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Engines roar as 21st edition of Taklimakan Rally begins on May 20

Sports Scene

03:05

One of Asia's most grueling and prestigious motorsport events is back amid sands of Taklimakan, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The 21st Taklimakan Rally roared to life in Aksu Prefecture, drawing off-road racing teams and top international competitors from around the globe. Find out more about the event with CGTN Sports Scene's Shen Xiang.

The Taklimakan rally will run for 13 days, covering a total distance of approximately 5,183 kilometers. The competition includes 10 special stages where racers will tackle a challenging mix of terrains.

This year's rally has attracted 130 teams with a total of 233 competitors. One is Martin Michek, who finished 10th in the Dakar Rally in 2021 and 2024. He enjoyed his time here and has high praise for the event's organization.

"I think overall, the organization looks very good," Michek said. "You know, I was surprised at the paddock here, it's so big, with so many cars and so many competitors. I was like, wow, yeah, it's a quite a big rally. And I think that I will enjoy this."

Since being founded in 2005, the Taklimakan Rally has evolved over the past 21 years into the longest and largest international cross-country rally in Asia. It has been drawing international racers from countries including the UK, France, the Czech Republic, and Spain. Aliyyah Koloc said she was drawn to the rally by its growing reputation.

"It's really exciting to be here. It's a two week long race," Koloc said. "So it's going to be something new because I've never raced in China before. So there will be new lessons every day. But so far, it's been very interesting and I'm really excited for the next two weeks. Well, this race I heard a lot about it, and it's one of the biggest races here. So I love doing tough races. I've been to the Dakar rally. So this is, I think, the next best thing."

This is the third year that Koloc has partnered with co-driver Sebastien Delaunay. The two have previously competed together in Dakar and the French navigator is so far enjoying his time off the track in China.

"Yeah I tried everything. The chicken feet were a little bit strange for me, but I tried," Delaunay said. "I live in Italy, so I love the food. And yes I tried a lot of things and we moved a little bit and saw the landscape, also the mountain. And when we came here on the flight, the view was amazing."

The competitors will get to grips with the first stage on Wednesday with the rally set to conclude on June 1.

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