Jordi Juvanteny, José Luis Criado and Xavi Ribas claimed victory in the third special stage of the 2026 Dakar and scored 15 points — the highest tally of the day — after completing the stage in Normal Mode.
The Spanish team climbs to third place in its category, level on points with the two crews ahead.
Juvanteny: “It was a very demanding stage, with hardly a moment’s respite, but we kept a good pace from the start, felt very strong, and made no mistakes.”
A very positive day for the KH-7 ECOVERGY Team in Mission 1000. In the third stage of the 2026 Dakar Rally, Jordi Juvanteny, José Luis Criado and Xavi Ribas delivered a standout performance that secured the win and lifted them to third in the overall standings, tied on points with the two crews in front of them.
Aboard the iconic MAN 6x6 in KH-7 colours, the crew set the best time of the day and completed the special in Normal Mode, enabling them to collect a total of 15 points: 10 for finishing the stage and a 5-point bonus for matching the reference time set by the organisers.
The 87-kilometre timed special combined sandy sections, rocky areas and numerous junctions, demanding maximum precision both in driving and navigation. The crew completed the day solidly and error-free, confirming their status as a benchmark in the category dedicated to alternative energies.
“It was a very demanding stage, with practically no breathing space, lots of sand and many junctions where it was easy to make a mistake. We kept a good pace from the start, felt very strong, and made no mistakes. The truck worked very well, and winning the special is always a huge confidence boost,” explains Jordi Juvanteny.
From a technical perspective, Xavi Ribas highlighted the performance of the hybrid system: “Today we were able to confirm that both the hydrogen and the electric sides worked perfectly. The support from the electric motor gives us a very significant extra boost of power. We’re continuing to validate the system under real race conditions, which is one of the project’s main goals.”
After this strong result, the KH-7 ECOVERGY Team will face stage four tomorrow, Wednesday, between Al Ula and Ha’il, covering a total of 621 kilometres, of which 98 will be timed. Another day that will demand maximum performance from the first hydrogen-electric hybrid truck in Dakar history.
Source: KH-7 ECOVERGY
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