Stage 9: 287km loops stage around Wadi Ad-Dawasir
The start of the Wadi Ad Dawasir loop was given later this morning, in order to allow some time to the latecomers of the day before as the resistance of machines and organisms being now one of the determining parameters. The presence of mountains, then the tracks that meandered between canyons, significantly modified the way to drive. But even with less sand, the difficulties remained real, especially in terms of navigation.
An important mechanical failure compromised our dreams…
The day started very well in the first 50kms, then suddenly the variator belt broke and some of its parts damaged the gearbox oil seal. This resulted in a massive oil leak that made the stage almost impossible to complete. Then, in order to finish the stage « no matter the cost », Jerome and Mika tried to repair the car but there was no real solution… They had to manage that badly damaged transmission with the parts and tools onboard but unfortunately the car wasn’t able to reach any speed and wasn’t able to go over the difficulties the stage was proposing.
Therefore, many waypoints had to be shortcutted to finish the remaining 230km, which resulted in a 10 hours penalty beside the time lost on track. Our dream of a TOP10 for our first Dakar is now all over and the disappointment is obviously immense. Not a single word could console Jerome and Mika after this mishap, as the rally was going so well until today. There is not much more to say as mechanics and team member are now busy making the car restarting tomorrow.
What we know, the pace was there, the car works well when there is no mechanical issues, and above all the duo onboard is definitely awesome! The rally is still long, but we must say our expectations are, now, gone. One goal remains: let’s finish our first Dakar!