While the 28 °C temperatures with a mild breeze at the harbour of Alghero, the Rally Italia Sardegna's host town, are pleasing the tourists, for the crews who are competing in the rally, it means they have to face 19 special stages and 312 kilometres of tough, sun-kissed and rutted gravel roads. On Sardegna, Jan Kopecký and co-driver Pavel Dresler must contend with temperatures of 68 °C and higher inside their ŠKODA FABIA R5.
Team doctor, Jaromír Jiřík (63), has worked with ŠKODA Motorsport for more than ten years. He knows everything about the good physical preparation that is needed.
“We have a continuous training program for each of our crews. Sometimes, we even let them do physical exercises with overalls and shoes on in a sauna in order to prepare them for the heat. In a rally like this one in summer, both driver and co-driver have to drink at least 3.5 litres of water per day in order to compensate the loss of fluid during the rally. Special food, which is rich of salt and hydrates, is important as well,” explains Jaromír Jiřík.
Because of this, the ŠKODA FABIA R5 of Jan Kopecký / Pavel Dresler is equipped with two, so-called “camelbaks“, which provide enough fluid during the special stages for both of them.
2017 Rally Italia Sardegna
While the 28 °C temperatures with a mild breeze at the harbour of Alghero, the Rally Italia Sardegna's host town, are pleasing the tourists, for the crews who are competing in the rally, it means they have to face 19 special stages and 312 kilometres of tough, sun-kissed and rutted gravel roads. On Sardegna, Jan Kopecký and co-driver Pavel Dresler must contend with temperatures of 68 °C and higher inside their ŠKODA FABIA R5.
Team doctor, Jaromír Jiřík (63), has worked with ŠKODA Motorsport for more than ten years. He knows everything about the good physical preparation that is needed.
“We have a continuous training program for each of our crews. Sometimes, we even let them do physical exercises with overalls and shoes on in a sauna in order to prepare them for the heat. In a rally like this one in summer, both driver and co-driver have to drink at least 3.5 litres of water per day in order to compensate the loss of fluid during the rally. Special food, which is rich of salt and hydrates, is important as well,” explains Jaromír Jiřík.
Because of this, the ŠKODA FABIA R5 of Jan Kopecký / Pavel Dresler is equipped with two, so-called “camelbaks“, which provide enough fluid during the special stages for both of them.