The winners of the Dakar-2018 came home with 15th victory

At the airport "Sheremetyevo" was held solemn meeting of the team "KAMAZ-master", returning from South America 15th victory on"Dakar"

During the solemn meeting in the "Sheremetyevo" racing team "KAMAZ-master" its leader Vladimir Chagin G. (formerly of 7-time champion of "Dakar") said, "Fortieth edition, the toughest two-week race. The whole planet was in suspense. Nerves in this year all gave as much, perhaps, for many years of life not wasted. A contest of technology and a person, vehicle, crew, pilots, teams who is stronger, who will stand, who had break from one is not enough health? Thank you very much to all the fans that you are today with us and came to meet the team and two weeks was there with us watching the broadcast. We were with you different continents, but felt your attention, your warmth and your support. And it really helped us. You can you imagine what was the joy and pride each we when to the car of the winner of the race, we fastened the flag of our country. Russia was the first! KAMAZ is the winner!!! Hurrah!". He also added: "As an athlete, a racer in the past, I don't know what this strain, what struggle, when the General classification for single stage the finish line after two weeks of racing and many thousands of miles of the race, the contenders for the victory divides one second! To imagine yourself in the place of this crew in the morning of the 19th number. As you will be able to handle the tension? The guys stood! Let's give them a round of applause! Bravo Eduard Nikolaev's crew!"

Then the team was congratulated by the General Director of OJSC KAMAZ Sergey Kogogin: "Dear friends, our team, really, we don't have experienced such intensity of emotions in the race is long, but the more valuable the victory. I would like to begin my greetings with the reading of the telegram to the President of our country, which is also closely watched for the race: "Dear Edward V., Evgeniy Vladimirovich and Vladimir Yurievich! I congratulate you on knows the rally–RAID "Dakar-2018" among trucks. For long history of these famous competition "KAMAZ-master" has repeatedly won the honorary awards and titles. And today the Russian riders again climbed on the highest step of the podium. This success was a wonderful gift to the 30th anniversary of the team and once again convincingly demonstrated a unique skill of its participants, their ability to fight and win.
I wish you new achievements, good luck and all the best. Vladimir Putin".

Then Sergei Kogogin said, "thank you so much for that made us nervous and have created an unprecedented thrills in this year. You have proven your skills around the world, climbing on the highest step of the podium. Thank you all. We are always you believed and believe. Thank you again".

In turn, the Deputy Alfiya Kogogin Gumarovna (Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee for economic policy, industry, innovative development and entrepreneurship) with the rise noted that: "I myself have 15 years sleep all winter break, as we empathize with the team and consider yourself a member. Correct to say that a simple "Dakar" not it happens, but this 40 "Dakar-2018" will long be remembered by all for her exceptionally dramatic and has exceeded the complexity all expectations. Broke and burned the clutch out of the building mechanisms, but our guys are broken. Thank you very much for the fact that you defended the sports honour of the country, its international prestige and have proved that our guys are the best and our Russian cars are the best! But KAMAZ-master is not just an outstanding team, not only brilliant riders and reliable navigators is huge number of professionals, it designers, mechanics, employees of KAMAZ, the entire automotive industry, all those who forged together with you win. All part of it. Thank you all! You guys brought victory in the beginning of the year, so the year is sure to be beautiful. Thank you for that victory is now in Russia for your skill, for your professionalism and for your patriotism! Hurray!!!".

Winner of "Dakar-2018" Eduard Nikolaev in his reply said, "Thank you very much. To really the whole team has worked on the result is, indeed, the inestimable value of our mechanics, no one will challenge. In the course of the race there were such cases, when the night had to perform a very large amount of work and the pilots sometimes had to test the results. And that's when you awake in the night, so you did need the miles, since the car before it was disassembled almost completely, but when you tested it a little to find fault, ie the car is so well prepared. Because the sport has no details, and it is really the high professionalism of our team are engineers. I thank them very much.

I want to also thank all of you – fans, partners for support. We felt it inside. Really, when was this stage with a lead one second – we are team experience helped, the experience of the team leader helped to set up and win. Thank you to all the team always wins it's the team, and this year showed how our team rallied, as we know how to work together, they saw a strong team spirit. Again, thanks to all the team!".

Vladimir Chagin also noted as increased competition in the category of trucks: "Rivals share a few seconds. The same, almost at any pace. Machines are prepared for different factories, by different people, in different parts of the world. The only difference is in fact, who had broken, early rise, who will lose time. And, of course, in these circumstances, it is important not to lag technically". Yesterday, just after the finish of the race we immediately held a technical meeting on the topic: what to do with a car that her to change, as not to lag? Today we know and see how to upgrade the machine. Now quickly improving and serial technique, but in the sport is still faster, so you cannot lose a single minute, any hour of any day, because there is, in July for the next big competition "silk road" and all participants leaving after the finish of the "Dakar" said To meeting on Silk Way. And time things of course everyone will struggle to compete. Who does not ready now to show on  the"Dakar" will try to redeem on Silk Way. Ahead of an interesting fight and, of course, the team will prepare for this race. And we as organizers will do everything that the project has had an interesting and all memorable."  

In an interview Eduard Nikolaev also noted that it was particularly hard the first four days with the harsh sand dunes that turned the entire table of results, and address leaders was on the second, I could take unpredictable race, were very serious contenders in this year, though not been our main rival Gerard Deroy, we believe that the competition was very high and it was very difficult, as in this year all are faced with higher – tracks race, jumped in to altitude 4500 m, and it was obvious how hard it was for many participants, especially motorcyclists.

The most dramatic moments – when there were breakdowns and when turned over, then thought, that is all! It's over, but the at least we have learned not only to drive fast on our cars, but and fast exit of extreme situations. Rivals at this year was unexpectedly strong, and those from whom we do not expected managed to impose serious struggle. Many felt at half-step from the victory or the podium, what made participants significantly improve the pace. Breaks were minimal.

Opponents fought until the latter, for example, the Tatra team in the last day so inflated itself that broke your car right at the start. But, Federico Villagra, from which we had expected competition, but not such as this year. He goes for the third "Dakar" and we see how he became an expert pilot and, of course, in the future it will become one of our biggest rivals. One for riders on this Dakar are huge distances of runs between stages. We spent the wheel 12 hours and came deep deep night, and the morning went on start the next stage of sleepy. It should be noted that in the pressure on our Russian activities, we knew that our first win will set the pace all year and will contribute to strengthening the national sport. Thanks again to all the fans for support".      

The youngest member of the team – the winner of the factory go-kart program

PS Two days later, on arrival the Kazan team "KAMAZ-master" met with the President of Russia personally (Russian President VladimirVladimir Putin is making a working visit to the Kazan had just completed his meeting with a victorious sports team). The President once again expressed his admiration for a sports feat of the riders, in the 15th time winning this toughest on the planet rally-marathon, and also admired General technical training and coordinated work of the whole team "KAMAZ-master", and also enterprise KAMAZ in a whole.

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