Zoom

Imposing dunes, hyper-accurate navigation, lakes in the middle of the dunes and a sandstorm, and with trucks lagging behind. This is the explosive cocktail designed by René Metge for this 14th stage, which started at the Sand Museum against an unforgettable backdrop and in a peerless folkloric setting.

In the cars, Germany, with Kahle, achieved their first success in the Transorientale. “Matthias fully merited his first victory. Above all this was an anthology stage, we had to analyze it quickly and Matthias pulled off a master stroke”. This statement came from Jean-Marie Lurquin, the team-mate of Monterde, (Schlesser buggy) in the town of Bayan Hot, at the end of the special stage.

The Fast&Speed buggy of Kahle-Schünemann had its day in the sun, being successful in this stage. Despite everything, the German driver remains as modest as usual: “Yes, navigating was very hard and difficult, but when you are ascending and descending dizzying dunes surrounded by lakes, and, after 100 kilometers, you see people on top of the dunes, you have to applaud what René Metge has done. At the start of the special stage, we were driving alongside Monterde and Delecour, before the Frenchman had mechanical problems. From then on, we played cat and mouse. Sometimes, I directed operations then Monterde overtook us. Then, at the end of the show, he was stuck at the top of a dune. In any case, today was a day when navigation was paramount and attacks were kept to a minimum”.

This success meant that the German's buggy was in 3rd place overall. Monterde is satisfied with this second place is calmly looking at victory in two days' time in the Chinese capital.

After their problems yesterday, the Gibon-Gibon pairing is now comfortably on the second step of the podium. “Nothing but a huge satisfaction with regard to yesterday's events,” declared Nicolas Gibon.

All the competitors agree on one thing: it was the finest and most awesome special stage. J.M. Lurquin: “Even in Dubai, I never saw dunes of this size,” or Eric Vigouroux “It's the best special stage I have ever driven. You go up, go down, drive a little and then all of a sudden you see a lake; then, Later, there is a house with all its inhabitants cheering us on!”

As for the motorbikes, Jaroslav Katrinak persisted and got there in the end. What insolence by the Slovakian rider above all what a talent. He not only reduced his direct competitors (Ullevalseter, Kolomytsyn, Borsi, Mugnaioli, Arredondo and the rest) to also-rans. In this special stage, the Slovakian hero demonstrated the full range of his talents. The selective sector rewarded good driving, finesse and an innate sense of navigation up and down the many dunes before ending on a road made of camel grass. Katrinak took over 3 minutes out of Ullevalseter, the Norwegian and his main competitor, over six minutes out of Borsi, the best Transalpine today and the Russian Kolomytsyn, who suffered in the dunes. You would have to get up very early to take victory away from Jaroslav Katrinak!