“Everything is 100% ready and under control”

25th in last year’s truck class, the experienced trio of Gerrit Zuurmond, Tjeerd Van Ballegooy and Klaas Kwakkel are looking to go at least ten places better as they reunite in the #521 Stichting Rainbow entry for the 2023 event. Preparations in Morocco have helped hone the performance of their six-cylinder MAN diesel, while both driver and co-driver agree the ‘Empty Quarter’ stages will be crucial.

G.Z.: “We have a lot of new parts on our truck, preparations have gone well and we are really looking forward to another Dakar.
“A lot of people are afraid of the big dunes we could find in the ‘Empty Quarter’, the unexplored desert where we will spend four days near the end of the rally, but we’re really looking forward to it!
“Tjeerd is a good friend of mine and Klaas has been with the team for a long time. We’re aiming for at least the top 15 this year.”


T.V.B.: “Everything is 100% ready and under control. Gerrit and I have a good relationship. We’ve driven twice in Morocco as well as Breslau and this will be my second time in the Dakar. We were 25th last year, so I hope we can finish again and it would be beautiful to be inside the top 10.
“I think the second week will be the biggest challenge. During the first week we drive a lot of kilometres, but in the second the specials are quite short at around 50-60 kilometres. I think that’ll be the most difficult.”