Stage seven of the Dakar Rally in the truck category delivered a historic result. In the long and fast route from Riyadh to Wadi Ad Dawasir, it was Vaidotas Žala who claimed his first stage win in the truck class. With that, he becomes the first driver ever to win a Dakar stage in both the car and truck categories. Despite losing time today, Mitchel van den Brink remains firmly in the lead of the general classification.
Fast start and lots of sand
The stage consisted of long sandy tracks, interspersed with dunes and high-speed sections. The pace was intense and maintaining focus was crucial, especially coming off the rest day. Early on, Ales Loprais and Žala took the initiative, but Van den Brink quickly joined the battle for the stage win. At the halfway point, the Eurol Rally Sport frontman had even built a small gap over his direct rivals.
Mistake costs Van den Brink valuable time
Around kilometre 250, disaster struck for Van den Brink. A navigation error combined with a flat tyre and subsequent technical issues cost the crew a significant amount of time. As a result, the Dutchman dropped down the stage rankings. Žala took full advantage, seized the lead, and maintained a high pace all the way to the finish. He beat Loprais by 1 minute and 23 seconds. Martin Macik drove a controlled stage and finished third.
Results and Dutch competitors
Behind the podium, Kay Huzink delivered a strong performance and took fourth place. Gert Huzink followed shortly after. Van den Brink eventually crossed the line in sixth but managed to limit the damage in the standings.
The second Eurol Rally Sport truck, crewed by Martin van den Brink, Peter Willemsen and Richard Mouw, had a solid day and finished eighth. A puncture in a rocky section caused some time loss, but the crew stayed out of serious trouble.
Overall standings after stage seven
Despite finishing sixth today, Mitchel van den Brink comfortably retains the lead in the overall standings. His advantage over Macik stands at 27 minutes and 5 seconds. Žala climbs to third place thanks to his stage win, now trailing by 33 minutes and 2 seconds, followed by Loprais at 34 minutes and 16 seconds. Martin van den Brink holds ninth place and remains within reach of the top eight.
Looking ahead to the next stage
Tomorrow’s eighth stage takes place around Wadi Ad Dawasir. The service crews will stay put while the trucks tackle a gruelling 481 kilometre special. It is the longest timed section of this Dakar Rally and will once again demand maximum focus, endurance, and mechanical sympathy. The gaps are significant, but in this terrain, nothing is guaranteed as week two of the Dakar unfolds.
