Raly planner of to China

Press, 29 January 1982, Page 17

Raly planner of to China

From K < COATES, in jndon Mr Wylti Dickson, the Australian ho wants to organise i Peking-Paris motor rally, 'ill not allow a mere Sovie “nyet” to interfere witlhis resolve to stage the eut this year. He is offfo Peking soon, encouraged , jy indications that the Ciese Sport Federation wilhgree to a new route acros; China. Talks wi be held with Chinese ol eials on proposals that he cars travel south from iking, then west to the Oldiilk Route and into Pakisti. “The rou, with exciting contrasts ii terrain, will be through th Xinjiang Autonomous Raon and this will be the firs time since 1949 that foreiers have been allowed toross China in this way,” sayflWr Dickson. g Heaj seasonal rains and imprtible road conditions do nt make a start possible More mid-August,

bringing the cars into Paris on September 25. It was originally planned to cross the Soviet Union, keeping the cars on land but the Russians vetoed this idea in October. Because of Middle East conflict, rally drivers will travel via Pakistan to Bombay or Karachi. Modern cars and the more hardy classic vehicles will probably be shipped to Kenya and from Nairobi will travel via the Sudan to Alexandria in Egypt. Older and more . fragile cars could be shipped from Bombay or Karachi to Athens. Mr Dickson says a keen interest in the project has been taken by the Foreign Secretary (Lord Carrington) and preliminary talks have already been held between British Embassy officials and Chinese officials in Peking: “The Peking to Paris rally will succeed despite adversity,” he says.