The fourth stage of the Dakar Rally brought challenging terrains and solid results for Anja van Loon, Jan and Ben van de Laar in their Iveco Powerstar, and Erik van Loon and Hein Verschuuren in their Audi Quattro. From sharp lava rocks to sandy tracks and a journey in the dark, the teams look back on a successful day. They are looking forward to the second part of the marathon stage.
Anja, Jan, and Ben started their day on the lava rocks. “Just like yesterday, we drove over the dark lava terrain, but the rocks were larger today. So, we drove carefully to preserve the tires, as advised by the organization. After that, there was a faster section with sandy tracks, which was fun.”
They finished in the dark. “We drove for about an hour in the dark, which went well. We made good progress and are in a strong position. Tomorrow, we can continue at our own pace. We had a great day and a lot of fun together onboard.”
Erik and Hein also had a smooth day. “Things went well, the car performed perfectly, and we had no issues. It was a beautiful stage and a long day. Opening in the dunes wasn’t easy, but we managed to get through just fine. On to tomorrow!”
Tonight, there will be no service team present in Al Ula, so the crews will need to do the maintenance themselves. Tomorrow, the fifth stage will take place, and the rest day in Hail is getting closer. The stage starts off very fast but slows down as the sand and the finish come into sight. Friday marks the well-deserved rest day of the Dakar Rally.