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The Dakar Rally participants got a taste of the sand dunes for the first time this year, starting the second half of the world’s toughest rally following the one-day break. Stage eight on Monday opened the concluding week of the famous competition. This time neither Pascal de Baar managed to stay out of trouble. The pilot of the north-Bohemian Renault Trucks special had to change a tyre. Eventually, he crossed the finish line on sixteenth place.
The Dakar Rally is past the first racing week and Saturday’s stage seven opened its second half. So far the lead has been extremely even and the order, including the leader’s, changes everyday. Pilot of the Renault Trucks special Pascal de Baar finished on the fourteenth and left the elite ten with a tight margin. Sunday will be a well-deserved day off for the crews.
Even after the crews entered the mountains Pascal de Baar easily maintains his position in the elite ten of the trucks’ category. The Dutch pilot driving a Renault from the North Bohemia based MKR Technology has been successfully dealing with the altitude as well. In stage six he finished on nineteenth place and sticks to his ninth rank overall.
The Dakar Rally crews have tackled the marathon stage. While two days without the help from the mechanics put an end to Aleš Loprais’ participation in the race, Pascal de Baar on his Renault Trucks special by MKR Technology managed to return to the elite ten. After stage 5 he occupies ninth place in the overall ranking.
For two days the Dakar Rally crews have now been without their mechanics or any other help from the outside. On the schedule is the marathon stage, in which the crews have only themselves to rely on. Moreover, the 4th stage took the competitors to the mountains, over three thousand metres of altitude and higher. However, Pascal de Baar gave an excellent performance, losing only 14 minutes on the winner de Rooy and finishing on 14th place.
As if he wanted to prove that the Dakar is not yet over for the MKR Technology and Mammoet Rallysport teams after the team leader Martin van den Brink’s truck ended up in flames. His team mate Pascal de Baar finished on twelfth place in stage three and currently occupies tenth position in the overall ranking.
Unbelievable misfortune and coincidence eliminated Martin van den Brink’s truck from this year’s Dakar. In the very first special section, the official second stage of this year’s competition, his racing special burnt down completely, wiping off all our hopes for excellent ranking.
We have received some really bad news from South America. The Dakar Rally drama has reached the ultimate extreme. During stage two Martin van den Brink’s truck literally burnt down. As a result, the world’s toughest rally has finished prematurely for the Dutch Mammoet Rallysport crew driving a truck built by MKR Technology. Details of the tragedy are being determined. Fortunately, the crew remained unharmed.
The 38th Dakar Rally had a dramatic start indeed. The opening prologue was cancelled due to an accident involving a racing car hitting several spectators. Afterwards, the weather had the final say before Stage 1 even started, and so the organizers decided to put a halt to it. If nothing happens, the Dakar will really begin on Monday with its second stage.
Here it comes! The world’s toughest rally, the renowned Dakar, has started! More than two weeks of toil and sweat starts with Saturday’s festive prologue. On Sunday the crews will be challenged for the first time in stage one. Members of the north-Bohemia based MKR technology team are good to go and waiting for the race to start in South America.
There’s no going back. The north-Bohemia based MKR Technology team have set off for their second Dakar. On Thursday all technology boarded a ferry and sailed off to South America. The farewell was as big as the expectations we have about the upcoming year of the rally. After all, it was our truck that helped Martin van den Brink win the rehearsal race - the OiLibya Rally.