The final stage of the Dakar Rally is complete, marking the end of an incredible journey for Anja van Loon, Ben, and Jan van de Laar. It was the first time the siblings raced together in the truck, and they succeeded in finishing eighth overall—a result they are very satisfied with, serving as a meaningful tribute to their late parents.
The last stage saw Anja, Ben, and Jan finish ninth. “I got to do the mass start,” Anja shared. “That was fun—starting with four trucks heading into the desert. It went well; the stage was challenging, but finishing ninth was great. Our goal was to make it to the finish, and we did.”
Their best stage result was a fourth-place finish in stage five. Every day, they finished in the top 17, staying relatively trouble-free and making few mistakes. “We had a really strong rally. We took turns driving, which worked out very well. That allowed us to make the most of each other’s strengths during the race. But it was so tough—so many rocks in the first week and then those dunes in the final days. We really enjoyed it.”
The siblings were particularly proud of their achievement. “We came here aiming for the top ten, and we finished eighth, so we achieved our goal. But most importantly, we did this for our mom and dad. They would have been so proud of us if they could have seen this. We felt their presence with us, and we couldn’t have done it without them.”
For Anja, this was her final Dakar Rally for now. “My little girl is growing up, and I want to be there for her as much as possible. We FaceTimed every day, but for the next few Dakars, I’ll be watching from home. That said, I’ll still be doing other rallies this year—I’m not sure which ones yet, but I just love this sport.”
Ben and Jan are undecided about their Dakar future. “Never say never, but for now, we’re taking a break. This was a fantastic experience to share as siblings, and we’ll see what the future holds.”