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.
18.1.2013
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
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.
After finishing 14th in Stage 11, Kolomy has to leave place 1+2 to Kamaz.
17.1.2013
It is unusual that nothing happens in Fiambalá, the 11th stage canceled after first CP due to weather and drivers safety.
Before yesterdays start of the eleventh stage we wrote about Fiambalá as unexpectable that nothing will happen there. Last year the competitors had problems with weather and same situation happened also this year. Due to floods on 69 km and also in Rio Grande after 85 km decided the organizers to close the whole track for the cars and trucks. Most of the motorcycles and four-wheelers already got trough those parts, so they could finish this magic stage.
Rainstorms and flooded river in the second part of the speed trial disallowed all the drivers to continue in the important fight. Speaking about our crew this situation did not make anyone happy, because of the staggering tendency to cut the time loss. The competitors stayed for a long right on the track and did not know what will happen, which part will be counted or if the stage will be completely canceled.The sport inspectors and chief decided, that at 13:50 local time was in the 11th stage speed trial stopped on the first checkpoint due to bad weather and drivers safety. Another decision was about all the vehicles, that did not pass the first checkpoint before the race got canceled;they got the time 1:12:25.
Gerard de Rooy won the first CP1 (his 24. stage victory in his career), in the second place was our 503 crew (56 seconds time difference) with fast Aleš driving. The Princess 69 showed once again, that she wants to fight between the best. Aleš knows, that if he wants to get better place, he has to drive fast, without any mistakes and on the edge. Yesterday he commented the stage shortly, but concisely: “Greetings to all the fans, whose head got confused because of the timekeeping. We are OK and we continue fighting. The results are counted from CP1, which means we were second in the stage. The hope is still alive, so once again… we keep fighting! Fiambalá was difficult, but beautiful stage. It is quite sad, that got canceled.”
After this shortened stage lead Dakar rally three Kamaz crews: Nikolaev, Mardeev, Karginov. After troubles right at the beginning of the stage got back in the fourth place Martion Kolomý with 58:05 losing to the first place, the fifth is still De Rooy with right one hour loss. In the sixth place there are drivers number 503, drivers with big heart and faith- Aleš, Radim and Serge, losing 1:31:10.
The 12th stage
Perfect race means “jackpot”
Thursday 17th January: Fiambalá – Copiapó
The connecting section: 396 km
The speed trial: 319 km
Now the Dakar competitors will cross the Ands from the east to the west trough the saint Francis gap and get back to the Atacama desert. There the organizers prepared many pitfalls and difficult tracks, seen only in Dakar rally. Most of the sand dunes wait in the middle of speed trial- their height will be extreme, so as the depth of the valleys between them. The rocky roads will not be less difficult, because even the fastest can get stuck in hear and lose a lot of time. Those, who cross the finish as the winners are definitely get better in the whole ranking.
Lets hope the luck will stay with the braves and better prepared.
Have a nice day,
Lucie Houthoofdtová
The anti-corruption police have closed the investigation of the case and proposed that corruption charges be filed against the two, police spokesman Jaroslav Ibehej told CTK.
The police accused the two suspects in November 2011. Smrz is suspected of attempted fraud.
According to the police, he demanded five million dollars from the Tatra company’s senior official under the false pretext of using his influence to remove obstacles threatening to thwart Tatra’s prospect as lorry supplier to the state.
Bartak, unaffiliated deputy defence minister in 2006-2009 and defence minister in 2009-2010, has been accused of bribe taking.
The police say Bartak used his position and tried to influence the Tatra deal. He, too, demanded five million dollars from Tatra in exchange for removing certain obstacles faced by Tatra.
The investigation showed that Smrz and Bartak demanded bribes for making certain arrangements. “However, the former could not influence the order and he made false promises. That is why he has been accused of attempted fraud,” Ostrava regional state attorney Zlatuse Andelova said earlier.
The latter suspect has been also prosecuted for bribe taking because he could influence the order, she said, referring to Bartak.
The police dealt with the case since November 2010 when Tatra supervisory board head William Cabaniss, former U.S. ambassador to Prague, told the daily Mlada fronta Dnes that in February 2008 Bartak asked him for a bribe worth millions of dollars.
The information was confirmed by Cabaniss’s colleague Duncan Sellars, who was present at his meeting with Bartak.
Bartak has dismissed the accusations as fabricated.
In connection with the Tatra case, the police have also accused Ronald Adams, head of the Tatra’s Czech subsidiary, of bribery.
Adams is suspected of offering a bribe to Bartak, then deputy defence minister, for having further military orders placed with Tatra.
Adams is a witness in Bartak’s corruption case.
Sellars, a member of Tatra’s board of directors, then said Tatra considers the prosecution of Adams unfounded and the Czech police’s steps extraordinarily suspicious.
Within a contract approved by the Czech government, Tatra supplied 588 Tatra lorries in seven variants worth 2.7 billion crowns as from March 2008.
Bartak’s name has been also mentioned in connection with other controversial military purchases such as that of the Pandur APCs from the Austrian company Steyr and the CASA transport planes from the Spanish consortium EADS, both mediated by Czech firms in accordance with the then valid legislation.
http://praguemonitor.com/2013/01/17/former-defence-minister-be-charged-corruption
Vladimir Urbanek has readied a new drawing artwork about the 87 of Zikmund & Hanzelka travellers accopanied by the long distance and record aircraft Tatra T.101
Aviationart.cz
16.1.2013
The wind stages are changed by the fast ones, the tenth lead trough forrest areas into the desolated places. It was one of the stages with profile more like a classic rally than like a Dakar. The amount of the kilometres checked the drivers and also the technics.
The 503 guys with Princess 69 drove an incredible ride, they were one of the best right from the beginning. In the 7th and 8th checkpoint they were the first. In the section between 8th and 9th checkpoint the crew heard a shot and after 273 km of the speed trial our Tatra had to stop because of an defect. The guys did amazing work and after 8 minutes the wheel was changed. In the ninth checkpoint they were losing about 7 minutes (8th place) and in the tenth checkpoint they were losing about 8 minutes (6th place). Also another drivers had troubles and Aleš finished in the 7th place with losing 5 minutes 46 second to the stage winner, Russian Karginov. If the tear did not broke, Aleš would probably win the race, but if means nothing. Despite that the stage was beautiful and it was big race. De Rooy had once again some troubles, which means he is actually in the 5th place losing 1:20:06 and he is only one place above our 503 crew, that stay in the 6th place with losing 1:32:20 to the winner Nikolaev, the second Martin Kolomný (00:32:23) and the third Mardeev (00:34:10).
“Traditional mountain stage, that punished all the mistake, because there were no escape zones. Even in the rocks the drivers drifted. Everything worked fine. After the start we missed one turning, so I was a little nervous. I tried to ride as fast as possible. We were checking the stage from the leading point until one of the organisers car chased us. There are more than one on the track (medics, press,…), but they are always standing on the side. If the drive, then very slowly and move away right when they see you. Unfortunately this vehicle was an exception and did not want to move away. We drove behind him in a dust cloud for 7 km. And then the defect came. I do not remember I drove on something, I tried to stay on the track in the mist and as close to the vehicle as possible, to hear the horn. I heard a shot and already knew, what does it mean. I was tired and dehydrated, the stage was physically difficult. I drank 6 litres of the water and one litre of the energy drink 69, but it was not enough. Serge and Radim worked as a F1 mechanics.The whole changing was pretty fast. The wheel screws were extremely hot from the heat coming from the brakes.” Explains Aleš Loprais, what happened on the track.
Tired, however with smile, adds: “I really wanted to add sixth victory in the stage on the Dakar, but I still stay on the number 5. The sixth one is still waiting for us somewhere. I believe in that. We all fight!” There is nothing to add.
The 11th stage
The non yielding Fiambalá
Wednesday 16th January: La Rioja- Fiambalá
Motorbikes/ fourwheels
The connecting section: 262 km
The speed trial: 221 km
Cars/Trucks
The connecting section: 262 km
The speed trial: 219 km
It is very unusual, that nothing happens in Fiambalá. For example last year it was terrible weather – even though at the beginning the wet sand looked stabile, so the drivers could drive into the white fiambalá dunes, after a while the vehicles got stuck and the engines started to overheat because of the defeating extreme terrain.
It is typical, that those dangerous dunes are firstly looking amazing, but after a while they make some surprises for the drivers. In this years competition there are new dune fields on the track. So the third part of the Dakar has also sand stage, which is unusual and the drivers have to optimise their driving style. They have to pay maximal attention, because if the would not, they would probably make some navigation mistakes and it means time loss.
Lucie Houthoofdtová
15.1.2013
“When we are happy we are always good, but when we are good we don’t need to be always happy.” Oscar Wilde
After unplanned but deserved rest the Dakar Rally swung to the second half. Different routes for trucks and other categories, challenging and fast ways, rocky and stony ground – this can describe the ninth stage. Organizers advised that stage and profile suit specialists in the most treacherous and challenging routes.
Therefore today we were really happy of our crew number 503 – Aleš, Radim and Serge. From the first meters it was clear that they are relaxed and they want to be with the Princess 69 among the first in the waypoints. Sovereign and still leading Dutchman De Rooy had technical problems with the turbocharger at the beginning of the stage, in the end he had problems with tire punctures. He had no luck and finished at the 59th place. In the overall standings he fell to fourth place with the loss of 59 minutes and 56 seconds to the leading Nikolaev on Kamaz. Aleš rode hard, he was at the second place all the time and pulled down the seconds. He avoided the mistakes and in the last measured section accelerated, which meant the first stage victory. After him arrived to the finish Dutch rider Versluis (Man) and Karginov (Kamaz). The stage mixed the order and handed out the other cards. The sixth place of InstaForex Loprais team did not unfortunately changed today after todays victory, the time loss to the winning Nikolaev is 1:31:37.
Pleased by todays result was also Karel Loprais, who predicts a lot of thing, knows the race pretty well and has it deeply rooted in his heart. He said today smiling: “It is obvious Aleš got into cutting the loss very responsibly. We can cheer him for that. Anyone can be unlucky in here, even the best one. For example take look at De Rooy, what happened to him. Alda proved, that he is one of the best drives in the world and that this years Dakar is definitely not finished yet. It will be interesting and we are still in the game.”
Aleš Loprais did not try to hide his satisfaction, happiness and he praised fast time trial: “The organizers prepared beautiful stage. It is more even beautiful because of the fact that we won. It looked more like a WRC trial. We drove trough many passages that we could possibly drifted trough, which is always fun in the truck. After we overtook De Rooy with technical troubles we were cleaning the track for the others. We were the first vehicle in the whole Dakar convoy, because rarely today the trucks started the first. In the finish we had to extinguish the bakes again, but it was totally worth it.“
We hope that all the fans supporting czech good results on Dakar 2013 have as huge smile as the whole crew because of yesterdays victory. Also with huge smile on her face wishes you good Tuesday
Lucie Houthoofdtová