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Issue #4:January 8, 2025
On the 7th, the Stage 3 route took competitors north from Bisha to Al Henakiyah in the northwest. The 327 km SS (Special Stage) was set amidst the hilly terrain along the way. TLC's Land Cruiser 300 car #500, with Akira Miura and Jean-Michel Polato, had its electrical issues from the previous day resolved and finished the SS smoothly, securing 113th position overall in the Car category and 1st in the Stock (Production Car) category. Ronald Basso and Jean-Pierre Garcin in car #501 continued their steady performance, finishing 132nd overall and 2nd in the Stock (Production Car) category. By the end of the day, the cumulative rankings placed car #501 at 108th in the overall Car rankings and 1st in the Stock (Production Car) category. Car #500 is in 113th position overall and 2nd in the Stock (Production Car) category.
The day's SS kicked off from the west side of the main road, 144 km north of Bisha. The initially planned distance was set to be 496 km, but the distance was shortened by 169 km due to some participants arriving late from the previous day's 48H CHRONO STAGE and sections of the road being damaged by rain.
The first 100 km of the SS featured a challenging sandy terrain with sharp stones that looked like black volcanic rocks scattered throughout, forcing drivers to proceed slowly and carefully. Towards the end, there were faster off-road sections, but with many junctions that demanded careful navigation.
Car #500, driven by the Miura team, ran smoothly after resolving its electrical issues during the previous night's maintenance. They navigated the rocky sections in the beginning of the stage with extra care and managed to pull through without any punctures. They passed car #501, which had stopped due to a flat, and continued to finish the stage. Meanwhile, car #501, driven by the Basso team, suffered three flat tires early on, using up all their spare tires. They maintained a cautious pace afterward and reached the finish line safely.
We are approaching the end of the first half of Dakar 2025. The 4th stage on the 8th will take competitors from Al Henakiyah to AlUla, followed by the 5th stage on the 9th from AlUla which will take participants to Ha'il, where there will be a rest day. Both stages are marathon stages without assistance at the AlUla bivouac, increasing the risk of trouble similar to THE 48H CHRONO STAGE. Mechanics cannot provide maintenance or parts. At the TLC bivouac, mechanics conducted thorough inspections and maintenance, loading emergency spare parts into the vehicles.
Miura (driver): We pinpointed the cause of yesterday's trouble, so I was able to drive with confidence today. The rocky sections at the start were frustrating since I couldn't pick up the pace, but I'm relieved we made it through without any punctures.
Basso (driver): Today was tough. I thought I was being cautious, but I ended up with a flat tire at the 45 km mark and then two more soon after at the 47 km mark. With no spare tires left, I had to drive extremely carefully to make it to the finish line.