On May 19, the final route of the 11th Edition of the 2021 International Silk Way Rally was officially unveiled during a presentation in Moscow. With just over a month to go before this key event in the summer off-road calendar, preparations have entered their final phase.
The unveiling of the Silk Way Rally route is one of the most eagerly awaited prestart events. It is already a tradition to make every new edition different from the previous ones, so the route is always of great interest to the participants. Once again, the SWR 2021 is integrated into the most important championships of the discipline, namely the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies for cars and the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship for bikes and quads.
It is from Omsk, Russia, a city situated at the confluence of two rivers, the Irtysh and the Om, that the Silk Way rally 2021 Start Ceremony will take place on July 1st, 2021
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At the end of the 10 days of this incomparable adventure through spectacular landscapes; forests, steppes, deserts, sandy tracks and wadi crossings, the caravan will reach UlaanBaatar, the capital of the country of the blue sky.
The finish and the podium ceremony of this 11th Edition will take place on July 11 in the Mongolian capital, on their National Day that marks the beginning of the famous Nadaam festivities.
The route of this Silk Way Rally 2021, which promises to be particularly demanding, will cover some 5,500 kilometres, including more than 3,500 kilometres of selective section. And while the first stages in Russia will serve essentially as a warm-up, with a total of 329 timed kilometres, the arrival on Mongolian soil will signal the start of hostilities with stages featuring between 340 and 540 kilometres of daily selective sections.
Another novelty of this new route is a radical shortening of liaisons (untimed sections). In 2021, the aggregate length of liaisons will make up only 37% of the total race distance which represents a record figure in the history of the transcontinental Silk Way Rally.
The rally schedule still includes the most demanding stage of the race – the marathon. On this stage participants will have to repair their cars and bikes on their own, with it being strictly forbidden for any other team members to approach the vehicles. The day of the marathon stage will be a kind of a day-off for the tech support teams – they will be based at another bivouac and stay off the race on that day.
During this presentation in Moscow, a detailed itinerary of the 11th Edition of the 2021 International Silk Way Rally was presented where the Rally Organization Team, supported by representatives of the Rally partners and the Russian, Mongolian and Chinese motorsport federations, addressed their greetings to the local and international media and the numerous spectators who followed the event.
In addition to the route, with the support of Gazprom – the General Partner of the Silk Way Rally, the event organizers will offer new conditions to competitors driving cars using natural fuels: natural gas (methane), propane or hydrogen for the first time.
For the rally competitors, Gazprom Neft will provide high-tech fuel and engine oils, as well as a mobile laboratory service, recommendations from experts and company specialists.
Vladimir Chagin, Project Manager: “In 2019 we accepted the offer of our Mongolian colleagues regarding the organization of the International Silk Way Rally in the territory of the Mongolia. The motorsport community’s reaction to the Mongolian stages of the route has been more than positive, it’s been a delight. That’s why we had absolutely no doubt to include the stages crossing the Land of Blue Sky once again in the 2021 SWR Program.
This year Russia and Mongolia are celebrating the 100th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. We are perfectly sure that the Rally participants will love the new itinerary, fascinating both due to the beautiful landscapes of the special stage areas and to the complexity of the distance to overcome.
I would like to express my thanks to all those who help us with the preparation and organization of the Silk Way Rally – all our Russian, European, Mongolian and Chinese friends! Together we will achieve the greatest success!”
Luc Alphand, Sports Director: “Today we are glad to present the official route of the Eleventh Edition of the 2021 International Silk Way Rally. Very soon, on July 1st, the Rally teams will start off from Omsk to plunge into their exciting ten day adventure along the 5,5 thousand km distance running across the territory of Russia and Mongolia.
Ulaanbaatar will welcome them at a Finish Ceremony on July 11. When preparing the route this year we have learned and taken into account all the lessons of the previous years, which helped us make it more interesting, complicated, diversified from the point of view of road surfaces and climatic zones, spectacular from the point of view of surrounding landscapes and, which is equally important for our racers, we have managed to shorten liaisons significantly.
I have absolutely no doubt that the 2021 Silk Way Rally route will produce the most delightful impressions on the participants”.
Oleg Matytsin, Minister of Sport of the Russian Federation: “On behalf of the Russian Ministry of Sports and on my own behalf I would like to welcome the participants of the presentation of the route of the eleventh edition Silk Way Rally.
The race’s motto is “There are many roads in this world, but only one is yours”. I am sure that the rally organizers have prepared a unique and exciting route through the territories of Russia and Mongolia.
Every year the competition is gaining more and more popularity among motorsport fans. The routes are becoming more interesting, the entry list is extending. The Silk Way Rally has gone beyond the framework of a sporting occasion and became a significant social event that emphasizes the friendship of our countries. The Project is of great importance for the development of political, economic and cultural relations.
I am sure that the new edition of the Silk Way Rally will be successfully held at a high organizational level, and its competitors will amaze us with their high sportsmanship!
I wish you all a positive mood, health, good luck and new bright victories! “
Official name: 2021 Silk Way Rally
Is held with the support of the President of the Russian Federation, the Government of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Sports of the Russian Federation.
Round of the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies;
Round of the FIM Cross-Country Rally World Championship.
Crosses two countries (Russia, Mongolia)
Official dates in the FIA / FIM calendar in 2021: 1 to 11 July 2021
Start Ceremony: July 1, 2021, Omsk (Russia)
Finish Ceremony: July 11, 2021, Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia)
Number of legs – 10, including 3 circular and 1 marathon stage
The rally distance is over 5,400 kilometers; over 3,400 kilometers of them are
