"KAMAZ-Master" team started at "Dakar".

Russian team "Kamaz-Master" started at "Dakar" in Lima on January 5. As a starting place organizers chose one of the beaches of the Peruvian capital, in virtue of traffic particularities in Lima this decision can hardly be called a good one. Hard traffic and jams were the reason of the change of predicated schedule of the start. Start of the first competitors took place at 07:50 local time (time difference with Moscow - minus 9 hours).

Motorcycles and quads left first to the next bivouac of "Dakar", city of Pisco. Behind them jeeps and finally trucks started. Last year champion Gerard de Rooy was the first to hit the road, he started at 12.30. Competitors had to overcome 250 km of linking section to the south of Panamericana highway. In the environs of Pisco a high-speed special stage of 16 km was organized. By rally-raids standards it was more spectacular than sports.
It is usual practice of multi-stage automarathons, here is some practical reason - ill-trained competitors will fall out of the race in the beginning of the event and will not become a burden on others throughout the race. There will be a lot of competitors who will leave the race at the first stages, as this year there are about 26 percent of newcomers from the total number of competitors.
Some more interesting statistics: More than 750 people participate at this race (it's only sports crews, including pilots, co-pilots and mechanics), 232 from them - are Hispanic sportsmen. Citizens of France are more represented at the race, then Holland, and on the the third and fourth places, Argentina and Chile, respectively. This allows to say that for the fifth year after the "Dakar" left Africa, the race is becoming more Hispanic by its composition of the competitors and by spirit.

By the time of the first KAMAZ start the audience got a little tired, but when it saw KAMAZ of Edward Nikolaev sparkling by xenon headlights, the crowd exploded with an enthusiastic roar. Peruvians in general are very friendly, but welcomed Russians especially warmly all the more so KAMAZ competitors themselves are well disposed. Guys left cabins and warmly communicated with public. Then Ayrat Mardeev, Andrey Karginov and Ilgizar Mardeev's cars left to the route.

After the finish Ilgizar Mardeev told that the track of the special stage in order to please the audience was full of jumps and the road turns. But we had no reason to risk machines, crews at the beginning of two-week competition. Pilots passed the section carefully and without incident. As a result, Gerard De Rooy on his "Iveco" showed the best time, the lag of others competitors in trucks category from the leader makes just seconds, so the alignment of forces in the standings following today's results is quite relative. But this eventful day is not over yet. January 5 - it is the birthday of Vladimir Chagin and Foat Bigashev. These two men for many years of participation in Dakar got used to receive congratulations during the race. The founder of the team Semen Yakubov, who is now far from guys, one of the first congratulated them by the phone. Traditionally, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Tatarstan Ildar Khalikov offered his kind words and wishes of good luck at the race.

Information. "Dakar" in figures
• The route length is more than 8000 kilometers, including 4100 kilometers of high-speed sections, 14 stages
• 459 crews at start: 155 jeeps /75 trucks/189 motorcycles / 40 quads from 53 countries
• 3000 people at each bivouac
• 25000 policemen to ensure security on the route
• TV broadcasts in 190 countries in the world
• 400 permanently accredited journalists at the rally from 150 mass media from 40 countries
• 19 years, this is the age of the youngest competitor - Dutch rider Robert Pelta, and 71 years is the age of the oldest competitor - Argentine Francisco Regunachi (Auto Category)
• 1700 people - the total number of competitors at the rally in racing and Assistance categories.

Eric Khayrullin, press Attaché of the team