• The last two editions of the Dakar have witnessed victories in the truck race by Janus van Kasteren (in 2023) and Martin Macík (2024), in a battle between Czech and Dutch drivers which has taken on an unexpected turn in the run-up to the 2025 edition.
• Among the 45 trucks expected in Bisha for the prologue on 3rd January, the distribution of the favourites’ roles has been shaken up by unpredictable events: for example, runner-up Aleš Loprais has decided to compete behind the wheel of a Team De Rooy truck, whereas Mitch van den Brink, his closest pursuer on the podium several months ago, has ordered two trucks for him and his father from title holder Martin Macík… with the aim of taking his crown from him!
• This year, the category will also be welcoming a newcomer who will be watched with much interest, as former car category competitor Lithuanian Vaidotas Žala will take his place behind the wheel of one of the Team De Rooy Iveco trucks.

The Dakar 2024 witnessed a genuine battle between the Czech and Dutch drivers, who shared the stage victories, with each of the two nations also placing two crews in the first four places of the final rankings. However, the stopwatch’s verdict on completion of the 12 stages clearly highlighted the Czech Republic’s seizure of power: overall winner Martin Macík even found himself in the position of being able to control the race during the second week and concentrate on maintaining his lead over countryman but nonetheless rival Aleš Loprais, who was forced to observe his adversary raise the flag that his uncle Karel was the last to have brandished on the Dakar podium, in 2001.

Martin Macík, who won the ultimate event on his tenth participation as a driver, has in the meantime become a particularly clear-headed team manager, aware that defending his title is just as big a challenge as winning it. At the age of 35 years, the MM Technology boss has opted for a very personal strategy aimed at building a European truck team, by entrusting the two other Evo 4 vehicles produced by his workshops to a Dutch driver, W2RC winner in 2022, Kees Koolen, and an Italian, the ultra-experienced Claudio Bellina, who has completed 16 Dakar rallies and achieved 7th place last January at the age of 63 years. In his own way, Aleš Loprais is also banking on a cultural exchange in order to improve his best result, namely the bittersweet second place last time out. This time, the heir to the family line has knocked on the door of Team De Rooy to take his place behind the wheel of one of its Iveco trucks, and will notably be accompanied by Polish mechanic Darek Rodewald, who was a pillar in the Dutch crews that contributed to the successes of Gerard De Rooy (in 2012 and 2016) and Janus van Kasteren (in 2023).

In the Netherlands, the nation’s hopes are split between its two main teams, the most successful of which in 2024 was Eurol Rallysport, whose official leader is now Mitch van den Brink after climbing onto the podium at the age of 22 years (with 3rd place last January). The tactics adopted by the young man and his father have also broken down boundaries and done away with preconceptions, because they have turned to their tormentor, Martin Macík himself, for preparation, in the Czech workshops in Sedlčany south of Prague, of two trucks able to win the rally-raid! While Team De Rooy will be welcoming Loprais, it will also be drawing on domestic strengths to light up the upper reaches of the rankings: Anja van Loon, a pure product of the Limbourg school, will once again be accompanied by her two brothers Ben and Jan van de Laar in the quest to improve her 12th place achieved on her first participation in 2024. To paint an even better picture of this new era of Flemish truck driving art, Lithuanian colours will also be depicted, because it is indeed with a Team De Rooy Iveco truck that Vaidotas Žala has chosen to begin his reconversion, after nine editions and an 11th place in 2022 in the car category.

Finally, there will still be Tatra trucks to look out for, driven by Czech drivers Martin Šoltys and Tomáš Vrátný, while Japanese driver Teruhito Sugawara has not said his last word on the race and will surely be aiming for the top 5 after his 6th place achieved in his Hino last January on his 18th participation on the Dakar. As regards other pretenders for the upper reaches of the rankings, the Dutch contingent will be able to count on more drivers from its particularly dense offering, namely Ben De Groot and Richard De Groot.

Source: Dakar / A.S.O.
Photo: A.S.O./A.Vincent/DPPI