10 January, Arequipa
The morning on 10th January begins with worrying news. About half an hour after the start of the truck category on the 268-kilometer special San Juan De Marcona – Arequipa, the race officials announce that Eduard Nikolaev’s truck was on its side. Fortunately, already after 5 minutes they post message that Nikolaev continued his move!
Peruvian dunes are ruthless to contestants of the 40th Dakar. After start in Lima trucks of Ton Van Genugten, Airat Mardeev, Dmitry Sotnikov have already laid on their sides. Yesterday, being in a hurry to the start after stop due to the engine problems, Ales Loprais rolled over his truck. As a result the Czech withdrew from the race, thus making a doubtful “present” to his birthday today. Considered initially a contender to the podium in the truck category, The Dutch Martin Van Den Brink after yesterday’s problems (fatal breakdowns of the front suspension) also did not toe the starting line today.
For KAMAZ-master team bivouac in Arequipa is traditinoally fortunate. In 2012 on the way to this city, considered a south capital of Peru, Andrey Karginov had his first victory on Dakar stages. In 2013 the same result was achieved by Airat Mardeev.
Today’s absolutely wild and lifeless places with Martian landscapes the third time brought good luck to KAMAZ-pilots. Despite the failure on the stage beginning Eduard Nikolaev did not only reached the finish line but also did it first! The rival Siarhei Viazovich (MAZ) was outran by KAMAZ sportsmen for 6 minutes. But what is more important that today Eduard Nikolaev managed to increase the gap between him and his closest rival Argentinian Federico Villagra for 21 minutes more and now the IVECO racer is 58 minutes behind the Russian.
Dmitry Sotnikov’s crew was fourth today after Siarhei Viazovich and Ton Van Genugten(+00:13:23), one more Russian Airat Mardeev was eighth (+00:23:27).
A bitter withdrawal from the race of the Russian Sergey Karyakin. A last-year Dakar champion in the quad category broke his hand today. Yesterday one more Russian left the rally Ivan Shikhotarov from Kaliningrad was sent home with spinal compression fracture.
About 6 hours are left before the crews’ finish on the bivouac in Arequipa. Straight after finish on the special they have to overcome 666 kilometers of liaison. The details of the stage from sportsmen are in the next report.
Dakar-2018. Truck category. 5th Stage Result.
1. NIKOLAEV (KAMAZ) 03:37:12
2. VIAZOVICH (MAZ) +00:06:23
3. VAN GENUGTEN (IVECO) +00:12:57
4. SOTNIKOV (KAMAZ) +00:13:23
5. VILLAGRA (IVECO) +00:21:10
6. KOLOMY (TATRA) +00:21:14
7. VASILEVSKI (MAZ) +00:22:06
8. MARDEEV (KAMAZ) +00:23:27
9. ARDAVICHUS (IVECO) +00:25:51
10. VISHNEUSKI (MAZ) +00:29:01
11. HUZINK (RENAULT) +00:40:37
12. SUGAWARA (HINO) +00:52:34
13. SHIBALOV (KAMAZ) +01:03:18
14. SOLTYS (TATRA) +01:09:38
15. VAN DEN HEUVEL (SCANIA) +01:19:51
16. MACIK (LIAZ) + 01:22:43
