Even in the 9th stage there was no change in the leading position in the overall standings. Martin Macik Jr., Frantisek Tomasek and David Svanda took 2nd place in today’s stage and remain in the lead of the truck category.
Cenda was like a mountain goat
So far, the orange truck is braving any terrain. In the 9th stage leading from Ha’il to Alula, sand, rocks and rocks were waiting for Cenda again. “Today we were passing through rocks at times, where neither trucks nor cars wanted to go, but we pushed through. Parts of the stage were almost a trial, so once we slid a little bit somewhere and one tyre gave way. Luckily, it didn’t delay us too much and we reached the finish line with no major damage,” says mechanic David Svanda about today’s stage.
Hidden points can be troublesome
The varied terrain also means more possibilities for the organizers to place points along the route in a way that it is not easy to collect them. “They don’t spare us at all in terms of navigation. We collect points not only on the plains and in places where you would expect them, but also, for example, behind a rock, which is not so much fun “, says navigator Frantisek Tomasek.
Orange trio still in the lead
Although the MM Technology team did not celebrate the victory at the finish line today, the overall ranking of the truck category was not affected by their 2nd place in the stage. “I enjoyed it. Beautiful dunes at the beginning, big climbs, a little bit of going left and right and 150 km in the rocks at the end. That was worse, but most of the stage was great. I’m happy that even the damaged tyre didn’t hold us back too much and we’re still in overall 1st place. We still have three more stages to go, so keep your fingers crossed!”, sums up today’s impressions of Martin Macik Jr.
