“The goal is to finish all the Mission 1000 stages”

Brother of Gerrit Zuurmond, who has almost 10 participations under his belt, Dick is about to tackle his very first Dakar as a driver. Previously, Dick drove the team’s assistance truck. In 2024, he will be competing in the Mission 1000 class in a Volkswagen Amarok powered by hydrogen. This FCEV (Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle) was developed and prepared by E-Lions. As explained on the E-Lions website, they have removed all diesel-related parts. An electric engine takes over along with a small battery, combined with fuel cell technology. They have also reconfigured the Amarok’s software to make it compatible with the new system. Dick’s codriver will be his team-manager Simon Koetsier. He made his debut on the Dakar in 2001 and knows every nook and cranny: he has been a competitor and stage winner, team manager of the Rainbow Truck Team but also a tour guide of VIP trips from 2012 to 2020. The Dutchman is also a tug of war two-time world champion, so let’s say the team will not suffer from a lack of strength!

DZ: “I am member of the Rainbow Truck Team for a few years now. Most of the time I drove with the assistance truck, and sometimes with the race truck. Gerrit Zuurmond is my brother, and he is also a driver. Now, we have two Volkswagen Amarok. I’ll race with this car alongside Simon Koetsier who is also the team manager. That’s great. I own a transport company with three trucks, and I drive one of them. We did two or three rallies this year. As training, I walk hard twice a week. My goal for the Dakar is to make a good rally and to finish all the stages of the Mission 1000 category.”