Xu Lang: The best Chinese rally driver

China lost a great rally driver in Xu Lang, but the veteran will always hold a special place in the hearts of the Chinese people.

Xu Lang was born in 1976 in Zhejiang Province. He took up his career as a rally driver at the age of 24.

In 2005, Xu Lang grabbed his chance to compete in the Dakar Rally for the first time. The veteran came in 19th during the following year's race, the best ever finish by a Chinese driver in the world's most famous rally event.

Xu Lang said, I am already very glad to finish the race. The standing is not important to me because currently I need to accumulate more and more experience. I hope I can finish higher in future races.

Xu Lang failed to take part in last year's Dakar Rally, and this year's rally was canceled for the sake of safety. Therefore, the 32-year-old flung himself into the Transoriental Rally in Russia, looking forward to claim victory and honor for his homeland.

The race kicked off in St.Petersburg five days ago, and is scheduled to travel in Kazakhstan and China, before reaching its final stop in Beijing on June 28th.

Driving for the team of Nissan Zhengzhou, Xu Lang was in fifth place before Monday's race, the highest ranking among the Chinese competitors.