Stage 4 Al Henakiyah β Al Ula
As hard as the first few days may have been, this will be no time to falter. The marathon stage is going to be a hell of a ride.
βΉοΈ Route info βΉοΈ
Entrants should be wary of the volcanic terrain. The technical tracks leading to Al Ula will plunge the field into the splendid canyons for which the region is famous. The finish line will be set up inside the dedicated bivouac, which is off limits to service vehicles.
Liaison
173 km
Special Stage
415 km
Motorbike riders will be given just an hour and a half to work on their mounts. As for the cars, there will no restrictions on mutual aid.
π Mixed Fortunes for Marathon Stage π
ALULAΒ – Vaidotas Ε½ala finished fourth in the first part of the Dakar Rallyβs marathon stage on Wednesday. The Lithuanian truck driver and his crew encountered problems with their Iveco after a flat tire but managed to minimize the damage. Anja van Loon and her brothers Ben and Jan van de Laar secured an impressive seventh place. AleΕ‘ Loprais had an unfortunate day, finishing ninth.
The 588-kilometer stage from Al Henakiyah to Alula proved challenging for the Dakar participants. Much of the 415-kilometer special stage traversed volcanic terrain with sharp rocks and boulders. Many drivers experienced punctures, including Ε½ala.Β
Best performance
Anja van Loon of the Fried van de Laar Racing Team de Rooy FPT had her best performance yet in the first day of the marathon stage, finishing seventh. However, Loprais wasnβt as fortunate.
The second part of the marathon stage takes place Thursday, covering 492 kilometers from Alula to Hail, including a 428-kilometer special stage.
Issues
βIt was an extremely difficult dayβ, said the Skuba Team de Rooy FPT driver at the Alula bivouac, where teams couldnβt fall back on their support crews.
βWe had a flat tire. Afterward, we experienced some issues that prevented us from maintaining full speed. We hope to reach the marathon stage finish line tomorrow.β
Ε½ala took responsibility for the puncture and its effects. βI believe itβs my fault. We were pushing hard when we had this major impact. Now, the truckβs steering is compromised. I think weβll make it through. We need to inspect the vehicle now, but we canβt perform any substantial repairs here without our mechanics.β
Bad luck
The Instatrade Team de Rooy FPT driver suffered three punctures.
He found himself in the dust of competitors who had passed him and his crew. This cost significant time, resulting in a ninth-place finish.
He found himself in the dust of competitors who had passed him and his crew. This cost significant time, resulting in a ninth-place finish.
π Tomorrow: Stage 5 π
The second part of the marathon stage takes place Thursday, covering 492 kilometers from Alula to Hail, including a 428-kilometer special stage.
π Stage 4 Sha Al Henakiyah β Al Ula Results π
After finishline in bivuaque Al Ula
| Stage Rank | Number | Driver | Time | Gap to first |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 605 | Vaidotas Ε½ala | 5h24m40s | +21m54s |
| 7 | 613 | Anja van Loon | 5h38m42s | +35m56s |
| 9 | 601 | Ales Loprais | 5h45m06s | +42m20s |
π· Photos π·
Thanks to our photographers on site @Fotop @Rallymaniacs @MMProductions @Actiongraphers
π₯ Videos π₯
Interview Jan van de Laar by Rallymaniacs
