serge will have to coax the Princess to finish in better place.
The results of the stage and also the overall results are here:
http://www.loprais.cz/dakar/en/results
On the main page you will find videos from previous days:
http://www.loprais.cz/dakar
13th stage
Time for an attack?
Friday 18 January: Copiapó- La Serena
The connection section: 294 km
The speed trial: 441 km
The race organisers impeached also the weather. The first part of the stage in Camanchac will be very difficult. Right after the morning mist will disappear, the first competitors will head to the track. The last sand dunes of this years Dakar will be waiting for them. One third of the race will be heading on the sand routes, where it is possible to fight. The compass hand will point to the south and there will be only wide routes leading to the finish. However, some hidden rock might destroy all the dreams about finishing the Dakar. Last bivouac will be in La Serena.
Lucie Houthoofdtová
January 18th, 2013
Today’s truck race boiled down to a duel between the Kamaz team! Currently 3rd in the general standings, over the last stages Andrey Karginov has his eye on taking second place from his team-mate Ayrat Mardeev. As a result, he is attacking whenever he can. The outcome was a 2nd stage victory in 2013 for Karginov, the 4th in his career, finishing 2′36” ahead of his team-mate and main rival Ayrat Mardeev. The latter of the two Russians, as consistent as ever, finished 13″ ahead of Gerard De Rooy, who stormed through the beginning of the special, but was soon slowed by a puncture. The day’s action has not changed the general standings however, where Nikolaev has an imperial lead, 31′20” ahead of Mardeev and 50′26 in front of Karginov.
January 17th, 2013
After finishing 14th in Stage 11, Kolomy has to leave place 1+2 to Kamaz.
January 17th, 2013
