The Trans-oriental Rally was a motor rally which started in St. Petersburg on June 12, 2008 and ended next to the Great Wall of China near Beijing on June 28, 2008.
Overview It was an alternative to the Lisboa 2008 Dakar Rally which was cancelled due to fears of terrorism. Among the drivers on the race was François Delecour, two-time winner of the Monte Carlo Rally.
There were 16 legs planned:
StageDateFromTo 1 June 12 St. Petersburg Rogatchevo 2 June 13 Rogatchevo Petrovsky 3 June 14 Petrovsky Yelabuga 4 June 15 Yelabuga Mrakovo 5 June 16 Mrakovo Bogotse 6 June 17 Bogotse Arkalyk 7 June 18 Arkalyk Botakara (via Astana) 8 June 19 Botakara Ayaguz 9 June 20 Ayaguz Karamay 10 June 21 Karamay Turpan Rest day 11 June 23 Turpan Hami 12 June 24 Hami Quinguan 13 June 25 Quinguan Alxa Youqi 14 June 26 Alxa Youqi Bayanhot 15 June 27 Bayanhot Hohhot 16 June 28 Hohhot Beijing
Fatalities To date there have been two fatalities on the race: Chinese driver Xu Lang, June 17 (from injuries sustained a day earlier) French motorcyclist Philippe Tonin, June 17
The latter fatality led the Russian Kamaz team to withdraw.Kamaz pulls out of the Transorientale | Motors TV
References
Motorsport.com article
External links
Weblog focusing on the performance of motorcycle participant Patricia Watson-Miller