Van den Brink wins the opening stage of the Libya Rally
20.4.2015
The opening episode of the Libya Rally went absolutely fantastic for us, as Martin van den Brink reigned over the introductory stage completely.
„This is a superb start. However, we came to Morocco to do some tests and try out the modifications we have done. And so a good result is not our priority here, but of course we’re trying our best and winning is always on our mind. So it’s just fine if we continue like this,“ smiled our team mechanic Mario Kress who sits directly in the cockpit of the racing special with the Dutch pilot Martin van den Brink. At that moment though, he couldn’t have known what was about to happen in stage two.
The crews started the Libya Rally with a 405km-long special, the longest one of the entire race. During the stage the pilots moved from the royal city of Fez to the finish in Boudnib. Van den Brink arrived fifteen minutes before Belgium’s Jacky Loomans on second place. Van den Brink’s fellow Dutch Gert Huzink crossed the finish line another 15 minutes later.
While our Renault had an incredible start, stage two turned out to be a complete opposite on the next day. Technical difficulties cost us an almost four-hour-long loss and a drop to thirty-fifth position at the finish. The stage from Boudnib to Merzoug stretched over two hundred and thirty-five kilometres. It took the winning Huzink to get to the finish in the same time that Martin van den Brink so unfortunately lost. “Unfortunately, the things we always fear the most have become reality. But then again that’s the reason why we’re here, so we can take it easy,“ commented Mario.
The mechanics team put the truck back on its wheels and into an excellent shape for stage three. Eventually, we succeeded again, crossing the finish line as second. Belgium’s Loomans won, with van den Brink coming just under five minutes later in the 312km-long special. Third in the row, the Dutch Huzink on a Tatra lost almost an hour. “Moreover, we helped one of the other crews to get back up on the wheels after an accident. We’re keeping a good pace and I’m very happy with how the car is responding. Stage three went in a typically Dakar style again. They planned out a really great track, dunes weren’t missing, there were dangerous narrow passages in canyons, rocks, a really amazing test track,“ commented Mario with satisfaction.
After three days Martin van den Brink’s crew moved up to eighth place overall. Belgium’s Loomans was holding the lead.
Libya Rally – Stage 1: 1. Van den Brink (Renault) 5:27:56, 2. Loomans (Toyota) +15:41, 3. Huzink (Tatra) +30:49, 4. Oud (QT) +51:00, 5. Essers (MAN) +1:00:07.
Stage 2: 1. Huzink (Tatra) 3:57:21, 2. Loomans (Toyota) +1:54, 3. Serradori (Predator) +12:31, 4. Brouwers (Ginaf) +18:29, 5. Gerome (Polaris) +37:33, 40. Van den Brink (Renault) +3:56:23.
Stage 3: 1. Loomans (Toyota) 4:18:54, 2. Van den Brink (Renault) +4:50, 3. Huzink (Tatra) +55:25, 4. Willems (Overdrive) +1:22:57, 5.Gerome (Polaris) +1:27:13.
Overall: 1. Loomans (Toyota) 14:01:46, 2. Huzink (Tatra) +1:08:39, 3. Gerome (Polaris) +2:55:47, 4. Willems (Overdrive) +3:00:22, 5. Oud (Qt) +3:09:46, 8. Van den Brink (Renault) +3:43:38.
