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Tan pronto como se dé la salida el sábado al Silk Way desde San Petersburgo, la batalla empezará entre los aspirantes a la victoria de la segunda edición del Silk Way Rally. Un evento de las Dakar Series que se guía en los principios básicos de la disciplina, con una amplia variedad de terrenos que pondrán a prueba la capacidad de adaptación de los equipos. Para explicar cuáles serán las etapas claves en el recorrido de esta semana nos remitimos a las palabras de Jean-Pierre Fontenay, vencedor del Dakar de 1998 Dakar y diseñador del recorrido.

Etapa 2: Staraya Russa – Viazma
La lucha por la victoria empezará pronto, probablemente entre los Race Touareg alineados por Volkswagen. Y conociendo la naturaleza de los favoritos, cada uno de ellos intentará coger ventaja muy pronto. Pero los dos tramos de la segunda etapa son muy diferentes entre sí y pueden marcar la diferencia. EL primer sector es un tramo prácticamente de WRC y solo hay que evitar lagunas trampas, el segundo sector, entre los bosques es más delicado ya que un error se puede pagar con bastantes minutos.

Etapa 5: Volgograd – Astrakhan
Estaremos en medio del corazón de arena del Rally, con la especial más larga de la semana. Los competidores se acordaran del Erg del Escorpión. El tamaño de las dunas no sorprenderá a los líderes que deberán extremar las precauciones. Primero de todo porque habrá algunos Waypoints en medio del cordón, la complicidad entre piloto y copiloto será crucial. También habrá que vigilar las pequeñas dunas que pueden pasar factura a los equipos menos experimentados.

Etapa 8: Maykop – Sochi
En los últimos días de carrera, los competidores deberán readaptarse a la conducción rápida. Pese al corto recorrido de las etapas, el título podría decidirse por muy poco tras los 2014 kilómetros de carrera.

Las etapas del Silk Way Rally
Etapa 1, Sábado 11 de Septiembre: St-Petersburg – Staraya Russa (86 km de especial)
Etapa 2, Domingo 12 de Septiembre: Staraya Russa – Vyazma (105 km + 100 km)
Etapa 3, Lunes 13 de Septiembre: Vyazma – Lipetsk (218 km)
Etapa 4, Martes 14 de Septiembre: Lipetsk – Volgograd (302 km)
Etapa 5, Miércoles 15 de Septiembre: Volgograd – Astrakhan (446 km)
Etapa 6, Jueves 16 de Septiembre: Astrakhan – Elista (394 km)
Etapa 7, Viernes 17 de Septiembre: Elista – Maykop (347 km)
Etapa 8, Jueves 18 de Septiembre: Maykop – Sochi Krasnaya Polyana (16 km)

Fuente: www.rallyraid.es
Recorrido: ASO Press

Esta será la primera prueba que disputa el piloto catalán con la formación del mítico piloto holandés, el rallye ruso tendrá un recorrido de más 4.000 kilómetros.

Con la disputa del Rallye Silk Way, o Ruta de la Seda, arranca la temporada para Pep Vila y Moi Torrallardona. La prueba, que se disputará por tierras rusas a lo largo de nueve días de competición y más de cuatro mil kilómetros, será la primera ocasión en la que los pilotos españoles correrán dentro de la infraestructura del equipo de Jean de Rooy, formación con la que Vila ha llegado a un acuerdo para ser piloto esta temporada en esta carrera y en el próximo Rallye Dakar-Argentina-Chile 2011.

La prueba rusa, con salida en la ciudad de Saint Petersburg el día 11 y llegada en Sochi el 19, será la primera toma de contacto de Vila con el equipo De Rooy y el nuevo camión Iveco con el que también disputarán el Dakar. Este será el test perfecto para poner a punto y adaptarse al potente Iveco con el que la formación holandesa pretende desbancar de la victoria al equipo Kamaz en el Dakar.

En el Rallye Ruta de la Seda estarán presentes dos camiones del equipo de Rooy, el de Pep Vila y su copiloto Moi Torrallardona, y el del holandés Hugo Duisters. Gerard de Rooy no podrá tomar la salida por pre inspección médica, ya que se está recuperando de un accidente para estar al cien por cien para el próximo Dakar. El objetivo del equipo es probar el máximo de cosas aquí, y llegar al Dakar con los deberes hechos; la carrera la realizaran a modo de test y, cómo no, para que los españoles puedan hacerse al máximo a su nueva montura y conseguir los mejores reglajes. El resultado no es lo más importante si bien el principal rival de los Iveco, el equipo Kamaz, estará presente en Rusia, este será el primer duelo de los dos equipos para mostrar sus cartas de cara al Dakar.

Para Pep Vila, el Silk Way Rally será: “Un test definitivo para el Dakar, con lo apretado de las fechas no podremos hacer nada más y es por esto que la prueba será vital para poder hacernos al nuevo Iveco, dejar todos los reglajes a punto y probar el máximo de soluciones durante toda la carrera, especialmente unas nuevas suspensiones y caja de cambios, así como ver la fiabilidad que tenemos. El resultado no será lo más importante ya que será vital acabar la carrera para hacer el máximo de kilómetros”.

El Silk Way Rallye se disputará a lo largo de nueve días y ocho etapas cronometradas, en total 4.000 kilómetros de los cuales más de 2.000 serán cronometrados.

Fuente: micoche.com | Mediaracing

The ASO waited with the announcement of the competitors list until 9 days before the race – today we know why. The Silk Way Rally 2009 had 80 competitors – in this year they only have 64: In detail 48 cars and 16 trucks – and the most of them are regional.

With the “Dakar Series” the ASO tried to start several big marathonrallies next to the Dakar. In 2008 with the “Central Europe Rally” they reached the goal with 84 cars, 40 trucks and many motobikes and quads from all over the world.

For the Silk Way Rally 2010 the goals were nearby 100-150 cars and trucks – but the majority of the international competitors is not interested. For example: 14 planes and helicopters are covering the event – this now means one aircraft for 4.5 competitors.

“Over 250 vehicles, including more than 20 trucks from 35 countries will take part in the Silk Way Rally, over half of the participants are foreigners” said director of the project, Semyon Yakubov, on September 1st via “The Voice of Russia”. But he added the service cars.

With Volkswagen and Kamaz only two “Big Players” will start in Russia – and with these both teams the winners could be set before the start. Most of the competitors are regional, not international. The other “Big Players” like X-raid BMW, JMB Mitsubishi or Hummer are more interested to test their cars on other events like “Shamrock Rally Morocco” or “Pharaons Rally Egypt”.

You can say, the Silk Way 2010 is a big public relations gift for Volkswagen and Kamaz. The “motorsport-fights” will be inside the teams – the real motorsport-fights only in the second league – behind the “Blue Ones”.

There could be many reasons for the missing competitors. The starting fees were subsidised and low, but the costs for the logistics extremely. The economy crisis, the timing – and a non-sensual public relation work.

Whatever, the result: In the cars category especially from ASO-homecountry France there are only 2 (!) cars, from Spain (except Carlos Sainz/Volkswagen) 0, from Portugal 0, from Germany 3, from Hungary 1. 30 of the 48 cars are regional – from Russia or direct neighbours. Perfect for a Russian Rally, but not a good sign for an international event – especially when it´s called “Dakar Series”.

Dakar-Series normally should be a label for top names and top teams. Ok, some of them are there. In the Trucks (next to the 7 Kamaz), the Spaniard Pep Vila Roca is participating with a De Rooy Iveco and covered by Hugo Duisters in a second Ginaf-Iveco, the German Franz Echter is coming with a “Maurer MAN” and Ales Loprais is piloting a Czech Tatra.

In the cars next to the Volkswagen-crew there will be the local Heroes, FIA-Baja Worldcup winner Boris Gadasin, his team-mate Bogdan Novitskiy (both G-Force Proto), Alexey Berkut (Mitsubishi), Ilya Kuznetsov (Mitsubishi), Alexander Mironenko (Nissan) or Artem Varentsov (Toyota). From outside the only bigger names are the former FIA Winner Christian Lavieille (Nissan Dessoude), the German Matthias Kahle (SMG Buggy) or Raz Heymann (Mitsubishi) from Israel.

But – especially in case of budgets and technical conditions – all will not really have a chance against the “Blue Red Bull Armada” from Volkswagen and Kamaz. If there are no X-raid BMW. No JMB Mitsubishi. No Hummer. No Ginaf, no big MAN-Team. So the Silk Way is a great regional marathonrally – but not a “Dakar Series” as a “Dakar Series” should be.

The reasons for this are not with the organizers – but if they are as big as ASO and partners, they could bring the teams together. Like in 2008. And this is, why we called it “Flop”, even if the rally is definetely no-one.

Due to the fact, that in the same time like the “Silk Way” there are great Events like “Balkan Offroad Marathon” (Bulgaria-Greece) and “Australasian Safari” (Australia), marathonrally.com decided, to report from the other rallies – both with passion and chances for all. And simply more press-friendly.

Fuente: www.marathonrally.com | EDITOR: MR/HS
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An important milestone on the way to the “Dakar”: the new Volkswagen Race Touareg 3 will experience its competitive debut at the Silk Way Rally through Russia (11–18 September).

The fascinating off-road marathon from Saint Petersburg to Sochi will be the big dress rehearsal and final test for the Dakar Rally through Argentina and Chile (01–16 January) where Volkswagen is striving to achieve the “hat-trick” with TDI diesel technology following its exploits in 2009 and 2010.

The brand new Race Touareg 3, now with an output of 310 hp and sporting the attractive design language of the production model, will be piloted by the Dakar winners Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz (E/E). The three other Volkswagen crews, Nasser Al-Attiyah/Timo Gottschalk (Q/D), Giniel de Villiers/Dirk von Zitzewitz (ZA/D) and Mark Miller/Ralph Pitchford (USA/ZA), will compete in the predecessor model, the Race Touareg 2, in Russia and will receive the new vehicle generation for the Dakar Rally in January as well.

“The Silk Way Rally is a task of enormous importance to us,” says Volkswagen Motorsport Director Kris Nissen, “because it is the only competition we’re tackling before the 2011 Dakar Rally and our aim of achieving the hat-trick there. We want to use the opportunity to not only test the material at this tough rally and to sharpen the senses of our drivers and co-drivers after an eight-month break in rally racing – but very clearly get our whole team to work together smoothly. After all, this is the ‘Dakar’ dress rehearsal for the engineers and technicians as well.”

Endurance run in competitive conditions: Race Touareg 3 is being put to the test

After more than 10,000 kilometres of testing in Spain and Morocco the new Race Touareg has to prove its prowess in competitive conditions for the first time at the Silk Way Rally: the powerful 4×4 with a TDI engine is in for a competition covering nearly 4,600 kilometres of which about 2,100 are timed. “After a nearly eight-month break in rally racing the whole team has to find the right rhythm,” says Carlos Sainz who won the “Dakar” in 2010 with Volkswagen. “Obviously, winning is always the goal – but this time we also want to demonstrate the progress we’ve made with the new car compared with the old one. So this event will be about two things: regaining our ‘Dakar’ speed and thoroughly testing the ‘RT3’ in competitive conditions.”

Demanding terrain for drivers and co-drivers as ideal preparation for the “Dakar”

The ceremonial start at the Palace Square with the impressive Winter Palace in St. Petersburg kicks off the Silk Way Rally on 11 September in a historic setting. From the world’s northernmost metropolis the first leg will lead to Staraya Russa and from there via Vyazma and Lipetsk to Volgograd. On the way to Sochi, the rally’s final destination and venue of the 2014 Winter Olympics, stage destinations in Astrakhan, Elista and Maykop are on the agenda. The route with eight special stages across North Russia featuring the sandy massifs of Kalmykia and the rough foothills of the Caucasus is regarded as ideal preparation for the Dakar Rally thanks to its multi-faceted terrain.

“Although the second Silk Way Rally has the same name as the first edition last year, it actually leads across a totally new route,” says Timo Gottschalk, who navigates Nasser Al-Attiyah. “With the start in St. Petersburg and the finish in Sochi we’re in for demanding terrain. There will be fast sections requiring high driving skills as well as many off-road and dune stretches. So we’re expecting a very quick rally that’ll be anything but easy.”

Chance for revenge: Sainz/Cruz to tackle team-internal duels unbeaten

Volkswagen is sending four driver/co-driver pairings with winning potential to the Silk Way Rally – the same duos who are scheduled to reach for the third consecutive “Dakar” title in January 2011 as well. Each of these duos is determined to show itself in top form before the desert classic and to fight for victory. This might even put an end to a string that has so far been unbroken: ever since Carlos Sainz and Lucas Cruz have been competing jointly for Volkswagen they have remained unbeaten: in addition to the 2010 “Dakar” victory, the track record of the purely Spanish pairing reflects exploits at the 2009 Silk Way Rally and the 2009 Rallye dos Sertões – three of the 13 cross-country rally wins achieved by Volkswagen to date.

Another “Dakar” winning duo – the South African Giniel de Villiers and his German co-driver Dirk von Zitzewitz – is aiming for victory in Russia too. The 2009 “Dakar” winners who celebrated the first diesel-powered victory in the automobile classification of the desert classic with Volkswagen are equally hungry for success as the “Dakar” runners-up in 2009 and 2010: Mark Miller/Ralph Pitchford (USA/ZA) and Nasser Al-Attiyah/Timo Gottschalk (Q/D). “I’ve still got some unfinished business with the Silk Way Rally,” says the Qatari Nasser Al-Attiyah. “I’ve good and bad memories of it. The good ones: Timo and I were leading the rally some of the time. The bad ones: after a rollover we were forced to retire just before the end. That’s why we’ve prepared ourselves even better for this competition. But the main focus is on the evolution of the Race Touareg 3 for which we want to gain as many findings as possible because our big aim is to win the ‘Dakar’ in January.”

13 victories, 39 podium places, 113 stage wins: Volkswagen is set on continuing exploits

With the Race Touareg 3 Volkswagen is set on continuing a unique success story. Volkswagen is the only manufacturer so far to have decided the automobile classification of the Dakar Rally in its favour with diesel technology. The statistics reflect 39 podium places in 28 rally runs – 13 of them wins. Since the launch of the Dakar Rally programme with the Race Touareg and the Race Touareg 2 in 2004 more than half of all stage exploits have gone to Wolfsburg: 113 out of 216 stage wins were clinched by a Race Touareg, with 37 stage wins having gone to the brand at the Dakar Rally itself – in six events so far.

The 2010 Silk Way Rally Route
11 Sep 2010 1 St. Petersburg–Staraya Russa, 404.00 km
12 Sep 2010 2 Staraya Russa–Vyazma, 714.00 km
13 Sep 2010 3 Vyazma–Lipetsk, 608.00 km
14 Sep 2010 4 Lipetsk–Volgograd, 780.00 km
15 Sep 2010 5 Volgograd–Astrakhan, 509.00 km
16 Sep 2010 6 Astrakhan–Elista, 505.00 km
17 Sep 2010 7 Elista–Maykop, 775.00 km
18 Sep 2010 8 Maykop–Sochi, 284.00 km

Fuente: Press release VW, MadeInMOTORSPORT.com.

Coincidiendo con el Rally de Alemania Volkswagen Motorsport presentó en Trier, el Race Touareg 3 que se estrenará en competición dentro de once días en el Silk Way de Rusia (11-18 de septiembre) y con el que la factoría de Wolfsburgo  buscará la victoria en el rally Dakar de 2011.

Tras un combate de gladiadores y un desfile de carros romanos tirados por caballos, Kris Nissen, patrón de Volkswagen Motorsport, desveló el nuevo Race Touareg, que no es más que una actualización del Race Touareg 2.

El nuevo coche mejora el sistema de refrigeración, los ajustes de la caja de cambios y cuenta con más potencia de motor para las zonas más altas. La firma alemana tiene previsto contar con cuatro coches en el próximo Dakar, que se disputará en Chile y Argentina del 1 al 16 de enero.

El director de Volkswagen Motorsport, Kris Nissen, no precisó si el Dakar-2011 será el último para la marca, señalando que dependerá del reglamento y la sede elegida para 2012, y confirmó el interés en poder participar en el Mundial de rallies (WRC) a partir de 2013. “El campeonato WRC va a ser mejor de aquí a dos o tres años. Nuestra decisión de participar o no en él se tomará más adelante, pero no tendrá nada que ver con el Dakar”, puntualizó.

Fuente: rallyraid.es
Fotos: Prensa Volkswagen