The first special stage of the thirteenth edition of the Silk Road International Rally started at a picturesque lake and presented the participants with incredible landscapes of the roads of the Republic of Tatarstan, and throughout almost the entire distance the athletes were supported by numerous spectators. Nevertheless, these 142 kilometers have become a difficult test for crews who are just "rolling in" to the rhythm of the race. Expressways, navigation traps and fords predetermined the complex nature of the stage — and not everyone managed to overcome them without problems.
About 20 teams on off-road vehicles participate in the T2 competition, which is attended by Turkmen crews. In this competition, Dmitry Voronov, the driver of the LADA Sport ROSNEFT Raid team, managed to get ahead of everyone. If we recall, last year D. Voronov was the main competitor of the Turkmen crews.
The Russian athlete said that the tire of his car was punched 300-400 meters before the finish, but the effective work of his navigator Evgeny Zagorodnyuk allowed the crew to increase the gap between the closest rivals - Anton Melnikov and Evgeny Sukhovenko. Leonid Petrov came fourth. The Turkmen crews managed to finish in fifth and sixth places. The car under the control of Maksatmyrat Danatarov came fifth, and the crew under the control of Merdan Toylyev - sixth.
The second stage of the race, which will take place today, will take place along the Ufa-Magnitogorsk route. The adventure will start from the foot of the Ural Mountains. Then the athletes will get to Asia, where high-speed tracks are waiting for them, allowing them to use the full power of technology. Navigators, however, need to remain extremely attentive — there are many springs and rivers on the route, as well as treacherous washouts.
