The fourth speed section presented quite a few challenges for the athletes. Although the crew chose a more cautious strategy and paid more attention to reaching the finish, the track was full of dangerous situations. The mountain switchbacks caused especially much tension, where the athletes witnessed more than one accident.
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“We survived this day quite well. The morning was cold but comfortable because we were driving with the glass. But the comfort ended after the start because we got into dust.
Once again, we will ask the mechanics to remove and hide the glass for the last day so there is no temptation to put it back in. At the thirteenth kilometer after the finish, we entered what seemed like a horror movie happening in the switchbacks. Overturned cars, Sara Price with a punctured tire, Benavides fallen off a cliff. We also had an adventure – we bent something in the chassis,” said Mindaugas Sidabras.
Meanwhile, the navigator Ernestas Česokas emphasized that the most important thing in this stage was not to take risks for a few extra minutes but to maintain a good position in the overall standings. According to him, the chosen conservative pace helped avoid bigger problems and get even closer to the finish in Argentina.
“We understood that we need to relax and drive safely to the finish because our position on the leaderboard is not bad. After today, we are probably moving up to second place. So that conservative driving seems to be paying off. The important thing is we finished, everything is fine. We didn’t puncture any tires. Navigationally everything was great, although there were some tricky roads and confusing places. And the descents from the mountain sometimes come three together, all merging into one, and you don’t know which one to take. There were definitely challenges in the switchbacks, it was uneasy, we wanted to drive more cautiously and we followed that plan,” said Ernestas Česokas.
In the fourth speed section, the crew of Mindaugas Sidabras and Ernestas Česokas took fifth place in the SSV class. The Lithuanians completed the 314-kilometer sporting distance in 4 hours 31 minutes 30 seconds and were 58 minutes 43 seconds behind the stage winners.
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Despite the more cautious pace, the Lithuanians moved up to second place in the overall SSV class standings after four stages. The “Izoton Sport” crew has accumulated a time of 17 hours 2 minutes 6 seconds and is 3 hours 40 minutes 38 seconds behind the class leaders. At the same time, they lead the nearest chasers in third place by more than 17 minutes.
On Friday, participants face the last “Desafio Ruta 40” speed section. In it, the athletes will have to cover as much as 340 kilometers of sporting distance, and the total daily route with transfers will reach almost 600 kilometers.
Information provided by the organizers shows that the decisive race day will be very diverse. The track profile includes sections reaching more than 3300 meters above sea level, and the entire speed section will consist of dirt with elements of sand, dunes, and rocky sections. Such conditions will require maximum concentration from both drivers and navigators.
More news about the “Izoton Sport” team’s performance in the third stage of the World Rally Raid Championship in Argentina can be found on the team’s “Facebook” page.
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