05/01/06 - Tan Tan > Zouerat - 444 km - 792 km
This was a present made to a 36 birthday of Vladimir Tchaguine who first in his category reached the finish line of Zouerat stage.
“We are at the finish line and we are the first,” – summed up briefly Vladimir Tchaguine who made the win at this leg on his birthday traditional from the moment he started driving the racing truck. “Today for the first time since the start of the rally we had a real sport speed route,” commented continuous navigator Semion Yakoubov. – We have negotiated 444 km within four hours. I am very pleased we made it as we can – quickly and correctly.”
The sixth “Lisbon-Dakar 2006” rally stage had become significant for “KAMAZ-Master” team due to the fact that for the first time since the rally started both highest points of overall ranking in truck category received the members of Vladimir Tchaguine and Firdaus Kabirov teams. Time lag equaled two hours.
Four Mauritania stages were four new bastions taken by assault on early morning of 5 January. Now nobody could predict whose knowledge to conquer the route, the rival and himself would turn out to be the most perfect. But Dakar rally practice is evident as exactly in Mauritania sands ambitious victory plans and shy hopes to sail out of sand sea to Dakar beacons can be buried.
Sergey Reshetnikov’s KAMAZ ¹ 514, who on the eve had forced his way to a ten leader list of overall truck results, came to bivouac with twilight. The thing is that on speed route the truck jumped the road springboard and landed at the pit. The left side where the pilot sat got the main hit. Mechanic and navigator did not suffer. Unfortunately Reshetnikov got compressive spine injury and was not able to drive the truck further. After a while, as it is not prohibited by the rules, mechanic Eduard Nikolaev continued driving the truck and slowly and carefully brought the vehicle to bivouac. Team fate further depended on the team doctor Sergey Bubnovsky only.
Four hours before dawn when KAMAZ trucks came to start position, Reshetnikov again drove KAMAZ ¹ 514. A year ago recovery of Andrey Mokeev, Kabirov’s team mechanic, seemed to be a miracle. Reshetnikov’s case bears witness again to successful method of “KAMAZ-Master” team doctor’s extreme exercise therapy.
The main intrigue of the last days in truck competition had a maximum sharp character. It was based on the duel of Vladimir Tchaguine and Firdaus Kabirov teams against the sport MAN teams.
Friday, 06 January 2006
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