Transsyberia Rally 2008 powered by Sony Ericsson: 13th of August

August 13th, 2007, 10th stage

Three slightly injured after accident in evaluation test

Christian Pfeil-Schneider (Team Colombian Arrow), as well as Paul Watson and Neil Hopkinson (Team Australia/Team Great Britain) have been slightly injured during the 10th stage of the Transsyberia Rally 2007. Pfeil-Schneider's co-pilot Claus Vatter was not injured. The accompanying German doctor's team provided medical care to the crews at the scene of the accident. Pfeil-Schneider, Watson and Hopkinson were closely examined at the town hospital of Khovd.

„The drivers are doing well, but they won't be able to continue the rally.", said organizer Richard Schalber at the stage's destination, Darvi, in the evening. The drivers will be flown to the capital Ulan-Baatar this week. In the morning the British Hopkinson had replaced the Australian Dave Morley who couldn't start due to illness.

Both teams had driven their Porsche Cayenne Transsyberia into a deep river bed about 8 miles after the start, near the village of Mankhan. "It was bad luck. the river bed wasn't visible." said co-pilot Claus Vatter after his return to the driver's camp. "The landscape looked like a normal plain, and suddenly this deep ditch shows up infront of us." According to Vatter's statement, their car hit the river bed with its front. Both drivers got out of the car and fired a flare rocket to warn the following vehicles. The Australian-British crew must have overlooked the warning, and drove into the river bed minutes later." said Vatter.

Schalber broke off the evaluation test shortly after the second accident. Tomorrow's test was canceled by the organizer in the evening. "Our team of doctors are with the injured in Khovd, and are not available for tomorrow's stage. It is risky to carry through a special test without medical attendance", said Schalber. The teams will drive directly to Altai, the destination of this stage.

August 13th/12th , 2007 10. Stage Mankhan - Darvi

"The Big White Box" wins stage and takes over the allround lead

The British team "The Big White Box" has won yesterday's 9th stage of the Transsyberia Rallye 2007. Simon Garnham and his son Matt drove the 66 mile long evaluation test with their Toyota Landcruiser in the fastest time, ahead of the Hamburg pilots Brandenburg/Preuss in a Porsche 911 Safari. With this, the British displaced Team Germany 1 (Armin Schwarz/Oliver Hilger) from the leading position. Schwarz and Hilger fell to the 7th place in the overall evaluation. During yesterday’s stage from Oelgy to Mankhan,in rain and temperatures below 50 degrees, numerous cars fell out. Several of the participants will not be able to do today's 10th stage.

August 13th, 2007 10th stage Mankhan - Darvi

Delayed reporting – Reporter on the scene involved in difficult rescue operation

The current reporting on the Transsyberia Rally 2007 was unfortunately delayed. The team of reporters has been involved in difficult rescue operations in Mongolia since Sunday afternoon. The journalists expect that they'll be able to transmit the newest information and background again, starting Monday evening.

After the special test of the 9th stage was finished, and numerous vehicles returned with partially heavy damage (see Sunday's report), the team of reporters encountered the stranded vehicles of Carles Celma and Juergen Kern on their way to camp Mankhan. The journalists found a Mongolian truck driver, who was immediately willing to transport the vehicles to the stage's destination, Mankhan, 168 miles away. Since there was no ramp available, the Mongol drove the trailer backwards towards the river. Alongside the river bank, the crews were able to heave the vehicles onto the transporter with the help of a rope winch in the early evening.

Shortly thereafter the team of reporters received the information that the team Thomas Riethmueller and Oliver Hille had sent out an emergency call through their GPS system. As one of the last vehicles on the stretch, the journalists began their search for the pilots while darkness was setting in. The unsuccessful search lastet several hours. Riethmueller and Hille endet up finding their way to the driver's camp on their own, sometime during the night.

The journalists received their last special mission shortly before midnight. The Italian crew Biagio Capolupo and Angelo Lancelotti had been stuck on the special evaluation stretch since the afternoon. Shortly before reaching the desination, their car had also lost their second spare tire, and they were rendered immobile. One part of the rescue team "Reporter" located the Italians after a two hour search. Only this morning the crews continued their trip.

Since they had to spend the night on route, and not at the camp, the team of reporters is several hours behind the drivers at this time. The journalists are hoping to arrive at the village Darvi, this stage's destination, by the evening.