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Paris to Beijing Rally
PHOTOS: Day 18 update on the Mercedes-Benz Paris to Beijing Rally-Almaty-Lanzhou
Almaty-Lanzhou
Paris-Beijing Tour 2006 / Day 18
Transfer of keys for the journey to China
Second rest day after more than 9000 kilometres
Fourth Group of drivers takes over in Almaty
Tour management files positive interim report
Weather: bright with sunny spells, 21 degrees Celsius
Almaty – In warm sunshine and spring-like temperatures, the third-phase contestants took leave of the long distance tour Paris – Beijing 2006 in the southern Kazakh metropolis of Almaty. The atmosphere was very relaxed as the keys to the E-Class cars were handed over to the crews for the fourth phase. 18 days after the start in Paris the fleet gathered more than 300.000 kilometres without any problems.
The 2,500-kilometres journey from Yekaterinburg to Almaty demanded the full concentration of the phase-three drivers. Crumpled car shells to the left and right of the road became a familiar sight – many head-on collisions occur when local vehicles cross the centre of the road because of driver fatigue or a careless overtaking manoeuvre.
Dr. Rodolfo Schöneburg describes his experience of the drive from Yekaterinburg to Almaty, "It was a stage that brought home the meaning of passive safety." Dr. Schöneburg is the director of passenger car development and head of the safety/vehicle function centre at DaimlerChrysler AG. His team was responsible for developing the multiple award-winning PRE-SAFE® system, which combines active and passive safety elements. He continues, "Having seen the fallout from some horrendous accidents and countless abandoned wrecks on the roadside, many contestants really appreciated the concept of safety for the first time."
One of the contestants tangibly benefited from one of the PRE-SAFE® functions when a potentially dangerous situation arose. Dr. Schöneburg explains, "The seat belt tensioner was activated when a lorry in front of the car suddenly stopped. Other contestants have also told me how comfortable and, above all, safe they have felt in the E-Class cars." The second-phase drivers, who encountered severe snowstorms en route from St. Petersburg to Yekaterinburg, stressed the great sense of security instilled by the vehicles.
But Dr. Schöneburg made some less favourable observations as well, "I noticed that only very few Russians and Kazakhs wear seat belts. I would estimate that fewer than 20 per cent of car passengers wear belts. Together with DaimlerChrysler Russia, we immediately began to consider how we could launch a joint project to boost the wearing of seat belts in these countries."
In Almaty – which translated means “City of the apples” – on the final day of their E-Class Experience, the third-phase crews had the opportunity to visit a farm that maintains the local tradition of hunting with eagles, or to take a guided tour of the one-time capital.
The former Alma-Ata is a vibrant melting-pot of different nations and has been shaped by European and Asian influences. The city's architecture embraces both modern buildings, including the Presidential Palace, and the European turn-of-the-century style of the magnificent Opera House.
The history of the kazakhian city extends as far back as the 13th century. Among its national treasures is the 66-foot-tall memorial on Republic Square, surmounted with a Scythian warrior standing on a snow leopard. One of the main exhibits in the Archaeological Museum is the red suede cloak, decorated with 3,000 golden sequins, of another Scythian warrior, the Golden Man (Altyn Adam). This treasure is thought to date from the 4th century BC and was found in Issyk.
The enchanting restaurant in which the car keys were ceremoniously handed over is named after this town near Almaty. Some of the retiring third-phase drivers called out "no way" when Florian Urbitsch, the project leader, asked for the keys to be passed to the new crews. After a welcoming address by Dr. Joachim Schommers, head of diesel engine development, the contestants reluctantly handed over "their" cars and said a fond farewell to the new friends they had made during the tour. Team 13 representing Bob English and Graeme Fletcher from Canada was presented with an award for the best average fuel consumption recorded during the third phase of the tour, which was an impressive 40.47 mpg (6.98 l/100 km). The stage consumption record of 47.9 mpg (5.9 l/100 km) was posted by the Poland team – Marciej Pertynski and Piotr Wojcik on the journey from Kostanaj to Astana.
In an informal atmosphere complemented by exquisite local dishes and a display of Kazakh dancing, the outgoing and incoming crews took the opportunity compare notes. Not all of the drivers had to relinquish their keys; Masakatsu Sato, for example, belongs to one of the six drivers who are undertaking the whole of the journey from Paris to Beijing. By way of a personal talisman for the 8,450-mile rally, the Japanese photographer resolved on the third day not to shave again until he reaches the destination. His beard will be ceremoniously removed in Beijing.