The ceremonial start of the rally Dakar-2014 took place on the 4th of January in the Argentinean city of Rosario. This year the organizers of the Dakar decided to organize the podium ceremony not in the same day of the sport start day. The ceremonial start began at about 15:00 (local time). The show took place near the Monumento a la Bandera - a monumental complex built in honor of the national the Argentine flag which was raised for the first time in 1812. The event was delayed until late in the evening. By the time of the start of Eduard Nikolaev, the title holder with the race number 500, it was already getting dark .
The other crews of the KAMAZ-master Team, the crew of Ayrat Mardeev, Andrey Karginov, Anton Shibalov and Dmitry Sotnikov have the following race numbers 503, 506, 545 and 549. The starting positions of Anton Shibalov and Dmitry Sotnikov cause the greatest concern of the team leader Vladimir Chagin. The fact is that the first stages of the Dakar will be held on dusty and narrow roads in Argentine. Our young pilots who start almost in the end of the rally caravan, should make a lot of overtaking in poor visibility conditions and narrowness. The situation is complicated by the fact that there will be many inexperienced (and therefore slower) participants on jeeps, motorcycles and cars on first stages. We got to know at the administrative checks that Dutchman Edwin Van Ginkel on Ginaf with the race number 524 won’t participate on the rally because of a neck injury. Anton Shibalov was moved to his position, but Dmitry Sotnikov has to be very careful when overtaking and his main task is not to lose a lot of time at the beginning of the race.
On the 5th of January the participants have to overcome the first stage to San Luis. The length of the stage is 809 kilometers, with a relatively short special stage at 180 kilometers. The start of the first truck on the special stage will be at 15:45 local time or, given the 7 -hour difference, at 22:45 Moscow time.
The rally Dakar in figures.
• The total route of 9,370 kilometers, including 5,520 kilometers of special stages, 13 stages.
• 439 competitors at the start: 152 cars / 71 trucks /175 motorcycles / 41 quads from 54 countries.
• 3,000 people at each bivouac.
• Transport of organizers: 40 cars / 10 tractors /55 trucks / 12 helicopters / 12 planes / 15 buses.
• TV broadcasts in 190 countries.
• Approximately 400 permanently accredited journalists and photographers, 150 media from 40 countries.
• 18 years - the age of the youngest competitor of the race Jeremias Ferioli (quad-Argentina), 72 years - the age of the adult competitor Yoshimasa Sugawara (truck category, Japan) .
