Cross-Country – Marathon adventure for the cross-country contenders
Silk Way Rally, round three of the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies
As the only Marathon Rally on the calendar, the third round of the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies, the Silk Way Rally (July 01-11), will be the ultimate competitive adventure. Crossing the territories of the Russian Federation and Mongolia during 10 days of competition, the epic route traverses 5,200 kilometres of forestland, desert, mountain passes and swamps as the contenders vie for supremacy over more than 2,800 competitive stage kilometres.
After all the required pre-event documentation and scrutineering, the ceremonial start in the city of Omsk, Russia, on July 1 marks the beginning of the Silk Way Rally, which makes its debut on the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies calendar this year. From here, the route progressively heads east through Siberia until reaching Ulgii in the extreme west of Mongolia at the end of the third leg. Adding to the endurance challenge is a two-day Marathon Stage, which starts on the sixth leg. The first part is a loop in and out of Khovd, where only the competitors themselves can service their cars, while the second section of the Marathon Stage takes the crews over a long 313 kilometre selective section around Altai, where they are then reunited with their teams and service crews at the end of the leg. Two more days of action follow as the contenders head towards Ulaanbaatar. The final day, July 11, a relatively short but high-speed selective section loops in and out of the capital city, before the winners of the 11th edition of the Silk Way Rally are crowned at the prize-giving ceremony that evening.
Yazeed Al-Rajhi and returning British co-driver Michael Orr top an impressive provisional entry list and the duo will once again be in action in their Toyota Hilux. As the leading contender in the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies standings who is competing on the Silk Way Rally, the Saudi Arabian will be looking to repeat his 2018 victory and capitalise on the absence of his closest rivals.
Vladimir Vasilyev and Aleksei Kuzmich are yet to claim points in the series, after disappointing outings in both Spain and Kazakhstan. Competing in the MINI Cooper Countryman, Vasilyev – the reigning champion of the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Bajas – will definitely be hoping for better luck on home territory.
Seasoned cross-country competitor, Guerlain Chicherit, is navigated by Alexandre Winocq in the Century CR6, the car that came so close to victory in the hands of fellow Frenchman Mathieu Serradori on the last round in Kazakhstan. Chicherit, who won the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies in 2009, is sure to be another contender for victory despite a five-year break from cross-country rallying. Denis Krotov and Konstantin Zhiltsov are sixth in the World Cup standings thanks to a fine second place on the previous round and will be competing in the MINI John Cooper Works Rally. Miroslav Zapletal and Marek Sykora were just outside the top 10 in Kazakhstan and are fielding a Ford F150 Evo, as usual.
Behind the powerful T1 vehicles is an impressive field of T3 competitors headed by Frenchmen Lionel Baud and Loic Minaudier in a PH Sport Zephyr, and Fernando Alvarez and Laurent Lichtleuter. Spaniard Alvarez claimed a fine eighth overall in Kazakhstan and took second in the category to sit second in the T3 standings. Pavel Lebedev and Kirill Shubin will be competing on home soil in their Can Am Maverick X3 XRS and are fourth in the standings after claiming the final podium position on the previous round. They are joined by a host of contenders in the category, including the all-female crews of Anastasia Nifontova/Ekaterina Zhadanova and Maria Oparina/Liudmila Petenko, also in Can Am machinery.
The T4 field is equally impressive with the American/Brazilian crew of Austin Jones and Gustavo Gugelmin topping the entries. With two category victories to his name, Jones has a 27.5 point advantage over Kees Koolen in the standings, with Italian Eugenio Amos third, a further seven points adrift. Dutchwoman Gesina Pol joins Koolen in the co-driver’s seat, and France’s Axelle Roux Decima will be alongside Matthieu Margaillan. Three crews from Turkmenistan have also entered T2 Nissan Patrol machinery.
RALLY DATA
|
Total distance |
5,248 km |
|
Selective section distance: |
2,821 km |
|
Number of selective sections: |
10 |
LEADING ENTRIES
|
Yazeed Al Rajhi/Michael Orr |
Toyota Hilux Overdrive |
|
Vladimir Vasilyev/Alexey Kuzmich |
MINI Cooper Countryman |
|
Guerlain Chicherit/Alexandre Winocq |
Century CR6 |
|
Denis Krotov/Konstantin Zhiltsov |
MINI John Cooper Works Rally |
|
Miroslav Zapletal/Marek Sykora |
Ford F150 Evo |
|
Jérôme Pelichet/Pascal Larroque |
MD Optimus |
|
Andrey Cherednikov/Meiram Tleukhan |
Ford F150 Evo |
|
Grzegorz Brochocki/Grzegorz Komar |
Toyota Land Cruiser |
|
Evgenii Sukhovenko/Kirill Chapaev |
GAZ 33027 |
|
Aleksei Ignatov/Evgeny Pavlov |
GAZ A22R23 |
SILK WAY RALLY – TIMETABLE & MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES
|
Wednesday June 30 |
|
|
Scrutineering |
From 09:00 hrs |
|
Thursday July 1 |
|
|
Pre-event press conference |
13:30 hrs |
|
Ceremonial start, Omsk |
18:00 hrs |
|
Friday July 2 |
Leg 1, 87 km |
|
Saturday July 3 |
Leg 2, 132 km |
|
Sunday July 4 |
Leg 3, 133 km |
|
Monday July 5 |
Leg 4, 296 km |
|
Tuesday July 6 |
Leg 5, 440 km |
|
Wednesday July 7 |
Leg 6, 385 km (Part 1, Marathon Stage) |
|
Thursday July 8 |
Leg 7, 313 km (Part 2, Marathon Stage) |
|
Friday July 9 |
Leg 8, 421 km |
|
Saturday July 10 |
Leg 9, 393 km |
|
Sunday July 11 |
|
|
Leg 10 |
217 km |
|
Podium/Prize-Giving, Ulaanbaatar |
18:00 hrs |
|
Post event press conference |
20:00 hrs |
|
FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies (Drivers) |
|
|
Nasser Al-Attiyah (QAT) |
29 points |
|
Lucio Alvarez (ARG) |
27 points |
|
Mattias Ekström (SWE) |
27 points |
|
Carlos Sainz (ESP) |
22 points |
|
Yazeed Al Rajhi (SAU) |
21.5 points |
|
Denis Krotov (RUS) |
19.5 points |
|
FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies (Co-drivers) |
|
|
Mathieu Baumel (FRA) |
29 points |
|
Armand Monleon (ESP) |
27 points |
|
Emil Bergkvist (SWE) |
27 points |
|
Lucas Cruz (ESP) |
22 points |
|
Dirk Von Zitzewitz (DEU) |
21.5 points |
|
Konstantin Zhiltsov (RUS) |
19.5 points |
|
FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies (T3 Drivers) |
|
|
Cristina Gutierrez (ESP) |
58 points |
|
Fernando Alvarez (ARG) |
37.5 points |
|
Jose Luis Pena Campo (ESP) |
20.5 points |
|
Pavel Lebedev (RUS) |
18 points |
|
Annett Fischer (DEU) |
18 points |
|
Eric de Seynes (FRA) |
15 points |
|
FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies (T4 Drivers) |
|
|
Austin Jones (USA) |
59.5 points |
|
Kees Koolen (NLD) |
32 points |
|
Eugenio Amos (ITA) |
25 points |
|
Khalifa Al-Attiyah (QAT) |
20.5 points |
|
Diego Martinez (ARG) |
13 points |
|
Hernan Garces (CHL) |
12.5 points |