Day 25/26
Just a small addition to day 26. Our accommodation is rather unusual, we are staying in one of the guest houses of the Russian Government and President Putin.
It is a bit of a contrast compared to some of the hotels we have stayed in on this rally. I suppose the house had some 1500 m2, with private pool, workout room and sauna. Various living rooms, offices and a higher hall. The security has a high priority, as the houses are next to Konstantinovsky Palace, which is the St Petersburg residence of President Putin.

Day 24
Another long day, 620 km and only one special test in the morning on NRING, Novgorod. Great track and good fun! Apart from this highlight of the day, we had a lot of traffic and patience was required. We had a 10 hour drive without breaks apart from refueling once.

We passed at least 50 speed cameras and 20 police cars with officers monitoring the traffic.
Still cars are breaking down and a lot of effort is being made in order to keep the cars on the road, the mechanics are doing a great job!

Day 23
Today was a transport day without any tests. We drove 480 km on smaller roads through scenic landscapes. It is amazing how much Russia has changed since we were here in 2013. The roads are much better, the driving behaviour has changed, especially amongst the truck drivers.
The most notable development is to see how the cities are changing, as many houses and buildings have been restored and many new buildings can be seen on the skyline of the larger cities. We also passed the Volga river.
We are now in Nizhni Novgorod, the Volga River is running through the city. It is a modern city, very beautiful and worthwhile a visit.

Day 22

After returning from the garage last night, I had to re-adjust the clutch, there is hardly any tolerance left. I am afraid we will have to replace the clutch in St. Petersburg.
Left Ufa at 08.46. With a drive of 620 km, two special tests and a racetrack we had a long day ahead. The weather is good, 36 degrees Celsius, and we are really enjoying the air inlet in the roof!
The driving we see in Russia is good and not comparable to 2013.
Today we only saw one accident, a tank truck tilted, diesel oil was pouring out on the road and the traffic just passed on through the oil, quite slippery.
The Kazan ring is a nice race track with tight bends and elevation. It was great fun on the off-road tyres!
We arrived at the hotel at 17.00, had a quick check on the car, no loose bolts or parts were found. It was then time for a cold beer!

 

Day 20

Was at Porsche Ufa at 10 in order to make a clutch adjustment, repair the horn, which is an important feature when driving here. Further to clean the car and get rid of some of the dust and finally check bolts and nuts.
When we got the skid plate removed, I discovered large cracks in the forward gearbox/engine mount.
We got same dismounted and welded – there were only 20 mm material left – to keep things together. The clutch is causing some problems, might have to be replaced in the coming days.
Took out the engine fan in order to clean the generator, and that was badly needed, it was full of dust.
After 8 hours efforts we finished all works. Porsche Ufa was very helpful and the mechanics were really good.

Day 20

We started out on a test race track, which was great fun, especially on the off-road tyres. We then had a nice drive through the Ural Mountains up to Ufa where we will have a “rest” day. Ufa is the capital of Bashkortostan. The city is 500 years old and you can see that it has been a rich city for centuries, many nice old houses and buildings.
Today the major industry is oil related.

Day 19
Today we had an easy day with only two special tests. We took it easy, as we do not want to wreck the car, Paris is the goal!
We also crossed into Europe in Magnitogorsk, which is where Europe and Asia meet at 53.37’83” N and 59.01’00” E. We arrived at Bannoe Lake and had time to relax in the Russian holiday camp. People are very friendly and we only meet positive people. Several competitors went to garages along the route, in general you will not be allowed to pay anything!

Day 19

Great driving day, distance 600 km including three time trials and a tiny “race” track. It’s great to do 140 km/h on gravel and dirt roads, just perfect conditions for the car.
Every day we check the car for loose bolts and nuts and today the clutch needed an adjustment, new to me, but easily done.
The Nokian tyres are just perfect for these conditions.
Today our charity reached DKK 263,700, our goal is DKK 350,000, so we need your support!

Day 17

The special tests were cancelled due to heavy rainfalls, we made 500+ km on great roads. For the first time we all arrived early at the last camp of the rally in Balkashino, Kazakhstan. It looked like a marketplace and the locals had made great effort in welcoming us. We ended up having the best evening of the event! Great food, good conversations, singing and dancing around the bonfire!

There are no issues with the car, only the daily check has been done.

Day 16

Yesterday we drove 620 km and today 580 km, meaning 10 hours in the car per day. What we have seen in Kazakhstan is green fields, but no sign of agriculture. There were some large plants with huge funnels exhausting a heavy yellow-grey smoke. Probably some kind of ore plants.
Roads are good, you can see that investments are made in infrastructure. We arrived in Nur-Sultan, former Astana, yesterday at 5 pm. It is a very modern city with construction going on everywhere. It is the Dubai of this region.
We had three special stages today. All were great fun, again a lot of mud. It sticks to the car and gets as hard as concrete.
Met a few car enthusiasts who are running a blog. Together we went to get rid of the dirt, it took an hour’s steam cleaning to get the mud to dissolve. Great guys are very enthusiastic about cars.