On day six of the 2025 Fenix Rally, the competitors made their way from Douz back to Monastir, the symbolic start and finish of this compact desert rally. The day featured two specials, interspersed with long liaison sections: first a 130-kilometer timed stage, followed by 190 kilometers of road section, then another 40-kilometer special before the final run into the bivouac. A technically varied day with plenty of opportunities for surprise, and that proved true for one of the top contenders.
Setback for Thijs and Van Tiel, but damage contained
The day started off oddly for Vincent Thijs and Arjan van Tiel. “From the very first meters in the special, it felt like we only had two driven wheels,” said co-driver Van Tiel. During the following liaison, their suspicions were confirmed: a broken rear drive shaft. Despite the setback, the team decided to carefully tackle the second special to at least reach the finish.
That decision paid off. Even with the technical issue, they secured third place in the day’s Open class standings. They lost five minutes to stage winners Agostino Rizzardi and Claudio Fenati, but remain in solid contention for the overall podium. The mechanics are already working on repairs. “This is the ultimate proof that rallying is all about teamwork,” said Van Tiel. “The guys in the bivouac are just as important as those in the cockpit.”
Rainbow Truck Team stays on course for victory
There was a calm and focused atmosphere in the Rainbow Truck Team camp. After a long week of rallying, Gerrit Zuurmond, Tjeerd van Ballegooij, and Klaas Kwakkel know exactly what is required: stay consistent, avoid mistakes, and protect the lead. That strategy worked perfectly. With the second-fastest time in the sixth stage, they extended their gap over the competition in the overall standings.
Stage victory went to the German Tatra team of Tom Heuer, Christoph Tum, and Marco Richter, clocking 2:14:10, the fastest truck time of the day. Rainbow finished less than three minutes behind, which did not threaten their lead. The Dutch Lankveld Rally Team also performed well, finishing fourth in the stage behind the Italians of Eagle Racing.
The Dutch competitors
Besides the well-known Dutch names in the car and truck classes, several Dutch SSV crews were also in action, with mixed results. Arjan Donders and Edwin Vloemans once again completed the day, finishing 19th in the SSV category. Jori and Tom Panhuyzen came in 12th, although they received a three-minute penalty for speeding.
The Wilzing Racing Team, with Jan Wilzing and Jaroslav Kosan, posted the 24th time in their class and appears to be focusing on simply finishing. For Marco van Heugten and Michelle Opstelten, the day ended early with a DNF. Edwin Opstelten and Henny van Kouwen also failed to finish within the time limit and were forced to retire. In the truck class, the Greenteam Panhuyzen (consisting of Mike Panhuyzen, Bert van Loon, and Pieter Kuypers) finished sixth.
Class leaders continue to impress
In the bike category, the stage win went to Edvard Sokolovski (KTM), narrowly edging out Urban Jerkic with a time of 1:57:40. Christian Pastori completed the podium. The ATV class was once again dominated by the Lithuanians from CFMOTO Thunder Racing, with Kanopkinas ahead of Martinez.
The SSV category was led once more by the French duo Martinez and Forgues in their Overdrive OT3. The battle behind them remains intense, with Varga and Schneider, and the Romanian Duica brothers in close pursuit.
In the car class, the stage was convincingly won by the dominant Rizzardi and Fenati in their Porsche CR6T. Despite their technical issues, Thijs and Van Tiel still clocked the third-fastest time, just eleven seconds behind the second-place Polish team of Zajac and Czekan. In the truck category, the Tatra team of Heuer beat their Dutch rivals on the day, but Rainbow remains in command of the overall classification.
One more to go
With six stages behind them, only one day of racing remains in the 2025 Fenix Rally. The final stage will bring the competitors back to Monastir, where the finish arch awaits. While the rankings appear to be settling, nothing is guaranteed in the desert. Mechanical failure, navigational errors, or sheer exhaustion could still shake up the results.
As it stands, the Dutch are in a strong position leading the trucks, within reach of a podium in the car category, and with multiple SSV crews on course to finish. RallyTracks will be following the conclusion of the Fenix Rally closely.
