Surprising Stage Win for De Rooy Iveco & Move up rankings!
Without a meter of racing, Petronas Team De Rooy Iveco on the rest day of the Dakar Rally achieved their first stage victory this year – for Ton van Genugten – and a ranking in the top 3 of the general classification – for Gerard de Rooy.
The Russian Andrey Karginov (Kamaz) was disqualified by the organization for hitting a spectator. As a result, Gerard de Rooy rose from fourth in the standings to third. In the evening it was then announced that Ton van Genugten got back the time he was helping Mammoet driver Janus van Kasteren in the fifth stage. With a difference of only 49 seconds, Van Genugten was declared the stage winner of the fifth day. Initially, Van Genugten was fifth, at 14.03 from Eduard Nikolaev (Kamaz).
Due to the disqualification of Karginov, the entire ranking of the trucks increased. Nikolaev is still in charge, 11.54 ahead of his teammate Dmitry Sotnikov. Iveco leader Gerard de Rooy is now in third place, at 1.58.49 of Nikolaev. Ton van Genugten is just little behind: his backlog on the classification leader is 2.00.31.
The Kamaz of Airat Mardeev was parked in the bivouac carrying a yellow number, which would mean he is out of the race as well, seemingly due to a broken engine. The Argentinian member of Team De Rooy, Federico Villagra, would therefore provisionally move up to eighth, at 4.15.04. Maurik van den Heuvel then comes in ninth at 4.20.34.
The Dakar 2019 will resume on Sunday with the longest stage of this edition: more than 800 km of which 336 km special stage, which brings the caravan back to San Juan de Marcona. 105 nikes, 18 quads, 88 cars, 29 ssv’s and 26 trucks are expected at the start.
