Latest Update

Today we had a long special through the Atacama desert, the highest and most dry desert in the world. Tim drove without any problems till about 450 kilometers. After that the clutch jammed and he couldn’t repair it. After calling Pierre in the Netherlands and some assistance of the Afrajateam race truck, Tim continued. The pictures are made on special stage 5. After the finish there was still a liaison to drive, which was about 100 kilometers.

On that part the the belt from the driving mechanism broke. Again a Dutch truck came to rescue. Jan Lammers towed Tim to our service-truck, were the belt was fixed.

At this moment (around 24.00h) Chris is almost at the finish of the special stage riding along Pascal Baars. Chris has problems with the dynamo, but the finish is in sight.

Up to the stage of tomorrow.

Update: Chris just arrived at 2 o’clock in the morning.

Update 23.45:Tim has crossed the finish line in 53rd place. Chris just passed the control in km 339 in 72nd place.

Update 21.15: Tim is stopped with a transmition problem.

Update 21.00: Tim Passed Km 399 in 44th position. Chris also just passed km 244 in position 77.

Tim Coronel has passed check point 244 and is in position n 47 1h 41 minutes behind the leader.
Tim and Chris had been riding together pas check point km 138. But at checkpoint 187 Tim passed alone. This leads us to believe that Chris had had a spot of bother as he passed the same checkpoint 1H 30 mins later.

Both buggies made it to the first waypoint (53.0 km) on the Dakar.com live-track. Chris is about four minutes faster than Coronel is at this moment.

46 (369) Leyds C. +00h13’21″

61 (347) Coronel T. + 00h17’04″

Update at 123.0 km

43 (369) Leyds C. +00h35’19″

61 (347) Coronel T. +00h49’07″

Update 138.0 km

57 (369) Leyds C. +00h59’11″

58 (347) Coronel T. +00h54’31″

Posted by Bas ter Stege

Due to the absence of an internet-connection, this is an update on the last two days of the rally. Although I am not sure which day it is. Are we living on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday?

The 4^th of January we drove from La Rioja to Fiambala. The mechanics worked all night long to prepare the buggies for the next stage. Because the mechanics did not sleep at all, we decided that I would drive in the F350, Alvin the Audi and Norbert the 6×6, so that the guys could sleep on the way. In transit we stopped to change a driving shaft of Mauro’s buggy and although the service-team was pretty wrecked, they were up and running instantly.

When we arrived in Fiambala, hardly any of the competitors where in, which assumed that this had to be a really hard stage. A stage which became a true battlefield for the buggies. The service-team had the possibility to sleep for a few more hours, because this was going to be a really long night…

Due to the problems with the driving mechanism Dees, Mauro and Kasih had to give up after hours of struggling. Unfortunately their adventure ended way too soon. Too bad for the rookies, but nothing to say, because it is and stays a new project with the risk of unexpected problems. In a short period of time they gained a great deal of experience and will surely participate in the next edition of the Dakar rally. Also Jurgen en Kees had to forfeit. Kees spend the night in the dunes.

Tim had problems reparing the belt on the driving mechanism at kilometer 107.0. But fortunately he ran into José Lopez, who fences off the go-kart track. This sympathetic Spanish guy towed Tim to the service-team, where he arrived at two o’clock in the morning. Chris arrived at half past four together with Pascal de Baar, who tried to help the buggies for hours.

The mechanics worked through the night to get the McRae’s of Chris and Tim ready for the next stage and succeeded.

After finishing the McRae’s the belongings were packed again and a part of the crew left for a long liaison through the Cordillere, a 100 km long passage at an altitude of above 4000 meters. The highest point of the Cordillere is on 4750 meter, where we had to change air filter. The 4×4 service truck was staying in Fiambala to collect the buggies from the dunes. After a long and tiring drive, but really beautiful, the team arrived in Copiapo, a place in the middele of the sanddunes in Chile. The stage of today was not that hard and both buggies arrived in time. Tim had to be towed again on the liaison, because he had run out of fuel.

Tomorrow there will be a heavy stage heading to Antofagasta. But to be honest, everyone already had his/her tough moments. Fortunately the team spirit is high and we keep each other alive. Otherwise Pascal and the crew of the T4 does!

Pictures coming soon.

Translated by Bas ter Stege

It seems both Tim Coronel and Chris Leyds have finished. Starting times are

62 Coronel T. 010h16’30

73 Leyds C. 01h29’30

Dakar.com says the following about todays stage:

68 km are on the menu of stage 5, of which 483 km against the clock, i.e. the second longest special stage of this 32nd edition of the Dakar. On the agenda are the foothills of the Atacama Desert that will offer contenders a varied route alternating between fast sections and boulder sections with e.g. the crossing of two very “rocky” off-road sections and the discovery of the Chilean fesh-fesh – a particularly soft terrain that feels almost like flour. Riders and drivers are in for a long day and their main aim will be to spare themselves and their machines in this first “truly long” endurance-focused special stage of the 32nd Dakar.

Image by dakar.com

Image by Dakar.com

Posted by Bas ter Stege