It is as if you set out from Prague to the sea in Croatian Istria and along the way you cut a wild “chase” through the desert and rocky riverbeds. Lots of sand and dunes. Many racers are late and don’t arrive at the bivouac until late at night, because there is a long crossing after the special. That’s my warning. “
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And the fastest bikers already have the measured section behind them. The Czechs are in the top ten this time. Martin Michek loses over 15 minutes at the 280th kilometer, Jan Brabec less than 20.
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Martin Prokop is constantly driving in cars and at the 119th kilometer he is missing about seven minutes to the leader Peterhansel, which is enough for 16th place. The trucks started only a while ago, however, at the 42nd kilometer, Aleš Loprais is sixth with a loss of 45 seconds. You can follow the course of the stage in detail here.
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Loprais is the highest among the Czechs so far. He entered the second half of the Dakar Rally on Sunday by moving to fourth place and still has five more days ahead of him, in which he can “break” the block of Russian Kamaz in front of him. , which is still bronze from 2007 – from the time when the race still ran through the African Sahara. .
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But this year it is an emotional year for him and he calls it a mission. Just a few days before the start, his uncle Karel, a Dakar legend who died, brought him to the racing craft and taught him. He pasted his portrait on the cabin and believes that he is sending him energy from above so that he can resist the strong quartet of Russian Kamaz. “We thank Kája for how beautiful it is,” he said even after the Sunday stage.
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Now he has 36 minutes to move to third place, which seems like a lot in erzets, where there are often minute differences. But even the Kamaz team is not infallible.
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