The ninth stage of the Dakar Rally, from Riyadh to Haradh, offered a fast route with breathtaking landscapes but also significant challenges. For Tim and Tom Coronel, the stage was all about dust, navigation, and patience. Despite a flat tire and a navigation error, the brothers look back on what they call a good, classic Dakar day.
“This was such a beautiful stage,” Tom says enthusiastically. “It was so much fun to navigate, with valleys and cliffs where you’d normally think, ‘Can you even get through this with a car?’ But you can, and that’s what makes it so amazing. Unfortunately, we spent a lot of time in the dust, especially from the trucks. That’s frustrating because it prevents you from driving at your own pace.”
Blinded by the dust
Despite the dust, Tim kept his foot on the throttle during the early part of the stage. It cost him dearly. “You always know in the back of your head: if you take risks in the dust, it can bite you. That happened immediately”, Tim says. “We were closing in on a few trucks and hit a rock in the dust, resulting in a flat tire.” It was a lesson learned for the remainder of the stage, explains Tom: “We quickly changed the tire and told ourselves, ‘We’ll race our own race, deal with the dust, and stay smart. That’s just part of Dakar. You often want to go faster, but sometimes that’s just not possible.”
Despite some frustrations, a positive feeling for both brothers prevailed at the finish. “We were one valley too far at one waypoint, but in the end we realized that and turned around. That worked perfectly,” Tom continues. “Tim drove well and smart today and kept a good pace, so I’m happy.” Tim agrees with that conclusion. “The result may not have been great, but believe me, it was an adventure. The most important thing today was not to get frustrated and just keep doing what you see – which wasn’t a lot. It was a real Dakar stage: challenging, spectacular, and all about perseverance.”
Empty Quarter
On Wednesday, the competitors will finally dive into the dunes of the Empty Quarter. At 120 kilometres, the tenth special stage is relatively short, but with potential hazards lurking behind every dune, it is particularly tricky. It is terrain where Tim feels right at home: “Hopefully we will have a bit more visibility tomorrow, so that we can also put in a bit more speed.”
Coronel Dakar Team is supported by: LKQ, MPM, Toolspecial, Optimal, ERU, Roordink Bedrijfswagens, Efulfilment.eu, Mascot Workwear, 4Brands, BS Forklifts, JBL, Keukenwarenhuis, DHG, Serengeti, Hella, Brondool, Chassis Parts, FEBO, MyFMS, Frits Dijk, Apple King, SuperB, P1, Copernica
