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They went for the podium again, but the punctured tires stopped them. The crew of the North-Bohemian truck with the on-board mechanic from Roudnice took tenth position in the second stage of Morocco Desert Challenge.
Total sensation! North-Bohemian MKR Technology team could not have wanted a better start. Both Dakar specials dominated the opening stage of the Morocco Desert Challenge. Martin van den Brink with the on-board mechanic Daniel Kozlovsky from Roudnice came got gold and Gert Huzink passed finished line on second place just a few seconds behind.
New roadbooks, new bivouacs and 8 new stages. This year's 11th edition of the Morocco Desert Challenge will be completely different. However, the concept is the same - the crews go coast to coast, they start at the Atlantic coast this Saturday and finish exactly one week later at the Mediterranean Sea. Two trucks from North-Bohemian team MKR Technology will be there.
Sand, sand and sand once again, accidents on a daily basis, technology under unbelievable pressure. This year's Dakar was unusually extreme and it is no surprise that a number of Bedouin adepts did not make it. Bad luck did not spare North-Bohemian trucks from MKR Technology team.
It's done! This year's 41st edition of the world's most famous long-distance rally is over. The organizers promised one of the toughest Dakars in history and a number of crews, including the North-Bohemian design team, would certainly confirm this. Out of forty one trucks only fourteen made it to Lima. Those who were more fortunate could continue in the second week of the race at least in the "little" Dakar. And in it was Gert Huzink with the Renault from Židovice, who was the third fastest truck out of these.
This is like a bad dream. The penultimate stage of the 41st Dakar rally become a Nemesis for the North-Bohemian MKR Technology truck, piloted by Dutch driver Janus van Kasteren. In the 9th stage, technical problems with his engine forced him to stop. On the contrary, Gert Huzink got to know what is like to “take a headspin". But, unlike van Kasteren, he finished the stage.
Janus van Kasteren, the Dutch driver of the North-Bohemian Renault truck, scored his best Dakar result in the 8th stage. In this difficult stage he finished on sixth position and overall is still just behind the top ten. With just stages to go, overall classification has a new leader.
The crews of the 41st Dakar rally have made it through the toughest stage. The Dutchman de Rooy coped the best with treacherous dunes of 7th stage, but his fellow countryman Janus van Kasteren driving a Renault truck from Židovice did a great job and only just stay outside top ten.
This year's Dakar Rally has switched to its second half. The crews had a day off in South America on a weekend, which they used to regroup and recover and, above all, to repair the machinery which was under a big strain in the previous week. The Sunday 6th stage had the biggest mileage, but it has not spared anyone.
The Marathon part of the Dakar for many has become literal hell. MKR Technology teams of North Bohemia had to fight big troubles in the 5th stage. The organizers even had to shorten the stage due to security reasons. Everybody is looking forward to the planned rest day, which is coming on Saturday.
Both North Bohemian Renault trucks from MKR Technology finished in top ten in the 4th stage of the Dakar rally. The crews have prepared a solid ground for the demanding marathon part, where everyone has to rely solely on themselves without the support of a mechanical team. Excellent position also meant an overall shift.
Dutch pilot of the North Bohemian truck Janus van Kasteren got a great result. In the 3rd stage of the Dakar rally he arrived in the sixth fastest time and climbed into TOP 10 in the overall standings. The stage was another extreme stage in the dunes, where many great riders lost their chances for a solid result.