KUZNETSOV Ilya RUS 10/04/1963

NESHIN Andrey RUS 27/09/1969

Vehicle

MODEL	MAKE
PAJERO L200	MITSUBISHI

RANKING

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15
Scratch	46	50	51	30	21	32	23	90	32	44	-	87	36	27
Stage	46	50	51	30	21	31	81	90	31	43	-	86	36	27	-	-
Overall	46	37	35	34	24	18	29	26	27	28	-	38	37	37	-	-

Ilya Kuznetsov : «To go fast, but remain reasonable»

Ilya Kuznetsov and Andrey Neshin head to Buenos Aires for the start of the 2009 Dakar wondering what’s going happen. Firstly, because it is the first for the Russian team, secondly because they don’t have much of an idea of what is waiting in the Argentinean and Chilean lands. “We don’t have a lot of experience in the sand and it will be very arid in the Atacama Desert “, worries Ilya. “Same for the mountains, we don’t know what it will be like at altitude.” To overcome these few concerns, Ilya and Andrey took a detour to Morocco and Dubai to get used to negotiating the dunes.

Even though the two Russians have never actually competed in the Dakar, they are by no means novices. Ilya has been competing in rallies for the past seven years and in particular the Russian championship. “I told myself it was time, to do the Dakar is a real accomplishment”, believes Ilya, who will drive the same Mitsubishi Andrea Maier drove to a 4th place finish in 2004. While the two admit that their objective this year will be to arrive in Buenos Aires, Ilya can’t help but aim for a strong result. “Maybe in the top 25. We will try to go fast but remain reasonable.” Ilya and Andrey will also have to get used to experiencing such an adventure together, because they have only been a team for one year. “Everything has gone very well”, says Ilya. “I am very tolerant, so is he. I can deal with his inevitable errors. I am not the type of driver to kick his co-driver out of the cockpit.”

Dakar start photos on line: www.maindruphoto.com

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