Liaison 1: 128 km
Special stage: 48 km
Liaison 2: 55 km

Team Portugal wins the first special test ahead of Team Germany 3 and Team France

Pedro Gamiero and his co-pilot Pedro Figueiredo accomplished the initial phase successfully. Team Portugal in its Porsche Cayenne S Transsyberia mastered the first evaluation test best and became the day’s winner. The Portuguese had a lead of 13.42 minutes ahead of the second placed Team Germany 3, with 20 year old Lars Kern and his Czech partner Daniel van Kan. Team France Lavieille/Borsotto, came in third, 15.33 minutes behind.

On the first day of the rally, Moscow’s Deputy Major Juri Rossljak had done the countdown to the start of the rally for the participants from all over the world in Moscow’s Red Square. Afterwards, the teams left Europe’s largest city in an escorted convoy in eastward direction.

The first special test of the Transsyberia 2008 powered by Sony Ericsson took place about 80 km before Vladimir. The demanding stretch led over sandy ground which had been soaked by the strong rainfalls of the past days, through mixed forests, water ditches and mud holes. This first challenge was characterized by the many water crossings which had to be overcome and the navigation coordinates from the road book which needed to be applied correctly.

While the first vehicles still blasted across the finish-line in humid, sunny summer weather, the majority of the participants encountered water coming down from all sides, due to thunderstorms with strong rainfalls. The most significant spot was a big water hole in which every other team got stuck. Pulling out the competitors mutually was on the agenda here. Even experienced pilots like Said Rashid Al Hajri from Quatar (4.), last years second placed Antonio Tognana from Italy (5.) or the German Armin Schwarz (7.) were battling the intricacies of the test.

Uta Baier, who drove the service track last year, placed an outstanding 8th in her Toyota HZJ80. Utterly enthusiastic about the course, the German was beaming with a mud splattered face after crossing the finish-line: “That was exciting and challenging! Loads of water holes, great river crossings and we lost our way once, as probably all of us did.”

Most of the teams had to endure wild rides through stretches of water and mud. All of them became clear on the fact, that the Transsyberia Rally 2008 powered by Sony Ericsson doesn’t just start in Mongolia, but rather with the first day and the first demanding challenge. All in all, the first stage left its mark on several of the cars. In the end, all of them turned up at the stage’s destination Wladimir by the late evening though.

On the second rally day, the second stage leads 711 km farther east, from Vladimir to Kazan. The next special test is scheduled after 550 km and will demand full effort from the drivers.


Results

Special stage, July 11th, 2008 (pdf)


Find further impressions in the gallery