Mitchel van den Brink won the prologue in the truck category. The Dutchman was the fastest on the 22-kilometre course in Yanbu with a time of 13:05, beating two-time defending champion Martin Macík, who dropped to 11th place due to a time penalty. Vaidotas Žala finished second (+0:03), followed by Gert Huzink (+0:06), completing the Dutch celebration.
For Van den Brink, who turns 24 in two weeks, this is his second consecutive prologue win at Dakar. The young Dutchman drove the same MM Technology Iveco Dakar Evo4 as his rival Macík, making the achievement even more remarkable. “It’s pretty cool to compare, because he’s faster in some sections and I’m faster in others,” Macík previously explained. “Driving style also makes a difference, even though we sometimes finish just seconds apart after 400 kilometres, which is quite incredible.”
Time penalties after software update
Several MM Technology trucks received time penalties for speeding in a slow zone after the finish. A software update from MM turned out to be the culprit. Macík received a 30-second penalty, dropping him from 6th to 11th place (+1:05). Ben de Groot also received a hefty penalty of 2:40 minutes, pushing him back to 19th place.
“If you win two years in a row, everyone is out to get you,” Macík said before the start about defending his title. “In the past, everyone wanted to beat Kamaz. Now, everyone wants to beat us.” Interestingly, he has provided his main rival with the same equipment, as Van den Brink drives the exact same truck.
Huzink dynasty in action
It was a special Dutch day in the truck category. Gert Huzink secured bronze with his Renault C460 Evo 4, just six seconds behind winner Van den Brink. His nephew Kay Huzink made his debut in 6th place (+0:43) with a special mission: thirteen years after the death of his father Richard, who dreamed of completing the Dakar, Kay is stepping up to chase that same dream.
The young Dutchman already showcased his speed last year by winning the Morocco Desert Challenge. In the cockpit are Rob Buursen and Gerrit Schoneveld, who originally planned to race with his father.
Czech resistance
The Czech resistance organised itself with Martin Šoltýs finishing 4th (+0:17) in the Buggyra Invictus, followed by Aleš Loprais in 5th place (+0:34) in his Iveco Powerstar. Loprais is still chasing his first Dakar title in the trucks.
Dutch truck armada
The Dutch representation in the truck category is impressive. Martin van den Brink finished 7th (+0:45), also in an MM Technology Iveco Dakar Evo4. Richard de Groot ended up in 9th place (+0:57), and William de Groot in 10th (+1:05), both also in the MM Technology Iveco.
Egbert Wingens finished 12th (+1:52) in his Iveco Torpedo and was more than satisfied. “Nice test, a few fast sections, lots of tight turns in sandy tracks between rocks,” navigator Marije Wingens explained. “They’ve come up with new notes with a lot of information in one picture, so you really have to pay attention to what they mean sometimes.”
The team is happy with the truck after a lot of work on the setup. “We’ve spent a lot of time adjusting the suspension differently, and we’re finally getting fewer hard hits than before,” Marije explained. “The starting numbers are assigned based on experience and results from previous rallies, so that’s just how it is. With starting number 617, we’ve moved up to 12th place, which we think is pretty good. Following Martin from behind is also a first. We’ll just forget for now that it’s because of his time penalty.”
Ben de Groot dropped to 19th place (+3:52) due to a 2:40-minute time penalty. Marnix Leeuw closed the Dutch line-up in 40th place (+7:37) in his Iveco Powerstar.
Sugawara best non-European
Teruhito Sugawara finished 13th (+2:01) in his Hino 600, the best non-European driver in the prologue. The Japanese driver proves year after year that Hino can compete in the battle, even though European equipment dominates the category.
Prologue results
1. Mitchel van den Brink / Bart van Heun / Jarno van de Pol – 13:05
2. Vaidotas Žala / Paulo Fiuza / Max van Grol +00:03
3. Gert Huzink / Hugo Kupper / Mario Kress +00:06
6. Kay Huzink / Rob Buursen / Gerrit Schoneveld +00:43
7. Martin van den Brink / Rijk Mouw / Peter Willemsen +00:45
9. Richard de Groot / Martijn van Rooij / Jan Hulsebosch +00:57
10. William de Groot / Koen Hendriks / Remon van der Steen +01:05
11. Egbert Wingens / Marije Wingens-van Ettekoven / Marijn Beekmans +01:52
19. Ben de Groot / Ad Hofmans / Govert Boogaard +03:52 (incl. 2:40 tijdstraf)
34. Dave Ingels / Johannes Schotanus / David Lopez +06:00
40. Marnix Leeuw / Marco Siemons / Bert van Donkelaar +07:37
