Only this time the participants will have more competition sections: 4089 kilometers, or 43% of the total distance. The places through which the race will pass have also changed: the cities where the stages finish have changed, and more high-speed sections have been added. The rally raid finishes in Xi'an, China on July 22.
The first three stages of the race will take place across Russia. During this time, participants will overcome 524 kilometers of very high-speed special stages. The navigators have a lot of work to do: the organizers tried to confuse the route, and the crews need to be more careful not to miss the right road and take the control point.
The Kazakhstan section of the rally starts from Kostanay and ends in Karamay, near the border with China. Here, athletes will find numerous dirt roads and steppe areas. As Vladimir Chagin promised at the presentation, the fifth stage, from Astana to Semey, will be the fastest: crews will be able to reach speeds of more than 200 km/h.
In China, participants will finally reach the dunes and sands: first they will have to drive along the Qilianshan Mountains, through canyons and dry river beds, and then end up in the Gobi Desert. The most difficult stage, as Vladimir Chagin promises, will be the twelfth: without a single settlement. The hottest should be the thirteenth stage, which is laid through the Gobi Desert. Last year the air temperature here rose to 53 degrees Celsius. Chagin reminded that on this day it will be necessary to take more water with them, and called on the male crews to show their best character traits and share water with the female crews if they ask for it. The most mountainous and rocky stage will be the last, fourteenth: from Zhongwei to Xi’an. Although there are only 100 kilometers of special stages, they are very difficult.
Rally raid route " Silk Road» by day
4th stage, July 11: Kostanay - Astana, two special stages with a total length of 484 kilometers.
Stage 11, July 19: Dunhuang - Jiayuguan, two special stages with a total length of 251 kilometers.
Stage 13, July 21: Alashan-Yuqi - Zhongwei, two special stages with a total length of 380 kilometers.
Stage 14, July 22: Zhongwei - Xi'an, special stage - 100 kilometers, finish and award ceremony for winners and runners-up.
Several main heroes of the competition were present at the presentation of the Silk Way Rally 2017 route: Nasser Al-Attiyah, Stéphane Peterhansel, Gerard de Roy, Cyril Despres and the KAMAZ-master team almost in full force. Just like last year, they plan to compete for victory in their competitions. Starting next year, the strongest motorcyclists in the world should join them - in 2018.
Currently, five KAMAZ-master crews have already submitted their applications: they will pilot the Blue Armada trucks two-time winner“The Silk Road” Ayrat Mardeev, Eduard Nikolaev, Andrey Karginov, Anton Shibalov and Dmitry Sotnikov.
The application also came from their main rival Gerard de Roy, who had previously taken part in the Silk Road only once, in 2009. Together with him, two more trucks will ride in the same Petronas De Rooy Iveco team - Arthur Ardavichus and Ton van Genugten.
Martin van den Brink, Pascal de Baer and Gert Huznik (Mammoet Riwald Rally Sport) are planning to start in Renault trucks. Ales Loprais (Instaforex Loprais Team) will drive a Tatra, Miklos Kovacs (Team Qualisport) will drive a new Scania, and the Belarusian team MAZ-SPORTauto will exhibit three of its trucks driven by Sergei Vyazovich, Alexey Vishnevsky and Alexander Vasilevsky.
Three Peugeot Sport cars are again entered in the T1 classification, now new 3008 DKR prototypes. They will be piloted by last year's winner Cyril Despres, as well as Stéphane Peterhansel and Sébastien Loeb. They will be opposed by several Toyota crews: Nasser Al-Attiyah (Toyota Overdrive), Ginelle de Villiers, Leroy Poulter (Toyota Gazoo Racing). And on Mini: two MINI John Cooper Works Rally cars of the German X-Raid team - Yazid Al-Rajhi and Bryce Menzies - and MINI All4Racing of the Russian crew Vladimir Vasiliev / Konstantin Zhiltsov (G-Energy Team).
The rally organizers separately highlight “dark horses” that can bring surprises in the race: Boris Gadasin (Suprotec Racing), Han Wei on the Geely Boyue Hanwei SMG Team buggy, Pascal Thomass and Christian Lavielle (Baicmotor Racing Team), silver medalist“Silk Road 2012” Balazs Zhalai on an Opel prototype, Miroslava Zapletal on a Hummer Evo 3, Frederic Chavigny on a Nissan, Eugenio Amos on a mono-wheel drive buggy, Mathieu Serradori on an SRT buggy.
According to Russian Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov, the Russian President will propose initiatives to develop cost-effective transport routes at the “One Belt, One Road” forum in Beijing.
“Our president, together with the chairman of the People's Republic of China and the UN Secretary General, will speak at the opening ceremony of the forum. It is meant that Vladimir Vladimirovich will present the Russian vision of the prospects for economic development on the Eurasian continent. “He will propose a number of specific initiatives to build the shortest cost-effective and efficient transport routes through Russian territory and to deliver goods all the way from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean,” he said.
The Chinese Embassy in Moscow explained to Gazeta.Ru that there is a lot of confusion in the very name of the project of the new Silk Road and the forum that will be held in Beijing. This is a forum high level on international cooperation within the framework of the Belt and Road (Silk Road Economic Belt and Maritime Silk Road of the 21st century). “The goal of the project is the joint construction of the Belt and Road, which will make it possible to better use the advantages of each participating country and turn economic complementarity into new development drivers not only for China, but also for the world economy,” explained Gazeta.Ru.
China does not impose itself on anyone
The project can only be implemented “on the basis of common interests and common responsibility,” the embassy clarifies, adding that China does not force participation in the project on anyone.
While 40 states have signed bilateral cooperation agreements with China, including key European countries, the European market is considered by the Chinese authorities as key for exporters. However, representatives of Argentina, the Philippines and Sri Lanka also expressed interest in the project. Official Beijing makes it clear that in the future the Silk Road can be built not only to Europe, but also to the countries of Central Asia and Africa.
China proposed the Silk Road Economic Belt (SREB) initiative back in 2013.
And in 2016, China's total trade volume with countries along the Silk Road already amounted to $954 billion, or 25.7% of global trade volume.
The most difficult thing for Russia is to effectively integrate into the implementation of a large-scale Chinese project. Ushakov clarified at a briefing on Friday that Putin will propose initiatives to connect the various integration processes taking place in Europe and Asia, based on the universal principles and norms of the WTO.
Russia's first steps in this direction were taken back in May 2015, when a joint statement was signed on cooperation to connect the Silk Road Economic Belt and the Eurasian Economic Union. President Xi Jinping discussed the details of such a connection more than once, last time- on the sidelines of summits and in Ufa. Currently, experts from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences are preparing the concept of the Greater Eurasian Partnership.
This concept involves the construction of a high-speed Moscow-Beijing highway and the Power of Siberia gas transmission line. The Silk Road can include the capabilities of the BAM and the Trans-Siberian Railway, as well as the capabilities of the Far Eastern port. Putin will speak at the forum about the advantages of transport corridors operating in Russia, Ushakov explained.
“A practical dimension was, for example, joint investments of companies from two countries in various projects.
In the non-energy sector alone, projects worth over $15 billion are already being implemented.
Another dimension is the negotiations on a trade and economic agreement with China. The forum can give a new impetus to these negotiations,” a federal official participating in the Beijing forum explained to Gazeta.Ru.
The Russian delegation includes representatives of business - the head, the head, the chairman of the supervisory board " Basic element", head, head, owner, head. However, as Ushakov noted, Russia and China do not plan to sign any major agreements based on the results of negotiations between the leaders of the two states. Ushakov noted that such agreements are planned to be signed later, during his visit to Russia.
However, on Saturday, May 13, it became known that RDIF, the Russian-Chinese Investment Fund, a number of Middle Eastern investment funds and the Vi Holding group of companies agreed on cumulative investments in the development project of the territory of the former Tushino airfield in the north-west of Moscow. The total investment in the project will amount to more than 90 billion rubles. The corresponding agreement was signed on the 13th during Putin’s visit to China.
Even if the Silk Road project does not bring real benefits to Russia, China will still remain Russia's key economic partner. Currently, China's share in Russia's foreign trade turnover is 14%. At the end of 2016, trade turnover increased by 4%, to $66 billion. At the end of the first quarter of 2017, trade turnover between Russia and China grew in dollar equivalent by 29.3% ($18.5 billion).
The fact that negative trends in trade turnover between the two countries have been overcome was also confirmed in China. “In trade with Russia, we are restoring the previous dynamics. The recovery began in the first half of last year. The very structure of imports and exports is changing,” says the director of the department for Eastern European countries and Central Asia Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China Gui Cunyun.
“Earlier, following the visit of Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli and his meeting with Putin, 99% of contracts worth $90 billion were agreed upon,” said a representative of the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
During a meeting with the First Deputy Prime Minister of Russia at the fourth meeting of the Russian-Chinese intergovernmental commission on investment cooperation in April, the idea of creating two funds that would invest in the Russian mining and metallurgical industries, as well as in infrastructure and development projects, was approved. Contracts are being prepared in the fields of automobile and aircraft manufacturing, space, and metallurgy.
Russia is sending oil and gas to China
However, oil and gas remain the basis of trade turnover. At the end of last year, Russia came out on top in terms of oil exports to China (52.5 million tons), ahead of Saudi Arabia.
A project to build a gas pipeline in China is also being implemented, providing for annual supplies of 38 billion cubic meters of gas. The Yamal LNG project is being promoted with the participation of Chinese partners, and construction of the second stage of two power units of the Tianwan NPP continues.
There are agreements on the construction of a long-range wide-body aircraft and a heavy civil helicopter. There is also a chance that the Chinese will be interested in the Moscow-Kazan high-speed highway.
“The development of the Chinese concept of the Silk Road Economic Belt promises a number of benefits both for Russia and for the EAEU as a whole,” says the director of the Center for Integrated Development Studies.
One of the economic effects can be achieved as a result of an increase in cargo transportation along the China-Europe axis, the expert believes. The potential of trans-Eurasian transit can be estimated at 4% of traffic currently traveling by sea.
According to him, we are talking about premium, high-margin cargo.
The development of transport corridors passing through Russia is useful for increasing the connectivity of the internal regions of Russia - the Urals and Siberia. If transport meridians are developed on Russian territory, China, the Eurasian Union, and even the countries of Central Asia will benefit from this.
The Chinese megaproject also has a downside. Unfavorable for Russia. When the Silk Road project gains momentum, it will create problems for Russian business. He will have to compete even harder with Chinese goods - in Russia, on the Eurasian market and in our loyal markets of Central Asia and North Africa.
As a result Chinese partners will become competitors.
The Russian Ambassador to China categorically disagrees with this formulation of the issue. “I didn’t notice any competition. On the contrary, Russia and China are major partners, and we need to use our advantages,” the ambassador told Gazeta.Ru at a briefing in Beijing.
The past two decades of rapid economic growth in China have transformed it into a superpower. With the coming to power of a new leadership led by Xi Jinping, the PRC has stopped hiding its foreign policy ambitions. The project to create the New Silk Road is a logical continuation of China's policy in recent years. The first steps to realize the dream have already been taken: financial resources have been allocated and agreements have been developed with key countries. The plan also has several opponents from among the major world powers. By implementing the project, China will solve not only a number of internal problems, but will also have a global impact on the economic picture of the world. How will the New Silk Road go?
Grand Plan
Not long ago, Foreign Minister Wang Yi defined the “One Belt, One Dream” concept for China’s foreign policy, according to which it is planned to build a New Silk Road from Asia to Europe. At the beginning of 2014, Chinese President Xi Jinping presented a plan to create the Silk Road. As part of the project, it is planned to form a giant single economic belt consisting of infrastructure facilities in many countries. The New Silk Road will pass through Central Asia, Russia, Belarus, and Europe. The sea route will follow the Persian Gulf, the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean. An option with routes through African countries is being considered.
The PRC is going to invest more than $40 billion in the project from a special fund. $50 billion has already been allocated by the Asian Bank. The funds will be used for the construction of railways, ports and other facilities, and for the development of relations between the countries participating in the project. The Wantchinatimes resource estimated the total investments of the PRC at $22 trillion.
Attempts to revive the Silk Road have already been made by Europe and the United States. China was the last to address this idea, but has done much more to implement it. Thanks to impressive financial capabilities and “soft economic aggression,” it will be possible to create a safe transit that will be used by many states. Today, China is actively discussing infrastructure construction projects with participating countries. A more specific scheme for the new Silk Road and the results of lengthy negotiations will become known in late March at the Boao Forum (South Chinese province of Hainan).
Silk Road concept
Today, China supplies electrical and high-tech products to the world market. In terms of length (16 thousand km), the country ranks first in the world. The ancient Silk Road was exclusively a Chinese transport corridor. Today, the PRC announces the creation of an international economic platform.
The initiative to unite the Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road is being carried out within the framework of the One Belt, One Road program. The concept of the New Silk Road is to implement the plan through five interrelated elements:
- unified infrastructure;
- political coherence;
- monetary and financial flows;
- trade relations;
- humanitarian communication.
On this basis, full-scale cooperation is promoted, strengthening mutual trust between countries, developing economic integration and cultural tolerance. The implementation of the project as a whole was planned along three routes:
- "China - Central Asia - Russia - Europe".
- "China - Central and Western Asia".
- "China - Southeast Asia - South Asia".
New Silk Road. Route
The scale of the project is impressive not only in terms of investment, but also in terms of geography. The entire “path” is divided into two routes (by land and by sea). The land route begins in Xi'an (Shaanxi province), passing through the whole of China, follows to the city of Urumqi, crosses such as Iran, Iraq, Syria, Turkey. Then it goes through the Bosphorus Strait to Eastern Europe, to Russia. The New Silk Road, the route of which will pass through the territory of several European countries, will proceed from Rotterdam to Italy.
An equally grandiose sea route begins in the city of Quanzhou (Fuzqian Province), follows through large southern Chinese cities, through the Strait of Malacca, ending in Kuala Lumpur. Crossing the Indian Ocean, it stops in Colombo (Sri Lanka), in the Maldives, and reaches Nairobi (Kenya). Next, the route passes along the Red Sea through Djibouti, through the Suez Canal to Athens (Greece), to Venice (Italy) and connects with the land Silk Road.
Economic tasks of the “path”
As a major exporter, China influences the global economy in many ways. According to forecasts, the Silk Road is expected to generate $21 trillion in trade turnover per year, which could increase China's share of global GDP to 50%.
It is assumed that the New Silk Road, the construction of which is already in full swing, will redirect the flow of exports of goods and capital to regions that until recently remained outside of international trade. In recent decades, China has been actively cooperating with Asian countries. Investments allocated by Chinese state-owned companies are for many developing countries perhaps the only opportunity to maintain independence among the great powers.
From an economic point of view, the benefit of the project for China lies in the reduction of logistics costs. For countries participating in the Silk Road - in attracting additional funds. An example of such cooperation based on Chinese investments is the iHavan project in the Maldives (in the future this will be one of important points on the map of the maritime Silk Road).
Regional tasks
China's presence in Central Asia and Africa is not purely economic in nature. At the regional level, the priority task for the PRC remains the political and economic stability of the border regions: East, Central and Southeast Asia. The main barrier to the spread of the Chinese economic phenomenon was the “Chinese threat” factor. It is planned to reduce the threat to “no” using the strategy of “soft power” and strengthening the cultural influence of the PRC. The number of students from the Asian region studying at Chinese universities reflects the degree of penetration
China's energy security largely depends on its control over the sea and land Silk Road. As the world's largest importer of energy resources, China is 100% dependent on sea supplies. The threat of an “oil embargo” constantly hangs over the country. The US used this tactic against Japan before the war.
The New Silk Road will unite many countries, including opponents of the United States (Russia, Pakistan, Iran). The states participating in the path can become a significant political force. An important task associated with the creation of the Silk Road is the protection of Chinese investments. Through trading points controlled by the PRC, it is possible to implement not only commercial, but also anti-terrorist goals. From time to time information appears in the media about the creation Chinese network military bases "String of Pearls" in the Indian Ocean.
The impact of the project on the internal politics of the PRC
Large international projects are also becoming a priority in China’s domestic politics. The New Silk Road will help resolve several internal problems.
- The Pro-China Economic Belt is a profitable investment project with high returns and long-term benefits.
- Passing through Western China, the belt will help solve the problems of uneven development of the country, cultural and economic integration of the western regions.
- The construction of infrastructure facilities is a source of new jobs for Chinese state-owned companies that have solid human resources.
Central Asia and Russia
The territories of Russia and Central Asia, which unite the West and the East, are significant transit arteries for China. Today, China is the world's factory. They had been considering the idea of using Central Asia for economic purposes since the collapse of Soviet Union. At the same time, systematic work began in this direction: the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, raising the issue of economic cooperation. It was important not only to level out the internal economic situation, but also to prepare a corridor to Europe through Central Asia and Russia.
It is not so important where the New Silk Road will take place: in any case, it will become a large-scale “shake-up” of the infrastructure of Central Asia and will significantly expand cargo flows from China. The success of the tactics of unification and stability, the only possible one on the Silk Road, has been proven historically. Revolutions and wars between nations led to its decline, and navigation to its lack of demand. Subsequent attempts to resume the route without unification at the regional level came to nothing.
Central Asia has always been a sphere of interest for Russia. The rapprochement between China and the Russian Federation is quite difficult question. It is not yet clear how the Silk Road will affect the Customs Union and the SCO. Much depends on the position of Kazakhstan, the regional center
Russia's role in the project
On the ancient Silk Road, China was the only exporter. The modern path differs from its predecessor precisely in the desire for integration. At the negotiations in Moscow, China for the first time proposed to Russia to use the infrastructure of the economic corridor for trade purposes. Russia will apparently gain access to ports on the New Silk Road and take part in the transit of goods. Of course, in this way the PRC solves one of the important tasks- give impetus to the development and inclusion of Western territories in the international economy.
Russia on the New Silk Road is so far only an accomplice, a supplier of raw materials, and a transit country. Development along the “path” requires a holistic strategy. Government and corporate plans of individual companies are not enough for this; a single one is required. Thanks to China, we have formed a positive image of this project, but there are not many really positive aspects for Russia.
After the collapse of the USSR, we left Central Asia and solved internal problems. For the purpose of integration, China created the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Small states were afraid of the PRC, so security was the order of the day. The PRC raised economic issues related to free trade and opening borders. The SCO would have been a monopolist in the region if not for the formation of the Eurasian Economic Union, which showed that Russia has the will and strategic plans for Central Asia. Today, the SCO and the EAEU are the only projects in Central Asia, and the second has more prospects for development, so China is negotiating.
Xi Jinping voiced several proposals for uniting the future economic belt and the EAEU. The idea was supported by V. Putin. The President expressed the opinion that both projects together will become a powerful impetus for economic activity in Eurasia. The projects will be united on the basis of the SCO, which also puts China in the position of leader.
Prospects for the project in Russia
The New Silk Road project will help increase trade turnover and develop Russia’s own land and sea transport network. To do this, it is necessary to create an associated infrastructure. Today the Russian government is saving the budget, including cutting funds allocated for construction.
The connection of Russia to the route as a whole depends on the degree of development of the domestic railway infrastructure. It was planned that the New Silk Road through will go to Russia according to the average, Southern Urals and northern regional territories, where construction of the Northern Latitudinal Railway is underway. The possibility of extending the highway through the Polunochnoe - Obskaya line to Kazakhstan and China is being considered. The Northern Urals could be integrated into the “path” by sea or land, but only by fulfilling the conditions for modernizing the railway network.
Sokolov raised the issue of modernizing the BAM and Trans-Siberian Railway, which would make it possible to create a Moscow-Beijing high-speed railway, but no money is expected. In 2015, according to the plan, funding for the BAM and Trans-Siberian Railways should have amounted to at least 21 billion rubles, but in fact 16 billion were allocated.
One of the options for including Russia in the New Silk Road was rejected along with the termination of the project to build a Crimean port. Crimea could become a strategic trading base and a new entry point for the trade route to Europe. In any case, the Silk Road by land will go through one of the European countries, where it is easy to provoke a change of power and block transit. For example, the South Stream stop in Bulgaria. The presence of a trade base in Crimea will allow redirecting the movement of goods through any of the countries.
New Silk Road bypassing Russia
Ukraine has announced its intention to take part in the Silk Road project as an intermediate link for cargo flows from China to Europe. According to Mikheil Saakashvili, it is more profitable to direct trade flows to seaport Ilyichevsk, since logistics through it will take no more than 9 days, and through Russia - 30 days. Saakashvili emphasized that work is already underway on the construction of roads in the EU, and a large bridge is being built across the Dniester estuary.
China has already made significant progress in implementing the basic version of the route: Kazakhstan - Azerbaijan - Georgia - Türkiye. The Nomadexpress test container train left China, bypassing Russian territory, traveling 3,500 km in five days - through Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea to Kishly station (not far from Baku). The second route of the New Silk Road will pass through Iran, the third (through Russia to Moscow and St. Petersburg) is still being discussed. The last route is more profitable: it is shorter than the other two. In addition, Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan are members of the EAEU. The issue of Russian participation in the project took a long time to resolve; a declaration of consent was signed in May 2015.
The PRC considers the option of an “independence” to be quite acceptable. The Chinese ambassador announced that Chinese banks are ready to invest $20 billion in the infrastructure of Ukraine. Does this mean that a New Silk Road will appear, bypassing the territory of the Russian Federation? Wait and see. It is quite obvious that China is considering several route options at once, as in ancient times.
The direction “Kazakhstan - Russia - Belarus” is the most profitable for China, but Russia has not joined the concept of the “New Silk Road” and defends its own interests related to the EAEU. Ukraine is indeed convenient for organizing transportation, but is not suitable for large investments due to its instability. The PRC's play with the Square strengthens the Chinese position in negotiations with the Russian Federation. Of course, the route “Kazan - Moscow - St. Petersburg...” on the Silk Road will still be discussed.
The 9,608 kilometers between Moscow and Xi'an across the territories of Russia, Kazakhstan and China will become the arena for the battle of the strongest teams of SUVs and trucks.
50 days before the start of the “Silk Way” rally-raid in Moscow, at The Ritz Carlton hotel, located next to Red Square, from where the race participants will start on July 7, a presentation of the route of the two-week marathon took place. In the presence of hundreds of invited guests, including famous world-famous pilots, project manager Vladimir Chagin and head of the European rally bureau Frederic Lekien spoke about the most interesting details of the route and key points along the route.
“Silk Road 2017” is 9,608 kilometers, 14 stages, 17 special stages
After technical and administrative checks, which will take place on July 5 and 6 at Luzhniki, and a ceremonial start on Red Square on July 7, dozens of crews will set off on a two-week racing marathon, which will include 14 stages, three of which will consist of double special stages.
The first three stages will pass through the territory of Russia, then the athletes will go to Kazakhstan, in the steppes of which the pilots will overcome four more stages. This year's rest day is scheduled for July 16, the participants will take a break in the city of Urumqi, but first the first of seven stages on the territory of the People's Republic of China awaits the riders. Like last year, here the crews will have to storm the giant dunes of the Gobi Desert, which will decorate the route.
This year, the race management has reduced the length of the liaisons between special stages to the maximum, however, the total race distance exceeds 9,500 kilometers.
Silk Way Rally 2017 route in numbers
- Total distance - 9608 km
- The total length of special stages is 4089 km (42.6% of the entire race distance)
- The share of special stages relative to the total rally distance increased by 4.32%
- The share of special stages in Russia relative to the total distance in Russia increased by 8.11%
- The share of special stages in China relative to the total distance in China increased by 5.55%
- The total distance of the liaisons along the rally route was reduced by 1111 km.
Outstanding line-up
Never before at the start of the Silk Way Rally, which dates back to 2009, have there been so many pilots vying for victory.
Last year's winners, the Peugeot Sport team will field three new 3008 DKR prototypes at the start of the race, driven by Stéphane Peterhansel, Sébastien Loeb and last year's winner Cyril Despres on the Silk Road.
The “Lions” will be opposed by an armada of Toyota crews led by the legendary Qatari Nasser Al-Attiyah (Toyota Overdrive) and South African athletes Giniel de Villiers and Leroy Poulter (Toyota Gazoo Racing).
The German X-Raid team will be represented on Red Square by two MINI John Cooper Works Rally cars, piloted by Arab driver Yazid Al-Raji and young American racer Bryce Menzies. Another representative of the brand will be Vladimir Vasiliev - driving a MINI All4Racing prepared by the G-Energy team, Vladimir will fight for a place in the top three.
Among " dark horses" of the marathon, it is necessary to highlight Boris Gadasin, who expects to take the preparation car of the Suprotec Racing team to the track, and Han Wei in the Geely Boyue Hanwei SMG Team buggy, as well as the leaders of the Baicmotor Racing Team Pascal Thomass with Christian Lavielle.
In the T2 category, where production all-wheel drive cars compete, in the absence of the injured Denis Berezovsky, the reigning winner of this category, all eyes will be on the battle between Toyota Autobody's Akira Miura and Isuzu's Adrian di Lallo.
Among the trucks, the main favorite is the “Blue Armada” - five KAMAZ-Master crews. The colors of the Chelny giant will be worn by two-time winner of the Silk Road Ayrat Mardeev, as well as Eduard Nikolaev, Andrey Karginov, Anton Shibalov and Dmitry Sotnikov.
The main rival of KAMAZ-master will be the Dutchman Gerard de Rooy - this will be his first start on the Silk Road after second place in 2009. Petronas De Rooy Iveco's team partners will be Arthur Ardavichus and Ton van Genugten.
Martin van den Brink, the “Flying Dutchman” of the truck category, will drive for the Mammoet Riwald Rally Sport team. Together with him, two more crews will take part in the race - Pascal de Bar and Gert Huznik. All three will lead Renault cars into battle. The Belarusian MAZ-SPORTauto will also exhibit three trucks. The composition of pilots is traditional: Sergey Vyazovich, Alexey Vishnevsky and Alexander Vasilevsky.
Czech Tatra will be represented by three teams - Ales Loprais will drive a car prepared by the Instaforex Loprais Team, Tomas Vratny will compete in the colors of the Bonver Dakar Project, and Tomas Vratny will drive a Tatra Baggyra Racing truck into battle.
In addition, Team Qualisport's Miklos Kovacs will take to the start line in a new Scania truck, while Teruhito Sugawara will drive a Hino for the second year in a row.
Quotes
Vladimir Chagin(Project Manager of the International Silk Road Rally):
« The seventh edition opens a new chapter in the history of the Silk Way Rally - in 2017 we will make a new sports journey through traditionally friendly countries - Russia, Kazakhstan and China. It is noteworthy that we finish in the city of Xi'an, one of the oldest cradles of Chinese civilization, because it was here that the Great Silk Road began, connecting the West and the East many centuries ago. Thanks to the support of our partners, we did everything to prepare for the participants an interesting and beautiful, memorable track in terms of aerobatics. I believe that our route will be unforgettable both for the leading pilots and teams of the world, and for numerous fans from all over the planet».
Frederic Lequien(Head of the European Bureau of the Silk Way Rally): “ In the first year, in the format of the two-week “Silk Road” marathon, we managed to hold an exciting race, which was broadcast for hundreds of hours on television channels in 196 countries around the world. In 2017, our race will take another step forward. The recently completed renaissance has demonstrated enormous potential in all three countries along the route. We have thought through the seventh edition of the marathon to the smallest detail, so that all participants can do is enjoy the stages and bivouacs we have prepared».
Bruno Famin(Head of Peugeot Sport): “ In 2017, the Silk Way Rally will again be an extremely long and awe-inspiring marathon. The race will be really long, many stages and very long distances await us. Just like last year, we will be competing on a variety of surface types, but most importantly, we will once again be heading to the giant dunes of the Chinese deserts. Thus, we will need complete focus and dedication».
Cyril Despres(Peugeot Sport driver): " I am happy to go to the start of the Silk Way Rally for the second time. Last year's race, which we won, showed that it is a great race and a real pleasure to compete in it. I'm looking forward to the technical Russian and Kazakh stages, and, of course, the dunes of the Chinese desert».
Stefan Peterhansel(Peugeot Sport driver): " When you start, you always hope to win. And our goal, of course, is to win, but this time it will be more difficult for us, Peugeot Sport, than last year. That race didn't end very well for me, but now I'm aiming for a good result».
Nasser Al-Attiyah(Toyota Overdrive driver): " While competing on the Silk Road in 2009 and 2010, we got acquainted with the tracks in Russia, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, but in 2017 this rally will become the race of the year! The Silk Road is growing at a tremendous pace, everyone wants to win this marathon. But this challenge must be taken wisely, because the battle will be intense and very long. I have a lot of respect for Peugeot, but I'm not afraid of them. I've beaten them twice already».
Airat Mardeev(KAMAZ-master pilot): “ I think that in 2017 the truck category will give both participants and fans incredible emotions. Everyone will be at the start best teams, so the fight will be exciting. Everything will be decided by the dunes of the Gobi Desert - as beautiful as they are treacherous. The main factors will be experience and composure, so we expect to fight for another victory».
Gerard de Roy(Petronas De Rooy Iveco pilot): “ I have great memories since I last raced in Russia, Kazakhstan and China. This is why I so want to participate in the Silk Way Rally 2017. I have no doubt that Vladimir Chagin and his team have prepared an incredible race for us. I will start driving a new Iveco truck, so it will take some time to adapt, but I have full confidence in the technology. Our goal is to win stages, and who knows, if everything goes really well, me, Artur Ardavichus or Ton van Genguten can win».
According to the press serviceSILK ROAD RALLY 2017
The New Silk Road will be paved with big money
The topic of the New Silk Road from the Middle Kingdom to Asia, Africa and Western Europe is now probably more of concern not to journalists, but to economists. Although for Russia and a number of other countries the idea of becoming a global Chinese transit country warms the ears, it burns the pocket. The intercontinental superconstruction so far only promises boundless prospects, but it already requires almost astronomical expenses. At the same time, the project has quite enough risks. First of all, these are the risks of globalization and the question of whether China will remain the same “world factory” after a decade or whether production will be distributed in some other way, which, for example, is already observed in America, when Trump demands the return of jobs, technology and power back to their homeland. That is, it may turn out that there will suddenly be nothing special to transport along this “road”. The financial and economic aspects of this project were analyzed especially for FederalPress by the General Director of the AsstrA-Associated Traffic AG holding Dmitry Lagun:
“The cost of Russian capital investments, as well as the forecast for their return on at the moment is impossible due to the fact that information on the volume of investment in this project from the Russian Federation is not published in the media. The main initiator and investor of the New Silk Road project is China. Some publications mention information that by 2030, investments will be made in the project three trillion US dollars. The Silk Road Fund is the main financing platform, with investments estimated at US$40 billion, focusing on infrastructure investments. The fund operates in accordance with Chinese law, and foreign investors can participate in its projects. The capital of the Asian Bank and the BRICS Bank can also be attracted to finance projects; the infrastructure investments of each of them will potentially amount to $100 billion.
Beijing says the project will build or network roads, railways, ports, oil and gas pipelines and power plants along routes that will connect China with the countries of the Asia-Pacific region, the Persian Gulf, Central Asia, Africa and Europe. Along with the creation of a railway connection between China and Russia, an expressway project connecting Europe and Western China.
Infographics from the Kommersant newspaper
In Russia, the project is being implemented Rosavtodor. The section from St. Petersburg to Moscow (M-11 road) is estimated at 373 billion rubles. The section of the highway from M-11 to the Central Ring Road (TsKAD). Construction of two sections (1st and 5th) of the Central Ring Road is already underway, the rest will be awarded in concession competitions in October 2017. The expressway, which should run between the existing federal roads M-7 Volga and M-5 Ural through Gus-Khrustalny, Murom, Ardatov, south of Nizhny Novgorod, will cost about 400 billion rubles. On the territory Tatarstan The 297-kilometer Shali-Bavly highway is already under construction, and the section is about 40 km long. is already operational. The highway will connect the existing federal highways M-7 and M-5, thus increasing their connectivity. The cost of this project has not been announced.
In the Republic Bashkortostan they are going to build a 282-kilometer section of the international transport corridor (ITC) from the village of Bavly to the city of Kumertau, its cost is estimated at 156 billion rubles. IN Orenburg region, it is planned to build a 172-kilometer section bypassing Orenburg, Saraktash and to the borders with Kazakhstan– 84 billion rubles. Thus, the entire Russian section of the ITC from St. Petersburg to the borders with Kazakhstan should be ready by 2023, some of its sections will be launched by 2018. In addition, by 2020, the M-1 Belarus highway will be reconstructed, which should provide direct access for goods transported along the corridor to the Republic of Belarus and Western European countries.
Impact of the path on the regional economy
International transport corridors should serve not only the purposes of organizing transit and export transportation, but also become the basis for closer economic consolidation and economic development of adjacent regions. Most of the areas through which the route runs are united, first of all, by such a common feature as their inland macro-position in the depths of the Eurasian continent at a great distance from sea and ocean routes. By optimizing economic relations, it is possible to reduce the average transportation distance and thereby reduce transport costs. Consequently, cross-border economic interaction based on a common transport and communication infrastructure can bring very great results.
The direct effects of the implementation of the international transport corridors under consideration include a sharp reduction in railway tariffs, to the level of sea transport freight rates and, possibly, lower. This will lead to a reduction in transport costs and transportation costs, and ultimately to the economic “bringing closer” of inland regions ( Siberia and the Urals of Russia, Xinjiang, Gansu, Ningxia, Qinghai and Shaanxi of China), and also Central Asian countries And Kazakhstan to the leading centers of the world, sea and ocean ports and thereby eliminating one of the main inhibitors of development. There will be a significant increase in the capacity of highways, accompanied by an increase in traffic volumes, freight and passenger turnover, which is necessary for closer economic consolidation and economic recovery of the surrounding territories. Russia, China, Kazakhstan and other countries will be guaranteed to receive significant income from serving as a transport bridge between Western Europe and East Asia.
The indirect effect of the implementation of these megaprojects is expected to be even more significant, which consists in the strongest multiplicative overall economic and social impact of international corridors on the vast areas adjacent to them. Thus, within the influence zone of the Trans-Siberian Railway are located the most developed, inhabited and populated areas of Siberia, the conditions and capabilities of which are not fundamentally different from the average Russian ones. The construction of the superhighway will secure the southern part of Siberia, which has relatively comfortable natural and climatic conditions, as a territory of priority for powerful integrated development. The creation of the Great Silk Road on a modern railway basis will be effective option inclusion of the hitherto lagging inland northwestern and central parts of China into the zone of advanced development. The formation of the Northern Silk Road Corridor can bring a particularly noticeable effect to Kazakhstan, since rich resource areas and large urban agglomerations fall within the zone of its stimulating influence ( Astana And Karaganda) in the east and north of the country.
The creation of a highway in a new direction will ensure an increase in the density of the federal road network and will give a tremendous impetus to the development of at least eight Russian regions through whose territory this section of the corridor will pass: Moscow, Vladimir, Nizhny Novgorod, Chuvash Republic, Republic of Mordovia, Ulyanovsk, Samara region, Republic of Tatarstan. We are talking about the formation of essentially a new belt of investment activity, within which there will be large number industrial, logistics, recreational facilities and new jobs will be created.
Project difficulties
The main complaint about the project is vagueness of initiative. It is still unknown how many countries will become participants in the New Silk Road, and what targeted projects should be implemented within the framework of the initiative. Even the geographical scope of the Belt and Road project is not fully defined - all existing maps of transport corridors are unofficial. The project does not specify KPIs (key performance indicators), that is, it is not clear how many roads should be built, how many containers should be shipped, and so on.
The main difficulty of this project is its cost. The full implementation of the New Silk Road will require enormous costs, which can only be covered by investments from all countries whose interests are affected by this project.
Along with the large financial costs, the difficulty of implementation lies in long term project implementation. Thus, the media mentions that the project completion date is 2030.
Another issue is economic feasibility. Transporting goods by sea is much cheaper than by sea railway. In addition, according to the European Chamber of Commerce in China, only 20% of trains from the EU to China are filled with goods, the rest return home empty. This is explained by the fact that one of the main items of Chinese imports from the EU country is mechanical engineering products. The Indian authorities criticize the Chinese project because, with its loans, China is dragging the countries participating in the Silk Road Economic Belt (SREB) into debts that they cannot repay. The Chinese themselves have recently begun to invest less in countries where the implementation of the “One Belt, One Road” project has already begun. In 2016, the volume of foreign direct investment in these 53 countries decreased by 2%. Chinese bankers admit that many of the projects in which the government has asked them to invest are not profitable.
Infographics ria.ru
What will change
Freight flows are gradually changing. The main mode of transport in transit between East Asia and Western Europe, both previously and currently, is maritime transport, providing more than 90% of the corresponding cargo transportation. However, recently, the share of rail transportation is gradually increasing. Using railways, the delivery time of goods from China to Europe is significantly reduced. If the project continues to be implemented at a good pace, then cargo flows may shift towards Central Asia. The transport and logistics network of Central Asia will expand and become more attractive.”
"One Belt" and "Silk Road": at least two routes will pass through Russia
More details and a variety of information about events taking place in Russia, Ukraine and other countries of our beautiful planet can be obtained at Internet Conferences, constantly held on the website “Keys of Knowledge”. All Conferences are open and completely free. We invite everyone who wakes up and is interested...
