Dakar 2021: Fourteenth time for Van Loon in difficult stage

After another difficult stage in the Dakar Rally, Erik van Loon and Sébastien Delaunay are satisfied at the finish. Despite three stops - due to a flat tire and the help of two other Toyota drivers, a slipping rear wheel and some dust, they record the fourteenth time in the loop around Wadi Ad-Dawasir.

"A lot has happened today," says Van Loon. "In the first two hundred kilometers we had problems with a rear wheel. In neutralization we saw that the scraper was stuck between the caliper and the rim, we fixed that and then we drove well. We stopped at Yazeed to give him a extra wheel, then we had a puncture ourselves and we stopped at Bernhard and Tom to see how they were after their crash. But, we are at the finish and if you look at what happened then we are satisfied. Sébastien navigated flawlessly today! "

In the first two days Van Loon and Delaunay lacked luck, today they had some. "We made a mega jump at 170 kilometers per hour, I thought at the time that this was the end of our Dakar. We were really lucky, we hope to be there again tomorrow.

The fourth stage of the rally goes from Wadi Ad-Dawasir to Riyadh and is the day with the most kilometers. A total of 813 kilometers are covered, of which 337 kilometers at speed. The first car will start at 11:15 am (9:15 am Dutch time) and is expected at the finish around 3:14 pm (1:14 pm Dutch time).

Source Van Loon Racing