Taklimakan Rally: Stage 1 sends racers through Wensu Grand Canyon

The Taklimakan Rally kicked off its first special stage in China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on Wednesday, with the racers navigating through the scenic Wensu Grand Canyon in Aksu Prefecture. This edition began in the area that marked the final stage last year, challenging the field with nearly 160 kilometers of washed-out paths, river crossings, and a high-speed dash through the canyon.

In the motorcycle division, Czech rider Martin Michek, who topped qualifying for the Hoto Factory Racing Team, crossed the line first in 2 hours, 3 minutes, and 36 seconds.

In the car category, the Hebei Qian'an Jiujiang Auto and Motorcycle Sports Club's Fan Gaoxiang, along with navigator Fu Liguo, also led in qualifying, and they maintained their momentum to finish ahead of the pack in 2 hours, 3 minutes, and 11 seconds. The 115-kilometer second stage was set to take the participants to Alar, after Fan's opening win got him in gear for the upcoming challenges.

"Everything went smoothly, as this was the first long stage, but it still felt more like a warm-up," the 32-year-old said after winning the opening stage, "For the next stage, we know there will be more desert terrain, so we will ease up the pace a bit. This was a high-speed stage, and once we hit the desert, that's when the real challenges of the Taklimakan Rally begin."