11/01/06 - Kayes > Bamako - 231 km - 705 km

Hans Stacey on MAN captured the 11th “Lisbon-Dakar 2006” stage victory in truck category overtaking de Azevedo on TATRA by 6 min 41 sec and KAMAZ of Vladimir Tchaguine that came the third by 11 min 10 sec. Firdaus Kabirov finished fifth losing to the leader 33 min 52 sec.

The third win of the Dutchman lifted him to the second place in fixture list of overall ranking among trucks. He was 3 h 19 min 34 sec behind Tchaguine’s crew.

The major obstacle on the way of iron caravan from Kayes to Mali’s capital Bamako became local forests. The hidden under thick tree crowns roads cut through rich vegetation were a real trap for trucks.

“Today’s motto for all trucks – watch up the crowns or break the wind-screen, and meanwhile watch down the stones or puncture the tire,” – that’s how Tchaguine defined the main special’s hindrances.

This way there was an explanation to how Kabirov lost 30 min and more to Hans Stacey: “We punctured both right and left wheels and spent 32 minutes on its repairs”, told Firdaus Kabirov. “The first wheel we broke with the “help” of television helicopter. We were climbing up the steep along the narrow stony path. The helicopter hanged above and made a trail of dust. I drove at random, “by touch”; a minute, another...bang! – a powerful blow: we impaled upon a sharp stone…We changed the tire…Caught up with Tchaguine. Haven’t passed a kilometer I want to cut off the route and in the bushes impinged by the left wheel on a stub …So quietly, slowly we finished the stage.”

Thursday, 12 January 2006