Dakar | Truck, Stage 6B: Macik breaks the balance, Iveco dominates

Martin Macik has… broken the banks: he held back in the first days of this 46th Dakar, leaving the field open to Janus Van Kasteren and then decided to take action. He showed himself on the dunes of Stage 5 and then decidedly went on the attack in the 48 Hours Stage, the most awaited of this edition of the rally-marathon which included the entry into the Empty Quarter, the largest desert in the world, to a two-day event in which the crews could decide how to divide the special by stopping in one of the seven bivouacs that the ASO had set up along the route.

With the Iveco Powerstar of MM Technology, the 34 year old Czech imposed an unsustainable pace for everyone, breaking the resistance of every opponent and arriving yesterday at the BPC Bivouac with Michiel Van Der Brink and leaving the others further behind.

Last year Martin had finished second behind his friend and compatriot Van Kasteren although he had won four stages: Macik, aware of the speed of his 10 ton vehicle, did not hesitate to charge forward, putting his Iveco to the test more than necessary . Garibaldi's tactics hadn't paid off, but the experience had been useful in understanding what the right spirit should be to aim for success in the Dakar.

“You don't fight only with your adversaries – said Martin – but above all with yourself: the temptation is to always go all out, while you have to know how to measure your strength, because in a Dakar you certainly have to deal with problems that can arise suddenly. I was waiting for the test in the Empty Quarter because it was the big news of this very tough edition…”.

And Macik did not disappoint expectations, giving a profound shake-up to the general classification: Martin won the 48 Hours, marking his second success in this edition, also putting a serious threat on the final victory, because Ales Loprais finished the stage third at 1.12 ' from the Czech, but maintains the place of honor in the general classification, however with a delay of 1.16' from the leader.

Iveco's supremacy is impressive with four trucks in the top five: Michiel Van der Brink, the youngster from Eurol Rallysport, moved up to third place, brilliant second in the most unpredictable and difficult special, while Janus Van Kasteren seems to have said goodbye to his dreams of glory to be able to repeat last year's success. The Dutchman has experienced a thousand vicissitudes and is now more than two and a half late.

Completing the poker of Italian vehicles there is also Michiel Becx, but already halfway through the top 10 we have to use the hourglass as a measuring stick, given that the Dutchman is fifth overall with a gap of over six hours and feels breathing on his neck Valtr's Tatra Buggyra which follows him just five minutes away. Kovacs-Acs-Czegledi peremptorily enter the rankings with the Man TGA 6X6 which enters in seventh place ahead of Claudio Bellina with the Italtrans Iveco managed by MM Technology.

The intervention of the Totani brothers attracted great media attention when, with their Nissan Patrol, they managed to put Richard De Groot's Iveco back on its four wheels after it had ended up overturned in a deep sand hole. The towing vehicle managed to overturn the heavy articulated vehicle which had remained on a sloping section of the pit. Solidarity between the crews is one of the characteristics that distinguishes the Dakar and this is just the latest example of a group of fourteen people who, well coordinated, got three vehicles out of trouble. The Nissan, in fact, was extracted thanks to an SSV.

The crews will enjoy tomorrow's day of rest, while the teams will try to restore the vehicles which have been badly damaged by the last two days raced without assistance.

Dakar 2024 – General classification Trucks
Stage 6A and 6B: Shubaytah – Shubaytah
Special: 549 km; Transfer: 209; Total: 754 km