Silk Way Rally: Loeb and Kolomy win first stage

Sébastien Loeb (Peugeot 3008DKR Maxi n°104) in the cars and the Czech driver Martin Kolomy (Tatra n°311), in the trucks, are the first winners of the 2017 Silk Way Rally, at the end of the opening stage between Moscow and Tcheboksary, situated on the banks of the River Volga. Top three for Peugeot and top two for Tatra.

Cars: Loeb sets the pace

Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena (Peugeot 3008DKR Maxi n°104) made their intentions clear on the first 61 kilometre special.

Over a slippery, WRC-style piste, the nine-time World Rally Champion took nearly half a second a kilometre off his team mate Stéphane Peterhansel, second at 29 seconds.

Opening the track today, Cyril Despres made sure the Peugeots got the first three places, finishing just over two minutes behind Loeb.

Credited with exactly the same time, 03:38 behind the day’s winner, the John Cooper Works Minis of the Saudi driver Yazeed Al Rajhi and the American Bryce Menzies took fourth and fifth places respectively.

T2: Di Lallo opens to score

In T2 category, reserved for production based vehicles, it was the Australian Adrian Di Lallo (Isuzu n°135) who took the first stage victory. He came home ahead of the factory Toyota Land Cruiser (Team Toyota Autobody) of the Japanese driver Akira Miura (n°133) and Frenchman Marco Piana (n°151).

Trucks: one-two for Tatra, Kamaz make discreet start

In the truck class the surprise of the day came from the Tatras of Czech drivers Martin Kolomy (Tatra Phoenix n°311) and Ales Loprais (Tatra 815/2 n°305), first and second respectively on this first special.

Clearly more at ease over the slippery tracks, the ‘small’ Czech vehicles came home ahead of Dutchman Ton van Genugten Iveco and the MAZ of Belorussia Siarhei Viazovich.

Gerard de Rooy and his new Iveco completed the top five, more than four minutes behind Kolomy.

Considerably further back, the Kamaz team made a surprisingly discreet debut on what could be considered a warm up special. First of the ‘blue armada’ trucks in was that of Anton Shibalov (Kamaz 4326 n°312) who this evening is in only eighth place, 4:18 behind the day’s winner.