Silk Way Rally: modification of itinerary for 2020 edition
So as to prevent the risks linked to the COVID 19 epidemic (Coronavirus) and to guarantee the organisation of the next edition of the SILK WAY RALLY, the event’s directors have decided to modify the itinerary of the 2020 edition.
The stages that were planned for the Republic of Kazakhstan and the People’s Republic of China have been cancelled. The rally will be run entirely on Russian Federation territory, with a start from the Red Square in Moscow on 3 July and a finish in Kazan on 11 July.
The new route will offer 8 stages and feature all types of terrain: steppes, sandy, rolling and forest tracks. Demanding and packed, the 2020 edition will offer participants 2700 km (approx.) of selective sections for a total distance of 4200 km (approx.) and in so doing will respect the requirements for a marathon round of both the FIA World Cup for Cross Country Rallies and the FIM Cross Country Rallies World Championship.
The Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) and the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) have both been informed of the modifications and fully support the organisers.
Vladimir Chagin, Organisation Director: “ We have taken a wise and responsible decision; we have to 100% guarantee that the SILK WAY RALLY 2020 will be held in good conditions. The media and participants will be able to discover extraordinary places in Russia. The rally will be a very high-level competition and a formidable voyage. ”
Frédéric Lequien, Deputy Director: “ We should look at the positive side; the route will be very interesting from a sporting point of view. There will be very little liaison and overall logistics for the teams will be much simpler. In sensitive international context, it is a carefully thought out decision that has, above all, been taken for the competitors.”
PROGRAMME
▪︎ JULY 2 & 3 – ADMINISTRATIVE CHECKS AND SCRUTINEERING IN MOSCOW
▪︎ JULY 3 – START PODIUM CEREMONY IN MOSCOW
▪︎ JULY 4 to 11 – 8 STAGES IN RUSSIA
▪︎ JULY 11 – FINISH CEREMONY IN KAZAN
THE SILK WAY IN A FEW WORDS
THE SILK WAY RALLY, an unmissable round of the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship and the FIA Cross-Country Rallies World Cup.
The SILK WAY RALLY, whose first edition linked Russia to Turkmenistan in 2009, will celebrate its 10th anniversary in 2020 by crossing the main regions and countries of the ancient ‘Silk Road’ in the heart of Central Asia.
Coveted by the big teams and the most decorated champions in the discipline, but also by many amateurs, the SILK WAY RALLY has been won by some impressive names: CARLOS SAINZ, CYRIL DESPRES , YAZEED AL RAJHI and NASSER AL ATTIYAH, who on the 2019 edition pulled off the unique feat of winning all 9 stages.
In the truck category it is the KAMAZ MASTER TEAM with DMITRY SOTNIKOV, EDUARD NIKOLAEV, AYRAT MARDEEV, ANTON SHIBALOV, ANDREY KARGINOV and FIRDAUS KABIROV who’ve shared the victories since 2009, supremacy thwarted in 2011 by TATRA TEAM and his pilot ALES LOPRAIS.
In 2019 SAM SUNDERLAND (KTM) was the first bike rider to win the category on the SILK WAY RALLY, winning at the same time the second round of the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship.
