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Issue #11:January 13, 2022
For stage 9 on Tuesday January 11, teams took a loop course from Wadi Ad-Dawasir. The SS (competition stage) of 286.96 km was set up in a vast area to the west among the mountains. The course alternated between sand and hard rocky terrain, where the two TLC Toyota Land Cruiser 200 cars battled it out against the soft sand.
Of the 71 vehicles that started the SS, Akira Miura and Laurent Lichtleuchter in car #242 ranked 51st overall and 1st in the production car category, and Ronald Basso and Jean-Michel Polato in car #245 ranked 53rd overall and 2nd in the category as they safely made it to the finish.
As of today, this brings the cumulative ranking for car #242 to 39th and car #245 to 43rd. TLC is firmly holding onto its one-two formation while also rising in the overall car rankings.
Today, the stage began with a 93.29 km liaison from the bivouac, taking teams to the start of the SS on a sandy plateau. From the high-speed hills where multiple tracks unfolded, they cut through narrow valleys and entered the dunes, and in the middle of the stage they passed through a wadi (dried up riverbed) where navigation was difficult. In the second half, they had to cross over some more dunes, then made their way to the finish as they drove through a section of sand that let them drive at higher speeds. After the finish, a 110.96 km liaison took them back up north to the bivouac where the mechanics were waiting for their return.
Overall, it was a high-speed stage, but the sand was soft – the terrain was full of changes.
TLC’s car #242 ran the stage following car #245 who started a minute earlier. Taking the settled desert tracks, they had a smooth run without getting stuck and after getting through the rocks without any punctures they made it to the finish.
Car #245 made one stop to adjust tire pressure, but apart from that they had a trouble-free run. Keeping a careful pace, they safely finished the stage amidst heavy clouds of sand.
The final stages of the 2022 Dakar Rally are upon us. On January 12, teams will make their way north from Wadi Ad-Dawasir and head towards Bisha, the final bivouac. Along the way, a 374 km SS awaits.
Miura (driver): It’s a fresh feeling when you come back to the bivouac while there’s light. We had no trouble with the car, just a small hit to the bumper when we climbed a steep slope. Compared to yesterday it wasn’t a difficult stage, but we’re remaining vigilant till the last day.
Basso (driver): We drove cautiously in the heavy clouds of sand to minimize risks and we didn’t have any punctures or get stuck. The sand was soft as usual, but getting over the sand dunes wasn’t that difficult.