Press releases

MINSK, 10 January (BelTA) – Sergei Vyazovich’s crew of Belarus’ MAZ-SPORTavto team made it to third place in the general standings after Stage 4 of the 2018 Dakar Rally in the truck category, BelTA has learned.

The 336km fourth stage has appeared to be one of the toughest for many racers. MAZ-SPORTavto team leader Sergei Vyazovich was no exception. He could not get closer to the leaders due to the damage the centrifugal compressor suffered in the sands of Peru. The crew, however, managed to repair it with the help of another MAZ pilot Alexander Vasilevsky to come in ninth.

Russia’s Eduard Nikolaev produced a commanding performance with a third consecutive victory crowned by a big lead over Federico Villagra. Belarus’ Aleksei Vishnevsky (third overall after Stage 3) lost a fair amount of time to fix the damaged oil sump. As a result, he dropped out of the top 3 and is now only 13th. Sergei Vyazovich jumped to third place in the general standings, now trailing only Eduard Nikolaev and Federico Villagra of Argentina.

Taking the competitors away from San Juan de Marcona, the 508-kilometer fifth stage is expected to finish in the city of Arequipa.

The 2018 Dakar edition is the seventh for the Belarusian team. The owner of MAZ-SPORTavto is Minsk Automobile Plant (MAZ trademark), the technical partner is velcom. The 2018 Dakar Rally is running through Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina to wrap up in Cordoba, Argentina on 20 January. The race features 3,500 kilometers of high-speed sections, with most of the route running in the highlands.