SILK WAY RALLY 2021 ROUTE MODIFIED – Due to COVID-19
Following an emergency meeting of the SWR Directorate with the Stewards, FIA and FIM Observers, it was decided to take an alternate racing route.
To conduct such a large-scale sporting competition as the Silk Way Rally, organizers must deal with many issues, which require to be solved at the shortest time both during the preparation process and in the course of the race.
At the reconnaissance, sporting directorate usually considers two or three route options at the same time to use them in case of any force majeure event. To have a successful rally, it is crucially important to protect the health of both competitors and organization team.
On July 1, Denis Protsenko, the Head of SWR headquarters for the implementation and control of the COVID-19 mitigation strategy, sent a letter, requiring to modify the racing route immediately and to consider conducting competition only in the Russian Federation, within the initially approved regions.
After the emergency meeting of the SWR Directorate with the Stewards, FIA and FIM Observers, the parties come to a decision as follows:
Considering the complicated situation and force majeure related to coronavirus outbreak in Mongolia, realizing its full responsibility for the health of rally competitors and local people, the Rally Directorate decided not to cross the border from Russia to Mongolia and to use Russian selective sections to continue the 11th edition of the Silk Way Rally.
On July 4, the crews will compete on a marathon stage from Gornoaltaisk to Kosh Agach. It means that on the 3rd leg only racers are authorized to repair their vehicles – any assistance by service personnel is strictly prohibited. All service staff will stay at the Gornoaltaisk bivouac and enjoy their “rest day”.
Vladimir Chagin, Rally Director:
“Upon the decision of rally organizers, all bivouacs and infrastructure, prepared for the Mongolian stages, will be provided to state and local authorities to set anti-COVID-19 stations and to help the locals to fight the pandemic. Mongolia will also receive humanitarian supplies, delivered on behalf of the Rally Directorate.”
Bulat Yanborisov, Chairman of Silk Way Rally Board of Directors:
“Human lives and health are an ultimate priority. Today I have communicated a lot with the competitors and gained their understanding and support of our decision. I am absolutely sure that we are doing the right thing. We still have several days of racing ahead of us. The pandemic will end. Sometime later we will recall these hard times, but now that is what we have to do so that we do not feel ashamed of our actions later. A big international family of the Silk Way Rally is now with the people of Mongolia in spirit. We will defeat the coronavirus – the humanity has managed crises even bigger than that!”
The participants of the Silk Way Rally express their support to the people of Mongolia. Fund raising for those suffered from the COVID-19 pandemic is organized at the rally bivouac.
