Afrika Eco race 2020
After arriving in Tangier on 4 January, the team began with a medical examination. There was a lot for the team to get used to at the start of the rally with the rocky surface, the dust, potholes, large dunes and the occasional chicken on the track. On the third day, the team suffered two punctures and an overturned vehicle after 150 kilometres through the dunes in the dark. Saved by the recovery trick and with another puncture 10 kilometres before the bivouac, the team finally arrived there at 7 o’clock in the morning. The rest of the rally put the navigation to the test and quite a few tyre changes were needed. On day 5, team DAF achieved a great result: they beat the service team to the next bivouac. And that was in spite of an air leak! After a rest day that was put to good use (tidying up the equipment, doing the laundry and getting some rest), the team put in another great performance: coming in 10th after a long stage through the soft sand of Mauritania and finishing 9th in the classification. The team drove well in the second half of the rally. The loose sand didn’t bother them. In the evenings, the service team came into action to repair the vehicle. On day 9, the clutch plate flew out during the drive. The service team rushes to the rescue, but to no avail: it was no longer feasible to try to get in on time. Fortunately, there was no question of disqualification and the next day they were allowed to start again. After the last three tough days over rough terrain, the team finally finished 9th in the standings. A great achievement, which also gave the team great camaraderie on the way!