MINSK, 12 January (BelTA) – The eighth stage of the 2016 Dakar Rally turned out to be extraordinarily difficult for Belarus' MAZ-SPORTavto team. The crew led by Sergei Vyazovich decided to withdraw from the race, while Alexander Vasilevsky crossed the finish line in 27th position due to electrical issues, BelTA learned from Alfa Bank (Belarus), a partner of Belarus' team.
The eighth stage of the rally ran through dried up river beds and a roadless desert. The racers said it was one of the toughest of the 2016 Dakar. Sergei Vyazovich's crew faced problems with the engine already during the first part of the special. They did not manage to promptly determine what caused the engine to lock up.
“Unfortunately, crew No. 507 had to withdraw from the rally. They just could not continue the race. We all feel upset about the situation,” the MAZ-SPORTavto team explained.
Alexander Vasilevsky also did not have much luck during the eighth stage of the rally. Up to the final part of the stage he and his crew were running in the first ten. However, somewhere close to the finish line they encountered electrical issues. As a result, Alexander Vasilevsky cleared the special in 6h32m and placed 27th losing 1h50m to stage winner, Dutchman Dutchman Gerard de Rooy. Now he sits in 18th overall.
The maintenance crew led by Vladimir Vasilevsky crossed the finish line in 29th position clocking 6h46m, 2h4m behind the front-runner.
The 2016 Dakar Rally is running across the mountains and deserts of Argentina and Bolivia. It kicked off on 3 January and will finish on 16 January.
