Vd Brink began the third stage of the Dakar Rally in sixteenth position - giving them the opportunity to challenge the top competitors. As the stage progressed, the team quickly moved into and held twelfth position until a problem arose in the fuel system, preventing fuel from moving from the tank in the back to the tank in the front. This technical setback resulted in a delay of 18 minutes that, when combined with the rough terrain, caused them to finish the day in seventeenth position.
Today the Dakar Rally moves into Chile via the Paso de Jama pass, taking the competitors to an altitude of 4 800 meters! This will put extraordinary pressure on the both the truck and the crew because of the low amount of oxygen. In Chile, the terrain will become rougher and more in the typical style of the Dakar Rally, becoming more about technique then pure speed. The Vd Brink team expects to be able to make a push there towards a top ten position.
Copyright Dakarpress