As the world of rally racing resumes after pausing for a year, our managing editors Justin W. Coffey and Kyra Sacdalan were invited to Russia for the 10th running of the Silk Way Rally and graciously have shared their daily reports and photos from the event.

Stage 5: From Russia With Love

Racers Joust for Rally Raid’s Hand at the Silk Way’s Final Stage

It’s about 90-degrees and humid in Gorno-Altaysk. There’s no reprieve from the sun, the dust or the insects. Even the native spectators seemed to stir a bit in discomfort, not accustomed to the global heat wave in the northern hemisphere. A significant portion of adult men stripped down to the buff, generously covering their bits with tattered cloth believed to be their underwear. Any sane human is asking themselves why they’re here. Why put up with harsh conditions, oppressive flights [read: Charles de Gaulle airport], lengthy liaisons, sleepless nights? The list goes on. The common denominator tying together all these people, beckoning them to suffer in unison, can’t be masochism alone. It’s more like lust, adoration, or obsession even. If love makes you do stupid things, then rally raid is the high-maintenance mistress who makes you carry loads of luggage, lie in a puddle so her Louboutins won’t get dirty, and stay up all night dealing with mood swings. Her glory is not your glory, yet you’re revitalized when you bathe in her radiation, no matter how much it hurts. Waking up with mystery abrasions is a familiar symptom of a romance with risk. And even with an abridged roster, there were still plenty of infatuated idiots ready to grapple for her, the Silk Way’s, affection. But the answer is too complex for a single sentence response. It’s a culmination of several instances and emotions. Summed up, this time, in six days.

They said it would be dangerous. Whooped out, rutted, and pulverized by the KAMAZ during Stage Two. And, of course, within a heavily wooded forest in Siberia, mud by the bucket loads should be expected. But when the three fastest men pulled up to Timing & Scoring the story was a little different. And depending on who told the tale, the surprise was a blessing... Or a curse. As usual, Bikes rolled out, then rolled in first. When Matthias Walker (#52, Red Bull KTM Factory) came to a stop in front of the big red tent to exchange papers, a swarm of a locusts in the shape of DSLR cameras clicked in harmony as they snapped all the same quintessential Finish photos and shot all the necessary "so, how'd it go?" videos. Walker's response was the positive version: it was fast, and the road was smooth, it was gas the whole time (or something like that). The organization put so much emphasis on the dangers in this section; they shortened the course for the motos to “reduce the risk.” But an uncharacteristically hot summer kept the ground bone dry. And something, whether intentionally or not, filled in all of the ruts and blemishes marked by “!!” in the roadbooks.

Walkner’s demeanor displayed relief – mostly to be bathing and hiding from the sun soon – and a feeling that he already knew he'd won. At the base of the podium that evening, Matthias accepted his heavy, bronze tiger with a Cheshire smile, knowing he wouldn’t leave the ceremony without roasting his back tire in a smoky exhibition. With points leader in the FIM and winner of the second stage, Ross Branch, forced to retire the following day due to engine failure, Matthias took advantage of the first available seat and sat firmly on his throne that day. This is where the scale began to tip towards Austrian. KTM’s titan would have had to make a major mistake not to leave victorious, or those behind him would have needed to have the performance of a lifetime to make up five and six minutes or more. Second to reach the interviews was Skyler Howes (#10, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna) who had a similar outlook but a little less hopeful. Like his KTM cousin, he found the stage ironically safe, noting it was in better condition when they first rode through a few days ago.  

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"I wish we had another ten days ahead of us still and could have gone to Mongolia. This last stage was so good, it’s crazy, but the trucks actually made it better. So, I can’t wait till next year! We had five good days of racing. I’m really proud of my result. The road was really good, the bike felt great, I had no mistakes at all. I got to thank my team so much, they put in such a huge effort. I wouldn’t be able to come here without them, but they put in so much work. I’m really happy to be here at the finish line." – Skyler Howes #10, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory

Inversely, Howes was not quite as confident as Walkner in his own results – knowing his buddy Andrew Short (#29, Monster Energy Yamaha Rally) ended in 2nd in 2019. Coming into the final stage from the second position, he seemed like a shoo-in for at least the second step and a minor miracle away from the first one. Not that he isn't worthy of the title, fate had arrived early in this race, and issues don't resolve themselves quickly in competitions of this nature. So, even by the time he hit Control, Skyler didn't know if he'd secured second place or if Franco Caimi (#2, Hero Motosport Rally Team) – finishing 55 seconds short of Skyler – put in a good enough effort to overtake the only American with a chance at the podium. Despite a solid ride from Daniel "Chucky" Sanders (#11, GasGas Factory), which made him eligible for the podium, his point of view was a little grimmer. The stage had absolutely no obstacles to slow down the top athletes, so Sanders had no real opportunity to make up time and catch up to his adversaries. An enduro star like him is the only sort of pro who would prefer a technical race to wide open. It's where he shines. But it just wasn't enough and ultimately the 1st, 2nd and 3rd places were nabbed by Matthias, Howes and Caimi, in that order.

"Finally, the day was really good. It was again the same loop, like in the Day Two, but today it was much nicer. The track was smooth. The stage was quite short, but so much fun to ride. Thanks to Russia. The tracks are quite fast, so you need to find a little bit harder setup, but in the end the bike reacts really well and [does] a really good job. I’m happy to be on the podium." – Matthias Walkner #52, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing

By SS4, there were plenty of "sure things" for the Winner's Circle. Quad champion, Aleksandr Maksimov (#102, Mari Team), was decided the day Rafal Sonik (#101, SONIK TEAM) endured some mechanical issues. A figurehead in the category, Sonik had lost too much time early on in the race to catch up to his Russian rival – no matter how strong his results were thereafter. But of the groups, it was the Quads which exhibited their king most clearly from the start. A feat achieved only once before by Nassir Al Attiyah in 2019, Maksimov dominated the Silk Way Rally as Genghis Khan had, invading a then unclaimed Siberia centuries ago, with a sweeping command over his enemies. In Maksimov’s case, he had only a single nemesis, but the accomplishment of securing every stage win is no less historic. With only two remaining in their class as well, Russians Sergei Kariakin and Anton Vlasiuk (#404, Snag Racing) gained an advantage of about 40 minutes over their French (friendly) foes in SSV #407 by the Penultimate day’s end. After today, despite a stage win from the Frenchmen, Matthieu Margaillan and Axelle Roux Decima were only able to gain one minute #404. Coming back after a five-year hiatus from rally, Guerlain Chicherit rejoined navigator Alexandre Winocq (#202, Serradorri) to confront a strong lineup of T1 warriors. It wasn’t a simple open-and-shut case. They had to work for their four-minute-plus SS5 triumph and, subsequently, besting locals Denis Krotov and Konstantin Zhiltsov (#203, MSK Rally Team) by nine-plus. Coming in at Third, 00:22:24 behind the best, were Jerome Pelichet and co-pilot Pascal Larroque (#205, Raid Lynx).

"It’s amazing to come back to racing again, I’ve been waiting for it for four or five years. To be back, especially at the Silk Way, was one of my dreams. It’s a little bit too bad that we can’t go to Mongolia, but it’s like this. At least, we kept racing, and the organizers managed to add two more stages to the race. For me it was good to get the speed, be back on the course, get the confidence and work again together with Alex. We made two mistakes – quite a lot, I have to say, but it’s good. Dakar is the main goal to fight. I was really impressed yesterday with a really rough section, full of the rocks, how fast the trucks can go. It’s a bit frustrating to be behind them, but it’s a sport, you have to wait your time to overtake them. Today we started and after 20 km we caught up to a truck and we did 40-50 km in the dust. It’s upsetting, because it’s easy to make a mistake, when you drive in the dust. But we finished the race, so I’m pretty happy. The landscapes and the people were really amazing." – Guerlain Chicherit #202, Serradorri

The battle wasn't over for everyone today. To include the motorbikes, where contention was more for the bottom two steps. However, there was still plenty of fight between the KAMAZ and the… KAMAZ. Oh, and let’s not forget the Maz SportAuto boys from Belarus – the only beast on-course giving hell to the “Blue Armada.” To take on a team famously conditioned by Mother Russia to execute each event with flawless precision (or someone might disappear), requires such a sizable set of balls, the Spanish dump trunk could’ve used an extra axle to carry the weight. Although #502 driven by Siarhei Viazovich with cohorts Pavel Haranin and Anton Zaparoshchanka took the golden ticket over KAMAZ in the finale, this result still placed them as runner-up in the General Standings, which is in fact the best outcome “Big Red” has ever acquired at the SWR.

"Today we took risks and showed our maximum at 100%. We pushed hard. Before that, we saved ourselves for all 10 stages, and when at the 3rd one we learned that there will be five of them, it turned out to be too late with this pace that exists today between the rivals of MAZ and KAMAZ, this number of stages is not enough. We won the third stage against Dmitry Sotnikov in 40 seconds, most likely, we won a little bit today, but in the end the result of the “Kagan’s Gold” was repeated, the same podium. It’s great that we drive after each other, we run away from each other, we go faster than the Car category. I enjoy such races when everything is in seconds." – Siarhei Viazovich #502, Maz-SportAuto

This special was fast for everyone. A joyride-meets-footrace, Earth spun under burning rubber as the only task at hand was to not be run over by one of the purpose-built garbage trucks. Or, if they were one of the said garbage trucks, their only focus was to clean off all the road kill at the washing station. All joking aside, if there was any question as to who would fill a seat in this game of musical chairs, those victors would be the fastest and most ruthless today. Thirty-six-year-old Dmitry Sotnikov, plus Ruslan Akhmadeev (RUS); Ilgiz Akhmetzianov (#501, KAMAZ-Master Team) maintained their killer instinct all the way to the end, finally confirming what they already knew: they're champions. What’s most intriguing is that their brand new, updated Kamaz 43509 edition – a response to the coming spec changes in the FIM – only finished its preparations the day before shipping to Omsk. Not bad for its first test run! It was most exciting to watch how #502 would fare against this edition’s 3rd overall KAMAZ #500. In the struggle for power, KAMAZ captain Anton Shibalov and first men Dmitrii Nikitin and Ivan Tatarinov (#500) conceded to third, still happy to bring another medal back to headquarters.

The Lightweight Prototype class was the only other group to remain shrouded in a bit of mystery – at least regarding the pecking order. Until the finish line, it wasn't clear who would place where. Punctures were unlikely on the smooth, hard-packed roadways. Space was narrow and lined with trees, so passing was also a hurdle of its own. Jean-Luc Pisson Ceccaldi and Jean Brucy (#225, PH Sport Zephy) had a heaping spoonful of glory as their timecard decided a landslide triumphant over “the Pavel’s” in T3 SSVs #223 and #232 who trailed behind between 11 and 34 minutes. But making good time today just wasn’t enough to tear the overall win away from #225. Some of the more exciting moments to witness, however, came from the fairer of competitors. Each day the women in this class were steadily climbing the proverbial ladder, and today they shined with three female-controlled vehicles that broke through the Top Ten. Number 222, Anastasiya Nifontova, concluded in 5th, Maria Oparina (#226) in 7th and Tatiana Sycheva (#231) in 8th. Notably, Belarusian Anastasiya Lianiova finished her first major rally raid, in spite of many arduous challenges like flooding her KTM 450 EXC-F in a river-crossing or avoiding the rolling rubber stamps under the “musorovozy.” From riding three different motorbikes around the world (a Honda Transalp 650, a KTM 690, and a WR 250 R), trading that sort of exploit for enduro, and now a rally, Lianiova has officially realized what many only dream of: being awarded the finisher’s medal in an FIM event.

“At the finish of the 5th SS, Ekaterina and I arrived 5th overall and 2nd in the T3 class – lagging only 10 seconds from the first SSV and from the Russian crews (except for KAMAZ). The second-place finish in our class was not accidental, and I think we figured out our pace.” – Anastasiya Nifontova #222, Nifontova Anastasiya

Our Lady Rally had been relatively drama free all week, with its few setbacks as inconsequential issues. But no serious damage or injuries, no heartbreak or huge emotional barriers to cross (well at least caught on-camera) burdened tournament. Perhaps that's the result of a magnificent competition cut short. Or maybe, unlike others of its kind, the Silk Way Rally isn't just meant to punish all involved. Instead, it's intended to make their competitors think, feel and understand these places they explore so deeply. To have as many experiences and adventures as they have trials, tribulations and life-lessons. They did as rallies unofficially aim to do – bridge social gaps, test the sense of self, find balance between the natural and artificial, create harmony with the combustion engine, and, often at the finale of one’s Hero Journey, find enlightenment. Facing unforeseen factors which intervened with the Silk Way’s “perfectly made plans,” the organization sprung to action in response to Mongolia’s sudden border closures, which inevitably meant the stages would be abbreviated, but the contest would carry on. And so, what could have been a major blow for everyone involved became a welcome alternative, ending in burnouts, champagne showers and the clinking of plastic cups filled with Siberian moonshine (made by the resident Media drivers, no less). Tens of Nationalities and cultures came together to share passions, hardships and tradition. So, before we say our Goodbyes… Sit, be merry, and sip homemade whisky. Then when you’re finally inspired to speak your mind about the last two weeks, do it in classic Russian fashion: stand up, raise your makeshift glass and cheers to good health and great friends. “Za zdorov'ye!”

• TOP TEN STAGE FIVE RESULTS

MOTORCYCLE

1. #11 Daniel Sanders (AUS), GASGAS FACTORY RACING
2. #52 Matthias Walkner (AUT), RED BULL KTM FACTORY RACING
3. #2 Franco Caimi (ARG), HERO MOTOSPORTS RALLY TEAM
4. #10 Skyler Howes (USA), ROCKSTAR ENERGY HUSQVARNA FACTORY RACING
5. #14 Sebastian Buhler (DEU), HERO MOTOSPORTS RALLY TEAM
6. #27 Joaquim Rodrigues (PRT), HERO MOTOSPORTS TEAM RALLY
7. #42 Adrien Van Beveren (FRA), MONSTER ENERGY YAMAHA RALLY TEAM
8. #77 Luciano Benavides (ARG), ROCKSTAR ENERGY HUSQVARNA FACTORY RACING
9. #29 Andrew Short (USA), MONSTER ENERGY YAMAHA RALLY TEAM
10. #24 Andrew Winkler (ITA), MCDONALD’S RALLY TEAM

• TOP TEN OVERALL RESULTS

MOTORCYCLE

1. #52 Matthias Walkner (AUT), RED BULL KTM FACTORY RACING
2. #10 Skyler Howes (USA), ROCKSTAR ENERGY HUSQVARNA FACTORY RACING
3. #2 Franco Caimi (ARG), HERO MOTOSPORTS RALLY TEAM
4. #11 Daniel Sanders (AUS), GASGAS FACTORY RACING
5. #14 Sebastian Buhler (DEU), HERO MOTOSPORTS RALLY TEAM
6. #42 Adrien Van Beveren (FRA), MONSTER ENERGY YAMAHA RALLY TEAM
7. #77 Luciano Benavides (ARG), ROCKSTAR ENERGY HUSQVARNA FACTORY RACING
8. #29 Andrew Short (USA), MONSTER ENERGY YAMAHA RALLY TEAM
9. #27 Joaquim Rodrigues (PRT), HERO MOTOSPORTS TEAM RALLY
10. #25 Murun Purevdorj (MNG), KTM RRFR 450

Stage 4: They Call It Déjà Vu

Penultimate

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Early morning light strikes the Siberian tundra in a way which highlights all of its most handsome features. Color had never looked so brilliant. Who knew there were so many varieties of green? Along the innumerable waterways lay sleepy villages, some recognizable for the hundreds of bright, vivid blue, teal, amber, crimson metal rooftops which create a staggering contrast to the vast sheets of viridescent velvets and silks of the countryside. It’s not unfamiliar – the race only ventured here yesterday, yet the time of day, the angle, the weather all offers its guests a multifaceted perspective. There are lessons to be learned from a redo. Repetition is how you achieve mastery, so maybe retracing tracks from Special Stage Three was just what some of the drivers and riders needed. Not to mention that with a relatively unchanged roadbook, navigation would be more of a memory game than deciphering an encoded scavenger hunt. Some may see this as leveling the playing field. Others believe we've handed the title over to whomever has the biggest proverbial balls and stickiest throttle hand. In four-wheeled categories, willpower and velocity may not be adequate to alter predestination in a single impending special. And although the rally puts a thick wedge between the talent of the grassroots racers and the pros, among the elite group, speed and courage seem to be evenly shared. However, this means the instruments and fortune could eventually be the real determining factors.

For some, like mini-truck #209 in the Car class captained by Aleksei Ignatov and Evgeny Pavlov (XTREME Plus), the machine gives way under pressure, leaving them stranded for hours on the course, which happened to be in the fesh fesh parallel to a river, giving other competitors few options to maneuver around. Clouds of light khaki powder polluted the air while cars, UTVs and KAMAZ found their way past the obstruction. While most just added to the thick veil of shimmery dust blinding onlookers and filling every orifice in fifteen-meter radius. The rebel, as one might guess, was #513 who, when faced with the obstacle, made a hard left without any hesitation (full send) and waded through the water swiftly and unbothered like an African elephant gracefully crushing everything in sight. In true KAMAZ fashion, the f*cks were set to zero. The team pioneered a path which, considering the overall attitude towards the swift currents and slippery stones of the Altai Region, only two followed suit. It might have been a broken axle, but whatever turned the Gaz A22R23 into a makeshift roadblock was fixed with a little bit of left time to cross the finish and stay on the board. They aren’t even dead last. At 7th place, they still have a spot on the upper tier of results, however with only one special remaining, it’s unlikely they could make up the time needed to break the first five spots. Only four minutes apart, the final day really goes to the top two T1 vehicles: #202 and #203. Russia versus France, a common trait among the different classes. So much of the outcome here appears to determine the podium already, but as is said, this is rally and anything can happen!

"Great! We had a really good speed on the stage. Full attack!" – Guerlain Chicherit #202, Serradorri

That same metal monster who (sort of) crossed the river the car-made barricade rolled over the finish line in 5th with Bogdan Karimov at the wheel and Aleksandr Filiakin by his side – the only two-man KAMAZ team. Their Red Bull brethren #501, with Dmitry Sotnikov, Ruslan Akhmadeev and Ilgiz Akhmetzianov in the cockpit of the brand new T5 vessel, took the number one seed. Fans and OEM alike are excited to see this innovative update to the fleet possibly claim victory during its first trial at the Silk Way Rally. All the while Anton Shibalov, Dmitrii Nikitin and Ivan Tatarinov (#500) managed to move up two spots to the second rung by the end in an epic battle against brothers, foreigners, nature and self. KAMAZ-Master promises to clean house. But there’s one band of Belarussian brothers determined to upset those plans. Although flanked on both sides by Russia’s blue giants, Siarhei Viazovich accompanied by colleagues Pavel Haranin and Anton Zaparoshchanka (#502) are holding their ground at Second Overall, giving MAZ-SportAuto a sincere chance of, if nothing else, keeping the “Masters” from standing on every step at the award celebration. 

“We had a good stage. I drove faster than yesterday, because I know the Russian roads now. It’s difficult to fight with KAMAZ in Russia, but we did a good job. I’m looking forward to tomorrow.” – Maarten Van Den Brink #503, Mammoet Rally Sport

Cars once again put on a good show, although there's only #202 and #203 really left in the running. Today it was the former, driven by Guerlain Chicherit and Alexandre Winocq (SERRADORRI), who beat out the latter with Denis Krotov at the helm (MSL Rally Team) by only 00:03:44. Unfortunately, the favored duo who have been in the running supremacy all week for suffered – as fate would have it - Considering the circumstances of revisiting a route in such a short time, with every turn and jump and speed zone memorized still, the French hieroglyphs were likely set aside altogether, scrolling just to keep tabs. But that's up to the competitors to admit. This heat – SS4, a day after we celebrated freedom as Americans – was the tangible experience of liberty. Letting go and giving it all the gas you have in the tank and in your gut. We saw this feeling with a lot of contenders on-course, but it seemed like the Bikes appreciated it the most.

"It was really nice, honestly. It was cool to ride with not so much navigation, because you can see all the tracks and just push a lot. But the river crossings were tricky, because the cars and the trucks moved some stones, and every river was a big challenge. Finally, I had a good day, I felt confident, and the landscape was again super-super nice. The stage feels really different, than yesterday." – Matthias Walkner #52, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing

Moving so fast their lightweight machines floated off the ground taking all power away from the gravel roads and sharp rocks which lie waiting to ruin your day. The rivers and creeks were the only cause to cut power (a little) and help balance the advantages of faster bikes and greater skill to the slower versions and less proficient pilots. Daniel Chucky” Sanders (#11, GasGas Factory Racing) surprised no one when he hopped onto the 400-plus kilometer liaison, a sure-fire winner. Even his friends from opposing teams put their bets on Sanders, who is known for his sticky throttle hand and inhibition on a racecourse. The only thing slowing him down was the navigation, and with it being of no consequence, he was able to twist the throttle and gas(gas) it like he’s a convict escaping prison to gain 11-minutes on his previous results. But, even with a performance like that, Sanders is still eight minutes behind the overall front-runner, Matthias Walkner (#52, Red Bull Factory KTM). And with only one more stage left in this abbreviated event, Walkner’s only two rivals, Skyler Howes (#10, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna) and Franco Caimi (#2, Hero Motosport Rally Team) better pull out all the stops if they’re going to keep him off the tallest step at the ceremony June 6th.

As the gaps are just four and five minutes apart, the possibilities are slim unless the KTM golden child makes a huge mistake, or kismet steps in to take control. Maybe it'll be Howes, who's second overall and in SS4. Wearing his black, white and gold colors proudly, we've seen little wavering from him in that position in the latter half of the event. And if consistency is the secret ingredient to a successful stage, then Howes might just find the right opening to sneak into the Winner’s Circle. However, Franco Caimi, the third fastest motorcycle in Stage Four, wasn't so far behind the leaders, but similarly to Skyler, has a lot of work to put in if he wants to climb the corporate ladder. And if he's bothered much by the thought of being the bottom of the best, we may just see Caimi spring into action and attack over the ultimate round, if nothing else, confirming his place on the podium. Where was Andrew Short (#29, Monster Energy Yamaha Rally) in this race? Despite a pretty flawless ride all week, it was machine which beat man this time, keeping Shorty far from the throne. Even so, the brawl on Tuesday will surely produce several glorious moments of racing.

"The stage was a lot of fun. I expected it to be worse after the trucks. The most difficult part was the rivers, that are really deep, yesterday I had a problem. I’m happy to go back and keep the bike moving forward. The problem with the last waypoint was the same for everybody, I just went. At this point I’m pretty far out of the race, it doesn’t matter so much, I just make it to the end." – Andrew Short #29, Monster Energy Yamaha Rally

The T4 UTVs are a sure thing. With only two side-by-sides left and now, a forty-minute disparity between front-men Sergei Kariakin accompanied by Anton Vlasiuk (#404, SNAG RACING) and Matthieu Margaillan with Axelle Roux Decima (#407), only a DNF could alter the future. Things look a bit better for the Lightweight Prototype class where more men and women are still going strong, constantly rearranging themselves in the pecking order all competition long. This category is the only to see not just one female-driven team, but three, in the Top Ten, with #222 Anastasiia Nifontova and Ekaterina Zhadanova primed to conclude among the first five. But there’s really no contest for the Holy Grail, because Frenchman Jean-Luc Pisson Ceccaldi and navigator Jean Brucy (#225, PH Sport Zephy) have already put eleven minutes and two seconds of dust behind him. The first team to eat said dirt coming in after them is from the MSK Rally Team, #223 carried by Pavel Lebdev and Kirill Shubin.

We’ve all been there before, a memory you didn’t know you had of somewhere you didn’t know you’ve been – triggered by insignificant moments yet striking a strong chord. Today was a little different because everyone had been there before. And those vague recollections are from reliving, which only adds to the familiarity which lets the pilots put their guard down. They’d expected the roads to be so much worse, having fifteen or so garbage trucks going all-out across the terra. But what was found, instead, was smooth, silty and fast. And although the waterways were a nervous point for even the cream of the crop, knowing they were part of the challenge helped many of the teams, riders especially, forge alternate routes using fresh strategies. It’s a relief sometimes to see your heroes crack a little under pressure. Or show even the smallest amount of fear. It humanizes them. It gives the little guy hope for a glorious future. And admitting shortcomings among any community can bring the people closer together. Yes, the obstacles were overcome; no, there is not much time for trailing teams to catch up to the head of the pack. But it’s not always about placement or points, and when those points are removed from the equation; the real prize comes from self-fulfillment. By outdoing yourself and learning hard lessons. In rally raid, it’s also about connecting with people and cultures, finding compassion in their circumstances, and witnessing vistas which could bring a tear to your eye. Today and tomorrow might be reoccurring, and as tough as it is to be going home six stages short of the true finish, just when the teams, organizers and even the media find their groove, the music stops. And yet the tone of the participants isn’t bitter, but sweet. Grateful and humble and worried and, had they been given the opportunity, would put in a request for the same song over and over again, if it meant that the Silk Way Rally would play on repeat. 

• TOP TEN STAGE FOUR RESULTS

MOTORCYCLE

1. #11 Daniel Sanders (AUS), GASGAS FACTORY RACING
2. #10 Skyler Howes (USA), ROCKSTAR ENERGY HUSQVARNA FACTORY RACING
3. #52 Matthias Walkner (AUT), RED BULL KTM FACTORY RACING
4. #14 Sebastian Buhler (DEU), HERO MOTOSPORTS RALLY TEAM
5. #2 Franco Caimi (ARG), HERO MOTOSPORTS RALLY TEAM
6. #29 Andrew Short (USA), MONSTER ENERGY YAMAHA RALLY TEAM
7. #77 Luciano Benavides (ARG), ROCKSTAR ENERGY HUSQVARNA FACTORY RACING
8. #27 Joaquim Rodrigues (PRT), HERO MOTOSPORTS TEAM RALLY
9. #42 Adrien Van Beveren (FRA), MONSTER ENERGY YAMAHA RALLY TEAM
10. #25 Murun Purevdorj (MNG), KTM RRFR 450

Stage 3 (Marathon): Pass the Baton

The Organization Makes the Most of Bad Situation, And It’s Epic

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The 411-kilometer morning liaison offered some of the most picturesque landscapes most of the foreign participants have or will ever witness in their lifetime. Even some of the Russian and Mongolian locals haven’t had the chance to travel along reportedly one of the prettiest drives in the world. The low-lying mountains are a velvety green with multi-sized patches of trees in various locations on the cliffsides. The texture and appearance harkened to the felted materials handcrafted in Siberia and Mongolia for centuries. Gazing up, outcroppings of rocks make an appearance through the fuzzy grass pelt on the earth’s surface. Before climbing through the alpine, watery fingertips slid into the valleys making up the hundreds of visible rivers, brooks or creeks near which up to tens of tents edged the waterways at any given interval. This week a