The crew of Kazakhstan team “Astana” covers the route of the 3rd day of the race. Photo courtesy of the official Dakar 2012 website.
During the 4th stage of the world's most prestigious Dakar Rally the motorcyclists went through the pass at the height of 3,500 meters above the sea level, Sport-Express reports.
The race started on the 4th of January. The competitors had to cover the distance of 714 km between two Argentinian cities – San Juan and Chelecito. In the mountains the road went through sand areas. The sand covers the rocky surface with a very thin layer. This was another obstacle for motorcyclists as in some parts of the road the thickness of the sand is unpredictable.
According to the schedule, the first motorcyclist left at 18.45, the first car – at 20.31, and the first truck – at 23.58, Astana time.
After the three stages of the race Kazakhstan team Astana headed by Arthur Ardavichus was leading the trucks’ class general classification. He beat his closest competitor – Dutch De Roy – by 28 seconds.
