Peugeot Carlos Sainz at the bivouac late in the evening brought a rope and rolled literally on their hands to «parking lot.» Team mechanics was determined to do everything possible and impossible to yesterday's leader continued the race, but it turned out that the car is beyond repair.
Ret. This is the fifth «Dakar» Carlos Sainz. «Of course I'm disappointed. But it does not go to any comparison with the last year, we are competitive, and we had a race.... »
Nine-time champion of the WRC and newcomer «Dakar»Sebastien Loeb crossed the finish line a line is quite original way — it brought in tow Peugeot teammate Cyril Despres (had problems with the gearbox for a few kilometers before the finish line).
Mikko Hirvonen was third, while Stephane Peterhansel finished fourth. «It does not matter if you have left ten minutes, two minutes or an hour, but if you have a technical problem, and then you stopped on your victory ended. It will always be... „- summed strategist Peterhansel, who had begun by his“ Dakar „in 1988 at the wheel of a motorcycle.
At this «Dakar» searing heat became a tough test for the riders. Stage for them was suspended for 243-kilometer mark, and the Frenchman Antoine Meo declared the winner. Australian Toby Price took the second place, he also led the general classification with a margin of 35 minutes 23 seconds that separate him from the Slovak Stefan scrolls. «Smell of victory is not yet feel — says Toby Price, as if in thought Peterhansel continued — until they crossed the finish line on the last day.»
In ATV standings unchanged — Patronelli brothers in the lead, our Sergey Korjakin in fourth place.
«Our task today to gain a foothold in the second position in the general classification — said after the finish Ayrat Mardeev — coming behind us Argentine Federico Villagra slightly behind us. We understand that in the last two stages are more like classic fast dopa Argentinian will go fast, especially because Cordoba is a familiar terrain to him. Therefore, it was important to use a heavy and, therefore, the usual step for us to increase the gap between the opponent. »
As for the leader Gerard De Pooy, something about the moment when he is in his mirror he saw that he was approaching something blue (it was KAMAZ Mardeeva), then, as he says himself, the heart tells him: «Do not miss it!» and mind reasoned: «You have plenty of time, let him go...»
Photo: Press-service of the team «KAMAZ-master», dakar.com and other open sources.
