Tim and Tom have arrived in Chilecito after a really long travel day due to the cancellation of the stage.
After their solid performance during the stage on Tuesday, the competitors faced an unpleasant surprise at the finish. The bivouac in Salta could not be reached due to a huge landslide. Together with several other competitors, Tim and Tom set up an alternative campsite in the village of Tilcara. The stage that was scheduled for Wednesday was cancelled, but the brothers first had to make their way to Salta to join the convoy for Chilecito.
In Salta, the buggies were given a quick check-up and some little bits were replaced, like the wheel bearings and a brake calliper that didn’t work well on Tom’s car.
Due to the horrible conditions, the organisers decided to cancel the ninth stage. The dreaded day, on which the competitors had to cover a distance of almost one thousand kilometres, became considerably less frightening like this. In a long row, the Dakar convoy headed towards Chilecito. It was still a very long day for the competitors, but with significantly less risk.
“We had plenty of seat time,