TYUMEN, January 8 (RIA Novosti) - The Russian team Kamaz-master won the longest, seventh stage of the Telephonica-Dakar 2004 rally, 1,055km, RIA Novosti was told by Russian team representatives.
Thus, having won the stage, Vladimir Chagin on Kamaz strengthened his position in the overall standing, his time is 17:06:10. Dutch Gerardus De Rooy (DAF) took second place with 17:36:24. Brazilian Andre de Azevedo (Tatra) is in third place with 17:46:21.
The 26th Dakar race started January 1 in France and will cover 11,000km long, passing across Spain, Morocco, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina-Faso and Senegal, and ending on the shores of the famous Retba (Pink) Lake outside Dakar, capital of Senegal, on January 18.
Taking part in the rally this year are 563 participants from 38 countries: 180 motorbikes, 140 cars, nearly 70 trucks, and auxiliary vehicles.
