Maikiti (Xinjiang, China) – Maikiti – Maikiti: 285,86km
Liaison : 1,42km – SS : 150,00 km – Liaison : 1,4km
The SS3 is quite like the SS2, with the starting and finishing point in the same position. The stage enters the soft sandy zone 480 meters after the departure. After one day’s rest, the moto category also joined the race today. For the moto, the pilots need to calculate carefully their fuel consumption, although there is the supply point in the middle of the race, if one pushes too hard, he/she might not make it to the supply point. For the Auto category, two-drive racing cars are less competitive in the desert area. Sand dunes, high temperatures, navigation traps, these can all be the tough challenges for the brave ones.
French pilot Neels Theric is unstoppable in this year, after the victory of SS1, he is the first to arrive the finish line. « Today was a very long day, although the special stage is only 150 kilometers, the whole course is very difficult. The sand was very soft and during the race we encountered a heavy sandstorm. I am the first to start and I think I am also the first to arrive, the navigation goes well for me and I think I should have all the points checked. My GPS still have some technical problems, so I need to check with organizing committee to confirm the final result. »
He continued: « In the stages, since I started first, I opened the road for others, which is a tough task, and the others could follow my track. Although I only had two stages, I’m quite happy with the overall results and the moto is in very good shape. But the whole rally has just started, we still have a long way to go, we will keep going. »
In the auto category, Tao Yongming in his No. 132 racing car continued the good performance and took his second stage victory. According to co-pilot Shen Xin: « The first 40 km is the reverse of SS2, however, there is no track to follow because of the strong wind last night. The sandstorm blocked the view and affected the navigation, but we succeeded in choosing the right direction and went out of the stage. »
Tao Yongliang added: « Today is a lucky day for us, I think we checked all the points. The stage is tough, for sure, I am at the edge of my limit. We have to slow down when driving across the sand ridge because we could not see much in the sandstorm. There are 2 more sand stages and we will try our best to conquer it! » Han Wei, who is now in the overall leading position, is the second to come out of the stage, with around 10-minutes time leg.
Tomorrow, the 2024 Taklimakan Rally will welcome its first rest day. The competitors will have time to refresh and be prepared for the next stages in the bivouac of Luo Pu.
The Classification of Auto and Moto SS3 is yet to come.