Again three MM Technology trucks on the podium, strong performance of Anja van Loon
In the fifth stage of the 2025 Dakar Rally in the truck category, Martin Macík delivered another strong performance, winning the stage with a time of 5 hours, 1 minute, and 53 seconds.
Kees Koolen finished second, 18 minutes and 42 seconds behind Macík, followed by Mitchel van den Brink in third place, with a gap of 39 minutes and 37 seconds.
Anja van Loon, along with her brothers, achieved an impressive fourth place. The gap to Macík was 41 minutes and 3 seconds. Martin van den Brink (7th), Richard de Groot (8th), and William de Groot (10th) also finished in the top ten.
Driver Reactions:
Kees Koolen:
“Last night was very cold in the tent, and on top of that, my air mattress was broken, so I slept on the ground. But the atmosphere in the camp was great, and the food was good too. I started the stage as the third truck, behind Martin Macík and Mitchel van den Brink, and I could still see them in the distance at kilometer 75. They were simply faster than us. To my surprise, no other truck was able to follow us. The stage was tough, with lots of rocks and rocky plateaus between stretches of loose sand. At kilometer 190, we saw many cars and Mitchel. Everyone was searching for a waypoint, including us. It took 10 minutes to find it, and when we reached the halfway point at the neutralization, Macík was already there, about 15 minutes ahead of us. With a good, steady pace and, once again, no punctures today, we finished second.”
Mitchel van den Brink:
“We spent a long time searching for the waypoints but couldn’t find them quickly enough. After that, we were greatly hindered by the dust from the buggies that overtook us. We were doing really well and even overtook Macík. We were leading until we had to search for the waypoint, which cost us 40 minutes in the end. We’re staying positive for the second week.”
Martin van den Brink:
“We’ve had two good days. Yesterday, there were a lot of rocks, and today, no tire problems. However, we did have issues with the rear suspension. Two leaves broke, and one of the cabin shock absorbers is damaged. We had to ease off a bit and focus on being there for Mitchel if needed. By driving smartly, we made good progress, and we definitely can’t complain.”
Macik increases lead, Mitchel van den Brink second in overall standings
In the overall standings, Macík solidifies his leading position with a total time of 31 hours, 10 minutes, and 49 seconds. Van den Brink holds second place, trailing by 1 hour, 56 minutes, and 33 seconds, while Aleš Loprais occupies third place, 2 hours, 16 minutes, and 53 seconds behind the leader.
This stage was marked by challenging terrain conditions, where navigation and vehicle control were crucial. Macík’s consistent performances reinforce his status as the favorite to win the truck category in this year’s Dakar Rally.
Stage Results:
1. Martin Macík – 5h01m53s
2. Kees Koolen +00:18:42
3. Mitchel van den Brink +00:39:37
4. Anja van Loon +00:41:03
5. Martin Šoltys +00:49:31
6. Teruhito Sugawara +00:52:08
7. Martin van den Brink +00:54:58
8. Richard de Groot +00:58:36
9. Tomas Vratny +01:24:42
10. William de Groot +01:28:58
Overall Standings After Stage 5:
1. Martin Macík – 31h10m49s
2. Mitchel van den Brink +01:56:33
3. Aleš Loprais +02:16:53
4. Martin Šoltys +03:39:03
5. Martin van den Brink +03:59:15
6. Kees Koolen +04:12:55
7. Teruhito Sugawara +04:54:13
8. Vaidotas Žala +05:11:17
9. Richard de Groot +05:12:39
10. Anja van Loon +05:48:02
Tomorrow is the rest day.
