The first stage of the Qatar Baja ended in disappointment for both Erik and Anja van Loon. Both started the stage strongly in their brand-new Can-Am Maverick R from South Racing, but technical issues dashed their hopes for the day.
Erik van Loon’s stage ended after just 32 kilometers. “After 25 kilometers, the car started overheating, so I eased off the gas, but it didn’t improve,” Erik said disappointedly. “At 32 kilometers, we had to stop, and it turned out the radiator was leaking. A stone had gotten stuck between the fan and damaged the radiator. Until then, everything was going well. This has never happened before, and now it happens with a brand-new car. What terrible luck.”
Anja van Loon’s day also didn’t go as planned, despite a promising start. With navigator Hein Verschuuren beside her, she was delivering a strong performance and was even in second place in the SSV class. But her run came to an abrupt end when the two bolts securing the steering housing suddenly broke. “A good result is out of the question now, but things were going great,” Anja said. “The car felt good, and the teamwork with Hein was solid. It’s a shame it ended this way.”
Tomorrow’s second stage promises to be a challenge, covering a total of 234 kilometers with five short neutralizations. This means Erik and Anja will need to refocus repeatedly and carefully manage their pace between sections.
