Loprais during Stage 8. Note missing front screen; it just popped out.
Categorie: Racing & Rallying
January 15th, 2014
Best Dakar photo so far
Loprais too nervous?
According to Belgian Serge Bruynkens, Loprais’ navigator, his driver is too nervous and out of form this year. He somehow isn’t the person he was in the past. Further, Buynkens said that Loprais seems too be deaf for his advises.
Original text:
DAKAR 2014 Lange tijd konden de Tsjech Ales Loprais en Serge Bruynkens met hun Tatra min of meer in het spoor blijven van de koplopers, maar naar het einde van de negende etappe in de Dakar voor vrachtwagens moesten ze de rol lossen. Ze werden vijfde en dat blijft ook hun plaats in de stand.
“Tot aan de duinen was het een loodzware etappe”, aldus Bruynkens. “Ook de duinen waren pittiger dan verwacht. Ik ben enkele keren moeten uitstappen om te kijken wat na de duin kwam. Deden we dat niet, dan riskeerden we dat de truck bij het afdalen zou kantelen. Eerder op de dag hadden we onze voorruit voor de tweede keer in deze Dakar verloren. Ze trilde er gewoon uit!”
“Mijn piloot Ales Loprais is dit jaar te zenuwachtig en te onzeker voor iemand met zijn ervaring. Hij is gewoon niet in zijn sas en doet zijn eigen ding in de duinen. Als het verkeerd gaat, moet ik corrigeren, maar het is vaak alsof ik een monoloog hou. Er komt weinig terug en dat is niet prettig. Het team moet dadelijk nog flink aan de bak, want de radiator was op het einde weer lek.”
Ook over Jurgen Damen had Bruynkens geen goed nieuws. “Op een bepaald moment zagen we een gigantisch oliespoor dat afkomstig was van de truck van Versluis en Damen. Hun carter is stuk en het is nog maar de vraag of ze zo’n gat in die carter hersteld kan worden.”
Categorie: Racing & Rallying
January 15th, 2014
Loprais comments on stage 9
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15.1.2014 NEWSLETTER INSTAFOREX LOPRAIS TEAM
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Ing. Lucie Houthoofdtová |
Categorie: Racing & Rallying
January 15th, 2014
Stage 9
The 2014 Dakar will reach its most northern point in Iquique, where the competitors will see the ocean for the first time this year. Above all, the drivers and teams will discover the Atacama Dunes again after a first part of a special stage which will be rather tedious. Dune specialists will be in command over a distance of almost 150km. Thrills will be guaranteed at the very end of the day, on the last three kilometres of the descent to Iquique: there is more than a 30% difference in height from start to finish and it is almost not recommended to break. The law of gravitation takes on its full meaning: the bivouac is not far away!
Behind the day’s winner Andrey Karginov (Kamaz), Gerard De Rooy (Iveco) has finished in second place on the day’s special, ahead of Dmitry Sotnikov (Kamaz) in third who is 28′48″ behind the winner. However, he could be relegated down the time sheet by trucks that have yet to finish: Eduard Nikolaev (Kamaz) and Ales Loprais (Tatra).
Russian Eduard Nikolaev minutes later indeed managed to grab third place from his team-mate Dmitry Sotnikov. 1 second separates the two Kamaz on completion of the 422-km long special stage! Loprais is 4th.
Overall, Gerard de Rooij is still first, but he has a Kamaz on his heels now. He said: They’re not going to push me or make me crazy. On the dune it was a hard surface so we were stuck there for several minutes, but we managed to get out. It was a really hard day, not our day. It was Kamaz’s day. They took 19 minutes but I knew they were going to win, but by that much? I hadn’t thought it would be like that. Yes, it’s a small gap, but that’s the race… I knew that today was going to be a day for Kamaz. We hope for more sand, but let’s wait for it. We managed to finish and stay on the top, but Karginov was driving way too fast. He’s taking so many risks. I saw all the errors he made on the special. He missed the corners a lot of times so he’s pushing too hard. I drive may own race, same as always.
| Pos. | N° | Name | Hours | Time | variation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 506 |
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15:29:09 | 04:58:09 | - | |
| 501 |
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15:51:46 | 05:17:16 | 00:19:07 | |
| 500 |
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16:06:56 | 05:26:56 | 00:28:47 | |
| 549 |
|
16:02:57 | 05:26:57 | 00:28:48 | |
| 504 |
|
16:15:14 | 05:38:14 | 00:40:05 | |
| 529 |
|
16:21:27 | 05:39:57 | 00:41:48 | |
| 508 |
|
16:40:44 | 06:02:14 | 01:04:05 | |
| 545 |
|
16:48:09 | 06:08:39 | 01:10:30 | |
| 520 |
|
16:53:34 | 06:09:34 | 01:11:25 | |
| 509 |
|
16:57:45 | 06:12:45 | 01:14:36 | |
| 510 |
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16:59:59 | 06:13:59 | 01:15:50 | |
| 542 |
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17:22:02 | 06:17:02 | 01:18:53 | |
| 511 |
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17:12:43 | 06:19:13 | 01:21:04 | |
| 521 |
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17:20:21 | 06:23:21 | 01:25:12 | |
| 519 |
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17:17:19 | 06:26:19 | 01:28:10 | |
| 507 |
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17:17:09 | 06:36:09 | 01:38:00 | |
| 518 |
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17:37:18 | 06:39:48 | 01:41:39 | |
| 512 |
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18:00:57 | 06:44:27 | 01:46:18 | |
| 515 |
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17:37:43 | 06:48:43 | 01:50:34 | |
| 525 |
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17:37:35 | 06:49:05 | 01:50:56 | |
| 539 |
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18:03:30 | 07:04:30 | 02:06:21 | |
| 534 |
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18:33:23 | 07:29:23 | 02:31:14 | |
| 535 |
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18:32:57 | 07:32:57 | 02:34:48 | |
| 516 |
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18:23:01 | 07:37:31 | 02:39:22 | |
| 563 |
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18:40:19 | 07:38:49 | 02:40:40 | |
| 540 |
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18:33:05 | 07:45:05 | 02:46:56 | |
| 538 |
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19:01:37 | 07:54:37 | 02:56:28 | |
| 541 |
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19:02:12 | 07:55:42 | 02:57:33 | |
| 522 |
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19:14:40 | 07:58:40 | 03:00:31 | |
| 548 |
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18:57:08 | 08:01:08 | 03:02:59 | |
| 547 |
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19:32:42 | 08:31:42 | 03:33:33 |
Categorie: Racing & Rallying
January 14th, 2014
Kolomy retires due to micro cracks in front axle
“The decision was extremely hard and took several hours but eventually the whole team agreed on it. We have all done the maximum. We have tried to find an alternative solution to the last moment but in the end we are forced to announce, with heartbreaking sorrow, that our this year ´s participation in the Dakar Rally is finished. I would like to thank everybody for their engagement and will. I respect that greatly,” announced with a heavy heart the pilot of the Tatra Buggyra Racing team Martin Kolomý.
The reason for the premature withdrawal is a technical issue that might threaten the health of the whole crew. Following a profound analysis of the front axle components the team has discovered multiple micro cracks. The mountainous nature of the next stages of the rally would therefore represent a considerable risk in the case of a related technical defect. “Niki Lauda used to say that a too heavy price in terms of non-proportional risk should not be paid for any victory. I have two small children at home and David has three. It would be irresponsible from us to crash anywhere if it is unnecessary. At this moment further continuation in the race would be a useless hazard,” added Kolomý.
His ambitious team who wished to improve their last year ´s fifth rank, arrived in the venue of the rally with a brand new engine, Tatra 815 Buggyra. “The truck worked excellently. I was much satisfied with how it was running. We were up to a wonderful final result, but sometimes you encounter completely unexpected failures and play of circumstances that reduce you to helplessness. I keep saying that Dakar is not only about the pilots and the technologies, but mainly about good luck and we did not have enough of it this year,” said Kolomý with dissatisfaction.
The first blow already came in the first stage of the rally when the Fat Boy was stopped by a burning tyre. The loss was only in terms of minutes. In the next stages of the race the Czech racing special managed to reduce the initial loss and in the fifth stage the team already attacked the position of the best Czech pilot and the sixth interim ranking. At that moment the air compressor broke down and the repair brought an eight-hour loss. A day later the pilot knocked down a front wheel in the course of an overtaking manoeuvre but ended the stage bravely on the remaining three wheels. The crew of the Fat Boy was greatly admired for their engagement and Kolomý received the nickname “Three-Wheel” in the bivouac. After repair of the axle and for the late arrival in the bivouac the team was penalised again with another more than six and a half hour penalisation. Despite the awareness that the overall podium is lost this year, the crew wanted to reach the finish in the Valparaís in Chile with at least one victory in a stage of the rally. Therefore after the free day the team appeared at the start of stage 7 in which after start from the twenty second position they fought their way to the tenth rank, including assistance to Arthur Ardavichus with his Tatra before the finish lying without movement on the roof after an accident.
On Monday the Argentine part of the Dakar Rally was to be completed and the crews were to be transfer to Chile. The Tatra Buggyra Racing team will not be involved in the struggles of this part of the rally any more. “I believe in the stages taking place so far we have shown that we are able to drive “at the brink of self-destruction” but now I am glad that common sense has prevailed in the team over a momentary emotion. I would like to thank all our fans for their immense support during the race. I will at least try to mediate them untraditional views of the bivouac of this year ´s Dakar,” added Martin Kolomý.
When in 2001 the Buggyra truck racing team first entered the European Race Truck Championship, it was the worst season in history, but immediately the next season brought to the Roudnice team the first title of European champion, won by Gerd Körber. Is the same fate prepared for the Roudnice team at Dakar as well?
Kolomý: Not Easy to Leave Dakar Prematurely
Salta – They struggled for long like lions, overcoming the traps of the extremely hard track, technical trouble, and fatigue. They even completed a stage on three wheels, which made them writ large in the history of the rally. But even such a big determination was not enough this time. The hardest decision was made this morning. The Tatra Buggyra team will not continue in the competition. One of the most difficult years of this extremely hard endurance competition which Dakar Rally certainly is has eventually swallowed this racing team as well. The finish of this year ´s race will not be seen by more than a half of the participants and to the sorrow of the Czech fans they will also include the crew of the pilot Martin Kolomý.
“The decision was extremely hard and took several hours but eventually the whole team agreed on it. We have all done the maximum. We have tried to find an alternative solution to the last moment but in the end we are forced to announce, with heartbreaking sorrow, that our this year ´s participation in the Dakar Rally is finished. I would like to thank everybody for their engagement and will. I respect that greatly,” announced with a heavy heart the pilot of the Tatra Buggyra Racing team Martin Kolomý.
The reason for the premature withdrawal is a technical issue that might threaten the health of the whole crew. Following a profound analysis of the front axle components the team has discovered multiple micro cracks. The mountainous nature of the next stages of the rally would therefore represent a considerable risk in the case of a related technical defect. “Niki Lauda used to say that a too heavy price in terms of non-proportional risk should not be paid for any victory. I have two small children at home and David has three. It would be irresponsible from us to crash anywhere if it is unnecessary. At this moment further continuation in the race would be a useless hazard,” added Kolomý.
His ambitious team who wished to improve their last year ´s fifth rank, arrived in the venue of the rally with a brand new engine, Tatra 815 Buggyra. “The truck worked excellently. I was much satisfied with how it was running. We were up to a wonderful final result, but sometimes you encounter completely unexpected failures and play of circumstances that reduce you to helplessness. I keep saying that Dakar is not only about the pilots and the technologies, but mainly about good luck and we did not have enough of it this year,” said Kolomý with dissatisfaction.
The first blow already came in the first stage of the rally when the Fat Boy was stopped by a burning tyre. The loss was only in terms of minutes. In the next stages of the race the Czech racing special managed to reduce the initial loss and in the fifth stage the team already attacked the position of the best Czech pilot and the sixth interim ranking. At that moment the air compressor broke down and the repair brought an eight-hour loss. A day later the pilot knocked down a front wheel in the course of an overtaking manoeuvre but ended the stage bravely on the remaining three wheels. The crew of the Fat Boy was greatly admired for their engagement and Kolomý received the nickname “Three-Wheel” in the bivouac. After repair of the axle and for the late arrival in the bivouac the team was penalised again with another more than six and a half hour penalisation. Despite the awareness that the overall podium is lost this year, the crew wanted to reach the finish in the Valparaís in Chile with at least one victory in a stage of the rally. Therefore after the free day the team appeared at the start of stage 7 in which after start from the twenty second position they fought their way to the tenth rank, including assistance to Arthur Ardavichus with his Tatra before the finish lying without movement on the roof after an accident.
On Monday the Argentine part of the Dakar Rally was to be completed and the crews were to be transfer to Chile. The Tatra Buggyra Racing team will not be involved in the struggles of this part of the rally any more. “I believe in the stages taking place so far we have shown that we are able to drive “at the brink of self-destruction” but now I am glad that common sense has prevailed in the team over a momentary emotion. I would like to thank all our fans for their immense support during the race. I will at least try to mediate them untraditional views of the bivouac of this year ´s Dakar,” added Martin Kolomý.
When in 2001 the Buggyra truck racing team first entered the European Race Truck Championship, it was the worst season in history, but immediately the next season brought to the Roudnice team the first title of European champion, won by Gerd Körber. Is the same fate prepared for the Roudnice team at Dakar as well?
Categorie: Racing & Rallying
January 14th, 2014
Artur Ardavichus finished 8 th stage
With his truck just finished in time after his crash, Artur Ardavičus lost 1 hour and 24 seconds in the 8th stage and finished twenty-eighth place. He was slow is he lacked 4×4 drive. Overall, he is now twenty-third.
Categorie: Racing & Rallying
January 14th, 2014
Loprais on Stage 8. II
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14.1.2014 NEWSLETTER INSTAFOREX LOPRAIS TEAM
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Ing. Lucie Houthoofdtová |
Categorie: Racing & Rallying
January 14th, 2014
Loprais on Stage 8
Quite bumpy, quite dusty, a lot of fesh-fesh and a lot of stones…
It was quite easy to make a mistake. We were pushing as much as possible but we have engine limitation in altitude and a lot of things were worse than I expected but finally we made it without a puncture. We were not able to get the speed up to as fast as Kamaz because their chassis in this condition works excellently. We have to wait for the dunes because that is our only chance to get some time and to get in front. Our ambition? We are going all the time to the maximum se we will see now that the competition is quite high but still anything can change and anything can happen. We have to stay close to the top 3 and hope one day to be there.
Categorie: Racing & Rallying
January 14th, 2014
Stage 8: Loprais climbs to 5th overall
In today’s truck race, Andrey Karginov is also trying to put pressure on the general standings leader. He won his second special stage in 2014 and the seventh of his career on the rally, but only e 5′15 ahead of Gerard De Rooy and 6′55 in front of his countryman Dmitry Sotnikov. Yesterday’s winner and therefore first man out today, title holder Eduard Nikolaev lost 14′08 to the day’s winner. In the general standings however, there was little change, with De Rooy unworriedly retaining the lead, 32′35 ahead of Karginov and 1:12′01 in front of Nikolaev.
| Pos. | N° | Name | Make | Time | Variation | Penalty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 506 | KARGINOV (RUS), MOKEEV (RUS), DEVYATKIN (RUS) | KAMAZ | 002:53:32 | 00:00:00 | |
| 2 | 501 | DE ROOY (NLD), COLSOUL (BEL), RODEWALD (NLD) | IVECO | 002:58:47 | 00:05:15 | 00:00:00 |
| 3 | 549 | SOTNIKOV (RUS), MIZYUKAEV (RUS), AFERIN (RUS) | KAMAZ | 003:00:27 | 00:06:55 | 00:00:00 |
| 4 | 504 | LOPRAIS (CZE), BRUYNKENS (BEL), PUSTEJOVSKY (CZE) | TATRA | 003:01:32 | 00:08:00 | 00:00:00 |
| 5 | 505 | VERSLUIS (NLD), DAMEN (BEL), SCHUURMANS (NLD) | MAN | 003:02:05 | 00:08:33 | 00:00:00 |
| 6 | 508 | VAN VLIET (NLD), PRONK (NLD), KLEIN (DEU) | MAN | 003:02:34 | 00:09:02 | 00:00:00 |
| 7 | 545 | SHIBALOV (RUS), AMATYCH (RUS), KHISAMIEV (RUS) | KAMAZ | 003:05:04 | 00:11:32 | 00:00:00 |
| 8 | 500 | NIKOLAEV (RUS), YAKOVLEV (RUS), RYBAKOV (RUS) | KAMAZ | 003:07:40 | 00:14:08 | 00:00:00 |
| 9 | 507 | STACEY (NLD), RUF (DEU), DER KINDEREN (NLD) | IVECO | 003:08:49 | 00:15:17 | 00:00:00 |
| 10 | 529 | VIAZOVICH (BLR), NEVIAROVICH (BLR), HARANIN (BLR) | MAZ | 003:09:45 | 00:16:13 | 00:00:00 |
| 11 | 520 | ADUA (FRA), MARCO ALCAYNA (ESP), TORRES (ESP) | IVECO | 003:13:16 | 00:19:44 | 00:00:00 |
| 12 | 509 | VAN DEN BRINK (NLD), WILLEMSEN (BEL), VEENVLIET (NLD) | GINAF | 003:15:01 | 00:21:29 | 00:00:00 |
| 13 | 516 | VILA ROCA (ESP), COLOMÉ ROQUETA (ESP), VAN EERD (NLD) | IVECO | 003:15:14 | 00:21:42 | 00:00:00 |
| 14 | 510 | KUIPERS (NLD), TORRALLARDONA (ESP), VAN DER VAET (BEL) | MAN | 003:15:37 | 00:22:05 | 00:00:00 |
| 15 | 540 | VAN DEN HEUVEL (NLD), DERKS (NLD), VAN DEN WIJNGAARD (NLD) | DAF | 003:19:38 | 00:26:06 | 00:00:00 |
| 16 | 525 | VILDMAN (CZE), MACIK (CZE), MRKVA (CZE) | LIAZ | 003:20:19 | 00:26:47 | 00:00:00 |
| 17 | 515 | VRATNY (CZE), HOLAN (CZE), MISKOLCI (SVK) | TATRA | 003:23:06 | 00:29:34 | 00:00:00 |
| 18 | 519 | TOMANEK (CZE), KASPAREK (CZE), KASPAREK (CZE) | TATRA | 003:24:10 | 00:30:38 | 00:00:00 |
OVERALL:
Categorie: Racing & Rallying
January 13th, 2014
