Mongolia met the participants of the rally-marathon Silk Way Rally

Stages of the Silk Way rally-marathon have not been held outside Russia since 2019. Then the coronavirus pandemic interfered with the Organizers' plans, then the bubonic plague that prevented the rally from entering Mongolia 3 years ago. But now, on July 9, 2024, there were no obstacles in the way of the rally: on Tuesday the race crews started from the bivouac in Kosh-Agach and in a few hours the borders of two countries Russia and Mongolia appeared. Customs gives the go-ahead!

The first day on the Mongolian territory presented the participants of the race with the longest special stage to date - 296 kilometers. A good test of strength before the marathon stages in the sands and dunes, where the outcome of the 14th edition of the International Rally Silk Way may be decided.

From the first kilometers of the fifth stage it became clear that the average speeds will be higher than in the previous days. Fast and winding roads led riders through picturesque red hills and sandy paths with camel thorns and grass, and later - to sections on rocky deposits and into a mountain gorge with a scattering of cobbles and sharp stones. Finally, there was a route through an ancient canyon with a top speed finish.

Not all the members of our crews passed to the start of the Silk Way rally 2019, for this reason it had to get used to the peculiarities of the Mongolian pathways during the race. It took the most special attention from pilots and co-pilots of the race. At high speeds along with many diverging and converging paths and in dust under the wheels of other rally participants, finding the right direction is not an easy task. The crew’s experience, coherence and accuracy of team's actions come to fore plan. Even if the deviation takes place, there is a chance to correct the mistake immediately and come back, reducing the time to the minimum. 

Ruslan Akhmadeev, co-pilot of the crew #303: “We are for the first time in Mongolia, the routes are interesting, the picturesque views. We caw snowy caps when we mounted at the height of 2200 m. It was challenging for the engine that time. The navigation was difficult as well. High speed, many routes, which part and then merge into, so it is difficult to guess whether it turns or not. At one place right after the zone of neutralization, we lost and drove by another road, but then we returned. I think we lost some time”.

Dmitry Sotnikov's crew had to start first again. The rally leader's job is to "draw" tracks for other drivers and help them navigate the terrain. On Tuesday, the four-time winner of the Silk Way rally-marathon failed to win the third stage in a row - a couple of minutes lost due to navigation right after the neutralization zone were not enough.

Eduard Nikolaev came out to conquer the distance before the Belarusian Sergey Vyazovich and during the day he fought hard for the result. The crews repeatedly changed positions on the dusty track and at the finish were almost at the same time. Nikolaev, driving a bonnet truck, finished the special stage with the third time - three and a half minutes behind Vyazovich, who won the stage. The KAMAZ-master crew could not compete for victory due to a small error in navigation in the first part of the special stage, as well as a stop to help Bogdan Karimov, who lost two shock absorbers. Crew 306 had one, the second one was shared by Nikolaev.

Eduard Nikolaev, pilot of the crew # 302: “Today the whole day there were fast routes with bushes, it was slowly in rockets, at river beds, it was very dusty. We changed by the positions two times with Sergey Viazovich. Generally, we rode a little bit constrained after we saw Andrey Karginov’s KAMAZ overturned. The crew is fine. As I understand it, the truck fell on its side either in a turn or in a jump. Andrey showed us to drive on. Then we wandered around a bit, and after that we helped Bogdan Karimov, gave him the shock absorber”.

Evgenii Yakovlev, co-pilot of the crew # 302: “It was a very good marathon day, real Dakar. It seemed to me that I was at these places, though I was not. I remembered South American dried river beds, somewhere the places were Moroccan like. It is not the easiest navigation for co-pilot.  .

At one of big river beds we made a navigational mistake. I think we have lost 2-3 minutes. To be honest, we are lack of course. I suppose that the Organizers make the intrigue, but for the participants it is a little bit tightly contested: you need a course, but there is no one”. The help for the crew, which is standing at the way – one of the unwritten rules of the rally-raid. Sergey Kuprianov, a pilot of the KAMAZ-master team follows this rule. Yesterday he towed Sergey Karjakin’s motorcycle, today he helped to put on wheels the truck of Andrey Karginov, which overturned on the side. 

Sergey Kuprianov, pilot of the crew #308: “Today it was a fantastic special stage. Probably I was driving for the first time that kind of the route. Special thanks to the Organizers. Mongolia is something special. It was very speedy, technically maneuverable. There were many fast and curly tracks in bushes, with soft sand and stones. It was hard on the big climb, but the engine did well. Generally we drove well, but to be honest we had to stop and to help one of our crews, but it is our mission”.

An unpleasant incident with overturn of the truck of two-time Dakar winner Andrey Karginov occurred at the 20thkilometere of the high-speed special stage. Fortunately, the drivers were not injured in the accident , but the crew lost a sufficient amount of time, Damage to the body and cabin were not critical and the crew continued driving, but further there were problems. A speech  to the pilot.

Andrey Karginov, pilot of the crew #305: “It was hard and speedy route. We have to analyze why we overturned. Yes, the speed increased, you need to keep the pace, but it is not possible sometimes. After overturning, we continued to drive. We rode and felt that the engine thrust went away somewhere. Sooner we observed the truck and understood that from all 4 wheels engine gear goes only to the front one. At such situation, the task was to reach the finish line. 

In the road map, trials were prescribed: a small rise, stony, all plowed, and the jeep sat there. We tried to take a move - it didn't work. We started backing up and hit a huge rock - that's how the trap slammed shut. We took out air cushions, ladders, and with small movements moved the car almost half a meter. Now I feel frustrated, it's pity that it didn't work out.

At the bivouac Karginov appeared in the dark. The crew will analyze what happened, and mechanics will prepare the truck for the start of the next stage. The main result of a difficult day for the KAMAZ-master drivers was the finish on the special stage, and almost 11 hours of the race time will hardly allow them to fight for high places on the Silk Way rally 2024.

The youngest KAMAZ-master pilot Bogdan Karimov continues to gain experience in the hardest race mode. With each new start, the athlete increases its speed and understands at what limits he is able to drive at the most difficult marathon routes. On Tuesday Karimov tried to save the wheels at sharp stones, however he could not avoid of technical problems. At 20 km he had something wrong with a suspension. The crew thought about the shock absorber of the cabin, but sooner he had to stop, because two shock absorbers run out  at the right front wheel.

In general and truck standings the crew of Dmitry Sotnikov kept the leadership.

The next stage will be a circular one, The rally caravan will cover 542 kilometers along the route of Hovd-Hovd, whereas 440 km will be at special stage.

 Truck standings. The results of the 5th stage

Truck standings. General classification of the 5th stage