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Issue #2:January 8, 2024
On January 6, the real competition for the 2024 Dakar 2024 began. The first stage took place between AlUla and Al Henakiyah in the northwest of Saudi Arabia. The route for the day started with an 84km transfer from the bivouac in AlUla to the southeast, with a 414km SS (competition section) targeting the area near Al Henakiyah. After reaching the finish, there was another 46km liaison (transfer section) to reach the bivouac in Al Henakiyah located on a high plateau. The SS started off with a rocky and sandy mountain crossing similar to the prologue run of the previous day, followed by a 200km stretch of rough scree. The end of the stage took teams through a dry riverbed. The overall pace didn’t pick up much in the face of this challenging stage with lots of dust being kicked up by vehicles ahead.
The two TLC Land Cruiser 300 cars had a solid run throughout this stage. Car #501 with Ronald Basso and Jean-Michel Polato, which started in 162nd position in the Car category according to the prologue results, maintained a steady pace and finished 120th overall and 1st in the Stock category despite two punctures and a 5km course error. Car #500 with Akira Miura and Mayeul Barbet, who started in 153rd position, also suffered two punctures and lost a few minutes helping another car that was stuck; but they finished the stage in 127th place overall and 2nd in the category.
The two cars arrived at the bivouac in Al Henakiyah a little after 9 pm, and the mechanics on standby immediately got to work. On the 7th, a 470km long stage from Al Henakiyah to Al Duwadimi is scheduled, and the team is conducting thorough checks and maintenance to send out both vehicles in perfect condition.
Miura (driver): The sand in the early stages wasn't as soft as I thought, but from the halfway point, the rocky and rough terrain persisted, making it tough. We suffered two punctures. Towards the end, I heard a strange noise from the rear. After we cleared the SS, we found that the left rear suspension was damaged. While we had some issues, we were able to run at the pace we had envisioned; it was a good start for our first day.
Basso (driver): That was a long first day. There were many vehicles ahead of us and the dust was relentless; on top of that the road conditions were poor. This stage kept on testing our patience. But looking back, in terms of pace, I think it was a good start for us overall.