The twelfth and penultimate stage of the Dakar Rally in the truck category once again demonstrated how unpredictable and demanding this year’s edition truly is. On the 311-kilometer special from Al Henakiyah to Yanbu, Mitchel van den Brink seized his moment. The Dutchman delivered a strong and controlled performance to claim his fourth stage win of this Dakar.
Fierce battle in a varied stage
The special leading to Yanbu was a classic Dakar stage, featuring fast tracks, narrow and winding sections, dry riverbeds, and treacherous dunes. Early in the stage, Zala took the initiative and built a small lead, but after more than 250 kilometers the tide turned. Mitchel van den Brink picked up the pace, took over the lead, and managed to hold on to it until the finish. Zala lost several minutes towards the end, while Ales Loprais was unable to maintain his usual consistent rhythm and dropped further back.
Behind Van den Brink, Zala finished second, nearly seven minutes down, followed by Martin Soltys. Loprais only managed fifth place, as Martin Macik overtook him to claim fourth.
Zala remains firmly in command of the standings
Despite losing time, Vaidotas Zala retains a strong lead in the overall standings. With only one special to go, he holds a lead of 21 minutes and 24 seconds over Ales Loprais. Mitchel van den Brink sits third, just over half an hour behind the leader. The gaps behind them are much wider, with Macik trailing by a large margin and the rest of the field several hours back.
For Van den Brink, today’s stage win is above all a confirmation of form and resilience after earlier setbacks during the week. His overall position remains unchanged, but the confidence heading into the final day is evident.
Dutch teams show resilience
Other Dutch crews also pushed hard today. Martin van den Brink drove a solid stage and finished sixth. Along the way, his team assisted a stranded competitor in the dunes and opted to preserve their position in the closing section after suffering a puncture. In the standings, Van den Brink senior remains firmly in the top ten.
Richard de Groot and the Firemen Rally Team once again reached the finish after a steady drive, despite losing some time early on. The truck of Ben de Groot, with Ad Hofmans at the wheel and Govert Boogaard in a dual role, is holding a strong ninth place. The youngest of the group, Marnix Leeuw, rounds out the top ten in the truck category.
Despite the problems and long days, there was still a bright moment for the DDW Rally Team, as driver Egbert Wingens celebrated his birthday today. From a sporting perspective, however, the day did not run smoothly. At DDW, a broken rear spare wheel rack caused significant delays, forcing the team to repeatedly secure the loose rack with ratchet straps.
The situation was even tougher for the Kuipers Jongbloed Hybrid Team. Gert Huzink was forced to stop after just 32 kilometers due to another failure of the steering pump, despite it having been replaced the day before, leaving him unable to assist Kay. Kay Huzink endured an extremely long day, dealing with a fire at the left rear wheel and a broken axle stub around kilometer 150. The repairs took hours, followed by further time loss in the dunes after dark. In the end, he did reach the finish, but a time loss of more than three hours meant a drop from fourth to seventh place in the overall classification. Bitter on the penultimate day, but this too is Dakar.
Final showdown by the Red Sea
Saturday marks the final act of the 2026 Dakar Rally. The last special around Yanbu is 108 kilometers long and features a mix of mountainous gravel tracks and faster sections along the Red Sea. Vaidotas Zala is within reach of overall victory, but Dakar would not be Dakar without uncertainty right up to the final kilometer. One mistake or technical issue could still change everything, although the Lithuanian seems to be in pole position to secure his first Dakar title in the truck category.
Results stage 12
1. Mitchel van den Brink 03:58:47
2. Vaidotas Žala +00:06:56
3. Martin Soltys +00:08:24
6. Martin van den Brink +00:18:20
8. Richard de Groot +00:27:19
9. Ad Hofmans +00:39:40
10. Marnix Leeuw +00:50:10
15. Egbert Wingens +01:46:41
20. Kay Huzink +03:00:21
??. Gert Huzink
