AFRICA RACE. Stage 10. Challenge continues.

Today there was a challenge for assistance, on an entrance to Toueila’s bivouac the gas tank truck was dug. It was difficult to believe that this truck can be pulled out, but it was certain that we will do it.  Wheels were dug strongly, trenches under them became deeper, but the team did its best and every one of us was on the bivouac.

Cars arrived. Gas engine truck had problem with a wheel, the crew 401 should change the oil pallet, there was a crack from which oil drips.

 Alexander Kupriyanov, navigator of the crew 404: "Dunes about which organizers spoke as "cathedral, grandiose" we imagined higher than they actually were. When you prepare for difficulties, then you are less impressed. They were really difficult - the sand viscous, and funnels, in one of which we dug. Today sand on the route alternated, I think that for jeep it was very difficult there. Dunes, vegetation, then again dunes, on the last we went already among the first, there was an opportunity both to dig, and to get lost. Tomecek drove unsuccessfully in a funnel there, crossed axles and spent much time. Then there was a plateau where we had a maximum speed. Before the finish the landscape is interesting, the sand is white! Moreover it shines, glares, and slides. The car behaves precisely as on snow! When we had to go 114 km by course, it was a rigid plateau with separate sandy barchans, the twisting road between them and very strong wind, blowing so that we could not see absolutely anything. It was difficult to follow the course. References are long, implicit. Moreover constantly you go round these hillocks barchans, the course changes, we made attempt to go to wrong direction, but realised before it was too late. We did not lost a lot of time. The wheel was damaged, but Anatoly was silent, we forgot about that, and on the finish Sergey opened a door and we heard the hiss of the wheel. But we reached the bivouac without replacement".

 Anatoly Tanin, mechanic of the crew 404: "Halfway there was a stony route, I felt that the wheel is damaged, but we finished on air inflating. It turned out, we caught a small knot. And for 20 km to the finish the place there was real Astrakhan! It was like we got in home! No wonder we are training in such places. Though it is impossible to say that in Astrakhan there are the most difficult hummocky marshes, because the day before yesterday we had really difficult places!"

 Anastasia Nifontova, the only girl in bike category, her English rival left after the third stage: "That's when I began to get used to the race, it comes to the end. Today I saw our guys on CP3, I was happy; I waved with hands, and dropped the bike. They hooted to me. I dug six times today. Every time before start I think, I will go quietly today, without anguish, but passion doesn't let to do so! Two days ago I had a crisis when it was very difficult, guys say that it happens usually on third or fourth day, but I was delayed. I felt that it is difficult to concentrate the attention, forced myself not to go quickly to have time to respond. Today I had a remarkable experience of navigation, I decided that I will orient myself, I did not want to follow traces, and at some point I felt that I absolutely got lost. But after thinking for a while I found the right direction. I noticed that I began to argue with myself – there - not there, car driver has a navigator for this purpose, and me – I’m two in one. In the In everyday plan I’m independent, I live in the assistance car, and I have my own shower. At the beginning of the race I wanted to speed up the process of approach to the Lac Rose, and now I feel: it is a pity that everything comes to the end."

  Anastasia Nifontova the fifth at a stage today and the seventh in general classification. Extra 80 km Anton Grigorov's crew passed, strayed, looked for reference points, as a result fell by 8 positions according to SS, in the general standings their seventh place became the eighth.

Let’s pass to the crew 401. They cause real respect by restraint and ability to lead a team game naturally and beautifully. Organizers call Anton Shibalov's crew as sight of Africa Eco Race.

Mikhail Myasoyedov, the expert on engines, told that both crews pass the race carefully, bring only insignificant repairs, do well their job.

Tomorrow the final high-speed, then the liaison of 285 km which includes crossing the border of Mauritania with Senegal. Right after arrival on bivouac, cars will go to the Parc fermé for final checks.

stage results

overall standings