Engines Rev Up as Taklimakan Rally Returns to the Sands of Xinjiang! 🚗🏜️
Get ready for some high-speed desert action! The 21st Taklimakan Rally has kicked off on May 20 in the vast sands of the Taklimakan Desert, located in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
This rally is one of Asia’s toughest and most exciting motorsport events. Over 13 days, racers will zoom across approximately 5,183 kilometers (that’s over 3,220 miles!), tackling 10 special stages filled with challenging terrains like sandy dunes and rocky paths.
This year, a whopping 130 teams and 233 competitors from all over the world are joining the race! 🌍 Famous racers like Martin Michek, who finished 10th in the Dakar Rally in 2021 and 2024, are thrilled to be part of it. He said, “I was surprised at the paddock here; it’s so big, with so many cars and so many competitors. I was like, wow! I think that I will enjoy this.”
Aliyyah Koloc, another amazing racer, is also excited. “It’s really exciting to be here. It’s a two-week-long race, so it’s going to be something new because I’ve never raced in China before. So far, it’s been very interesting, and I’m really excited for the next two weeks,” she shared. Aliyyah loves tough races and has even competed in the famous Dakar Rally!
Her co-driver, Sebastien Delaunay, is enjoying his time in China, too. “I tried everything. The chicken feet were a little bit strange for me, but I tried! We saw the landscape, also the mountains. When we came here on the flight, the view was amazing,” he said.
The Taklimakan Rally started back in 2005 and has grown to become the longest and largest international cross-country rally in Asia. It’s super cool to see racers from countries like the UK, France, the Czech Republic, and Spain coming together for this thrilling adventure!
The first stage of the rally began on Wednesday, and the race will conclude on June 1. Who will conquer the desert and emerge victorious? Stay tuned to find out! 🏆
Reference(s):
Engines roar as 21st edition of Taklimakan Rally begins on May 20
cgtn.com
