Home » Strong start to the second stage for Erik van Loon

Strong start to the second stage for Erik van Loon

The first part of the Dakar Classic Marathon stage began very strongly for Erik van Loon and Hein Verschuuren. In their Audi Quattro, they excelled in the navigation test, securing first place, and also claimed the top spot in the final regularity test. In the other two tests, they achieved fourth and ninth positions.

“It went really well today,” said Erik. “The car drives fantastically—it’s amazing to tackle the desert in this vehicle. We’re improving step by step, and today’s results reflect that. We’re leading confidently in our class and making good progress overall. Hein did an outstanding job in the navigation test today, earning us first place. In terms of speed, we were also strong, with three top-ten times, including a win.”

The goal is to continue this upward trend in the second part of the stage. “We’ve finished in good time, now have an hour and a half to work on the car, and then it’s a matter of waiting until we can continue tomorrow. In the meantime, we can follow the 48-hour stage of the main Dakar, where a lot is happening. Tomorrow, we’ll give it our all again and hope to maintain our lead in the class and climb further in the overall standings.”

The second part of the marathon covers 282 kilometers, including two regularity tests and one navigation test. “Here’s to another great day tomorrow!”

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