Stage 13 Finish Yanbu 🏅

YANBU > YANBU

The special stage is divided into two distinct sections.

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Overview →

Last updated on January 22, 2026 16:21 UTC

ℹ️ Stage info ℹ️

Stage 13 Yanbu Finish

First, the competitors will embark on a mountainous landscape on gravel tracks where careful cornering will be essential. Once they reach the coast, and after a transfer, a new start will be given for the for the final timed section of the rally.

Liaison > 33 km

Special > 105 km

The final finish line will be in the heart of the Yanbu bivouac.

📝 We Cap Off Highly Successful Dakar Rally with Dominant One-Two Finish in Truck Standings! 📝

YANBU – Team De Rooy wrapped up the Dakar Rally in spectacular fashion on Friday. Vaidotas Zala claimed victory in the truck category while teammate Ales Loprais finished second. The Netherlands-based team also managed to win six of the thirteen stages, including five one-two finishes.

“When I started eleven years ago, my dream was just to compete in the Dakar, and now all of a sudden I’m coming home with the trophy. Life’s funny like that,” said an elated Zala upon arriving at the final bivouac in Yanbu.

📝 #604 Nørdis Team de Rooy FPT 📝

A Whole Different Ballgame

“I’ve done the Dakar ten times in a car, but competing in a truck is a whole different ballgame. It was two very long weeks, but I’m really happy I made it here without any problems. The truck performed incredibly well. The team pulled several all-nighters to keep us on the road.”

Vaidotas Žala

Paulo Fiuza

Max van Grol

Consistency was the key to his Dakar victory, Zala explained. “We only had one major stop—thirty minutes early in the rally. After that, we were solid day in, day out. Our competitors had some ups and downs.”

“The Dakar is a tricky beast that way. You can have great days, but one bad day can wreck your result. This year we were fortunate enough to go two weeks without hitting any major snags.”

📝 #602 Instatrade Loprais Team de Rooy FPT 📝

Grateful

Teammate Loprais was happy with his runner-up finish behind Zala. “I’m grateful for how things played out,” he said at the bivouac.

Ales Loprais

Jiri Stross

David Kripal

“I want to thank the crew, Jiri Stross, an amazing mechanic who pulled all-nighters taking care of the truck. And David Kripal, a fantastic navigator who kept things light in the cab. We went through moments I couldn’t even have imagined, and we all made it through.”