In the truck category, Dakar’s official website rightly asks ‘Who can beat the big blue?’ The ‘Tsar of the desert’, russian Vladimir Chagin, is looking to win his seventh Dakar in 11 years for Kamaz, and at first sight the only credible challenge comes from his fellow countryman and teammate (and two times winner) Firdaus Kabirov. Behind them, a son and a nephew of former Dakar winners, dutchman Gerard De Rooy for Iveco and czech Alés Loprais for Tatra, will try to revive old glories and traditional names of the rally. And, perhaps, they’ll hope to claim any leftovers from the Kamaz squad. Predicting Chagin’s win doesn’t get any points, so let’s play another game:which will be the margin? I’d say 1h30 over second placed Kabirov, and more than 4hs over the rest.
All truck competitors: http://www.dakar.com/2011/DAK/presentation/docs/DAK11-LISTE_ENGAGES_CAMIONS.pdf
Loprais website news: http://loprais.com/loprais-eng/index.php?obsah=clanky