The biggest engines in off-road competition are revved up for the latest edition of the Silk Way Rally. The trucks of Team Kamaz Master along with their rivals are plotting a course over mountains, steppes and the perilous Gobi Desert, all part of the ultra-challenging 5250-kilometre route. The action gets underway on Thursday, July 1 in Omsk, Russia and finishes up in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia on Sunday, July 11.
The Silk Way Rally returns in 2021 with an intriguing 10-stage schedule. This year the race becomes part of the FIA Cross-Country Rallies World Cup for the first time, while it remains on the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship calendar. This means championship points are on offer for competitors on both two and four wheels.
There is also local pride at stake for Russian trucking giants Team Kamaz Master. ‘The Blue Armada’ have won all but one of the truck contests at the previous nine editions of the Silk Way. They will once again be out to give their home fans plenty to cheer as they start the race in the Siberian city of Omsk.
At the controls of the convoy of race trucks Kamaz have entered into the rally are a clutch of drivers who have already tasted glory at the Silk Way and also the Dakar Rally. Here are the six crews that will be flying the blue flag for Kamaz in Russia and Mongolia this month…
#500: Pilot Anton Shibalov; Co-pilot Dmitry Nikitin; Mechanic Ivan Tatarinov
#501: Pilot Dmitry Sotnikov; Co-pilot Ruslan Akhmadeev; Mechanic Ilgiz Akhmetzianov
#504: Pilot Eduard Nikolaev; Co-pilot Evgenii Iakovlev; Mechanic Iskander Romanov
#505: Pilot Ayrat Mardeev; Co-pilot Dmitry Svistunov; Mechanic Vadim Akhmetov
#507: Pilot Andrey Karginov; Co-pilot Andrey Mokeev; Mechanic Ivan Malkov
#513: Pilot Bogdan Karimov; Co-pilot Albert Arslanov; Mechanic Vladimir Rybakov.
These Kamaz crews can expect a tough ride all the way to Ulaanbaatar from the world class field of competitors also entered into the truck race. Perennial Dakar and Silk Way rivals in race trucks from Maz, Renault and Volvo will all be out to get the better of the Russian team.
« We know we must be at our very best to win because all of our closest rivals will come to the Silk Way. It is guaranteed to be an interesting fight all the way to the finish line. » – Eduard Nikolaev
Over in the bike race at the Silk Way there is a chance for 2015 FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship winner Matthias Walkner to take the lead of this year’s contest. The 2018 Dakar winner finished as runner-up to Ross Branch at Rally Kazakhstan, the opening round of the new season.
« I’m really looking forward to the Silk Way Rally. It’s a new challenge for me and it definitely looks like it will be a tough one. » – Matthias Walkner
Walkner will be out to emulate fellow Red Bull KTM Factory Racing biker Sam Sunderland who won the first ever two wheel contest at the Silk Way in 2019. Sunderland misses out on the chance to defend his title due to injuries sustained at Rally Kazakhstan.
Making his debut as a GasGas factory rider in Kazakhstan was Daniel Sanders and he rewarded his new team with a fourth place finish. Now Sanders will be targeting further championship points on his first trip to the Silk Way Rally. Stiff competition for the podium places is guaranteed from fellow factory riders representing Husqvarna, Yamaha and Hero as well as Walkner on his KTM.
« My strength is definitely racing in sand, so I hope we see plenty of that when we hit Mongolia. » – Daniel Sanders
There’s bound to be no shortage of off-road drama on the 5250-kilometre race between Omsk and Ulaanbaatar. We’ll be bringing you regular updates from the route – from the firing of the starting pistol on Thursday, July 1 to the flying of the chequered flag on Sunday, July 11.
2021 FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship Standings
1. Ross Branch (BOT) – Yamaha, 25 points
2. Matthias Walkner (AUT) – KTM, 20 pts
3. Adrien Van Beveren (FRA) – Yamaha, 16 pts
4. Daniel Sanders (AUS) – GasGas, 13 pts…
QUOTES
Eduard Nikolaev: « Our approach to the Silk Way is no different than how we prepare for the Dakar. We know we must be at our very best to win because all of our closest rivals will come to the Silk Way. It is guaranteed to be an interesting fight all the way to the finish line. It always is when racing against teams such as Renault and Maz. »
Matthias Walkner: « I’m really looking forward to the Silk Way Rally. It’s a new challenge for me and it definitely looks like it will be a tough one. I’m feeling good after Kazakhstan, and I was pleased with how I rode there, so hopefully I can keep up that sort of pace at this next event. The bike performed really well at round one of the championship, and we have made a couple of small changes to the suspension settings that should help with the different stages we’ll see over the 10 stages at Silk Way. It’s a really long race, but an important one, especially for the championship, so hopefully I can stay consistent, get some good results under my belt early on, and then keep pushing into the second week. »
Daniel Sanders: « I’m really looking forward to the Silk Way Rally, it’s definitely looking like it’s going to be hard, both physically and mentally. I’ve been getting in the miles since Kazakhstan, so I’m really happy with how the bike feels and I think we’re in a good place with the settings heading into this second round of the championship. Looking at the terrain it really does look like a real mixture, and the stages are long – even when the specials aren’t too bad, there is often some lengthy liaisons to cover, and that can really prove tiring. My strength is definitely racing in sand, so I hope we see plenty of that when we hit Mongolia. Up to then, my plan is to get through the first week safely and then push on towards the end. With the added points awarded at this race, it’s important to get a good safe finish, so that’s my number one goal. »
Christina Fial,