A moment of inattention has cost Tim and Tom Coronel dearly in the second stage of the Dakar Rally. After a flat tire at the start, things went well for a long time until Tim hit a concrete pillar at high speed. The impact was hard and the damage significant: in the Century CR7 T1+, the brothers lost more than six hours due to repairs. « This is what we call a Dakar day, » says Tim. « It was just a mistake on my part. »
The day started promisingly. « We had things really well under control, » Tom explains. « Drove quite a bit in the dust, but at a really good pace. It was going great. » Tim agrees: « We were passing them one by one, steady pace, nothing complicated, no risks. » Even a flat tire couldn’t break the brothers’ rhythm. « I changed it, Tim stayed in his seat, » says Tom. « Just like yesterday, because he realized I did that really quickly. »
140 kilometers per hour into concrete pillar
The brothers were working their way steadily through the field when things suddenly went wrong. « The road itself was a bit higher and we were driving next to it, » Tom explains. « Then I said to Tim: ‘Hey, we need to get on that road’ and he wanted to drive up onto that road. Well, then he hit one of those concrete pillars. We were doing about 140 or 150 kilometers per hour at that moment. Man, that was a serious hit. »
Tim simply didn’t see the pillar coming. « How was I supposed to know that thing would suddenly be there. I just didn’t see it. It was simply a mistake on my part, » he says. The impact was significant and it immediately became clear there was serious damage to the front suspension.
For Tom, it initially seemed like the end. « I was really afraid our rally was over. The entire left front was torn off, but fortunately Tim saw we could repair it with the right parts. So we had to wait until we had everything together. » Tom climbed a hill to arrange help by phone while Tim assessed the damage and took photos. Then Tim also walked up the hill, causing the first support team to drive past.
« We have parts with Marnix de Leeuw in the truck, but because we were both on top of the hill, we missed each other. He didn’t see us, so he drove on. We had to wait for the trucks from Boucou, which had the same parts. A bit unlucky. »
French truck team and four hours in the dark
Tim and Tom had to wait for the French truck team Boucou, which drives service trucks through the Dakar helping teams along the way. « We knew Boucou was still coming, they had an upper and lower arm, » says Tim. « We just still needed the bottom part of the hub. And fortunately the second Boucou truck had picked that up at the pit stop. But it took a really long time before he reached us. » With all the necessary parts, the repair could begin.
« Those French guys are handy fellows, they helped out too, » Tim says. After dismantling and reassembling everything, Tim and Tom could finally continue. « Then we had to repair everything carefully, so yeah, quite a bit happened, » Tom explains. « Meanwhile we drove four hours in the dark, that’s always pretty cool to experience. »
The nighttime drive through the desert went surprisingly well. « Navigation went really well. Didn’t miss anything, no waypoint, everything under control, » says Tom. « Even went through the dunes in the dark, that was pretty exciting too. But in the end everything worked out, so totally happy. » Tim agrees: « I actually thought it was pretty thrilling. Shame about the damage, but yeah, this is part of the Dakar too. »
Sandy tracks between rock formations
Tomorrow the third stage is on the program, a 422-kilometer special that starts and finishes in AlUla. The route leads through sandy tracks in the spectacular landscape of the AlUla region, with imposing rock formations that make navigation difficult. In the second part of the special, numerous tracks create challenges in the roadbook, especially since landmarks are scarce. Caution is advised on the return journey to AlUla.