The yellow De Dion has a hole in the gear box, the Contal has a broken spring and the Itala has a broken tail shaft. The crews are just managing to limp into Irkutsk and straight into the arms of Russian Hell's Angels. And what a lucky break it turns out to be even though it means extra time in Irkutsk, time to let loose and mix it on the dance floor with some locals. By 6am next morning John Matheson is a bit cranky. As the oldest driver in the slowest car, John wants to hit the road early and when the missing co-driver Andrew Snelling, does emerge, he's not exactly popular. Thanks to the Russian bikers, most are back on the road in two days except for Lang and Warren. It will be days before they leave Irkutsk, and they'll drive day and night to catch up with the rest of the expedition. With the expedition now spread out, everyone's dealing with the challenges of the road by themselves. Chris and Mick's luck changes when they stop for repairs to the Contal. The work is done and the boys are invited inside for hospitality Russian style: copious quantities of food, even greater quantities of vodka, and a good thrashing with a bunch of birch leaves in an overheated sauna called a banya. Over the next few days the team comes back together again. It's been nerve-wrecking though. Driving 10-12 hours each day every day on Russia's roads isn't for the faint-hearted. They are the most dangerous on earth with more than 35,000 people dying on them every year. Our adventurers yearn for seat belts. Or doors. Or a roof on the car for that matter! At day's end, the never-ending stream of squalid Russian hotels is also taking its toll. Camping is very much the preferred option, especially when locals arrive laden with home-cooked food and home-brewed vodka. Car problems are brewing too. Both the Spyker and Itala have magneto problems, just as happened - in the same spot - 100 years earlier. The expedition is stranded in Tomsk while a solution is sought. The Spyker c