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Motorists Brave Russia for First Transorientale Rally

Mareike AdenJune 16, 2008

Motorists race their bikes, buggies, quads and four-wheel jeeps more than 10,000 kilometers from Petersburg, Russia to Beijing, China for the first ever Transorientale Rally.

https://p.dw.com/p/EKdS
Two motorcyclists
The Russian woods are just the first hurdleImage: picture-alliance / DPPI

The world’s most famous motor sport rally is undoubtedly the Paris-Dakar. Founded in 1978, it attracts the attention not only of motor sport fans, but of TV audiences around the world. This year’s edition in January was cancelled at the last minute because of terrorist threats.

For the drivers who were all ready to go, it was a big disappointment. But for many of them, a new alternative rally has been organized. From June 12-28, they will be navigating the Russian forests, the steppes of Kazakhstan and the Chinese desert in the first Transorientale Rally, taking them from St. Petersburg to Beijing.

Click on the link below to listen to the radio report.

Dunes in China
Crossing these dunes in China will be tricky for bikers and buggies alikeImage: 2008 Imacom