After the sixth stage came the long-awaited rest day—everyone’s favorite except for the mechanics, for whom it’s the hardest working day of all.
Our drivers began stages six and seven with renewed energy and determination.
Stages 6 and 7 pose a real challenge even for the most experienced drivers. The sixth stage featured 100% sand with dunes of every kind, while the marathon stage (Stage 7) presented a vast landscape of towering sand mountains, rocky sections, and winding tracks.
JalanMarronesFenek Truck
Sixth Stage
With Javier Jacoste behind the wheel, the Spanish team successfully completed the sixth stage after the mechanical issues faced the previous day.
Our team maintained a strong pace, considering that most of the special consisted of crossing dunes and soft sandy tracks. Javier showed remarkable endurance throughout a truly demanding stage.
Javier Jacoste: “We navigated very well and overcame all the challenges that came our way.”
Lluís Rosa: “Today we all did an excellent job. Javier Jacoste was outstanding at the wheel, and Jordi Celma proved to be the best guide to tackle the dunes.”
Before heading into Stage 7, all Dakar participants were eagerly awaiting the much-needed rest day.
JalanMarronesFenek Truck
Seventh Stage
On the rest day, JalanMarronesFenek took the opportunity to relax and enjoy some of the recreational activities organized by the Dakar itself.
Meanwhile, Team Boucou worked on getting the truck ready for the next stage, although one mechanical issue couldn’t be resolved during the rest day and would have to be managed until the end of the Dakar, as it was impossible to repair.
Stage 7 covered a total of 737 km, with 471 km of timed special, starting in Ha’il and ending in Sakaka. Despite the major disadvantage of running with one piston down, our team completed the 471 timed kilometers in a solid time, taking the mechanical limitation into account.
Javier Jacoste: “Today we did a great job, keeping a steady pace to avoid pushing the mechanics too hard and tackling the dunes by choosing less aggressive lines for the truck. As long as the engine keeps going, we won’t give up.”
Lluís Rosa added: “We’re confident that if we continue approaching the stages as we did today, we can make it to the finish.”
The second part of the marathon stage will end in Neom, with 375 timed kilometers ahead.
Time to rest!
JalanMarronesFenek Truck
