SWR: Sonik wins the stage, two Polish in the lead

Rafał Sonik always says that mountains are his second home. Also during rallies, he feels most comfortable racing through steep, narrow, and technical sections. Even though the second stage of the Silk Way took the contestants down muddy terrains and deep water crossings, the 7-time FIM World Cup winner was the most cautious of all quad riders, winning the stage and securing the lead in the competition.

“Caution was key to achieve today’s result. I was driving as carefully as a minesweeper, slowing down before every crossing to choose the best way to pass. Thanks to my strategy, I managed to get to the finish line without too many adventures. Only once, I drove into a deep puddle and had to work hard to slide my way out onto the dry land, ” reported the champion from Krakow.

Arkadiusz Lindner, who was the first to start on the route, damaged one of the rims and got a puncture. He lost precious minutes to fix the fault but was able to keep a few-minute advantage over Aleksander Maksimow in the general ranking. The Russian driver fell off the route in the first kilometers of the special stage. “Aleksander was late for the start and departed one minute after me. When I saw him passing, it was clear that he was trying to make up for the lost time. He must have made a mistake and fell off the road, right between the trees. I stopped to see if he was alright but he signaled that everything was well so I kept going,” said Rafał Sonik.

“I had an adventure myself. I slowed down before one of the hundreds of waterholes on the road just to feel a sudden blow on my shoulder. I didn’t notice a motorcyclist who was trying to pass me just before the puddle. When he realized he wouldn’t make it, he leaned forward and we bumped shoulders and elbows. He had to lay down his motorcycle. Luckily, we both got out of the situation safely,” said the quad driver.

The distance from Baykalsk to Ulan-Ude was the second and the last stage in Russia. On Tuesday, the participants will cross the border to tackle 243 kilometers of a special stage in Mongolia. “This part of Russia is gorgeous, and the landscape here reminds me of the Bieszczady Mountains, even though there are way more rocks and boulders in these parts. I’m hoping for a drier route starting tomorrow so that the race through Mongolia can gain momentum,” added Sonik.

Stage II results
1. Rafał Sonik (POL) 2:56.39
2. Aleksander Maksimow (RUS) +12.00
3. Arkadiusz Lindner (POL) +12.13

General classification
1. Rafał Sonik (POL) 3:37.46
2. Arkadiusz Lindner (POL) +6.32
3. Aleksander Maksimow (RUS) +10.56