Survivors

Dakar 2026 | Stage 7 | RIYADH > WADI AD DAWASIR
January 11 ^th 2026 - 20:24 [GMT + 3]

Maria Gameiro and Rosa Romero finished the special between Riyadh and Wadi ad-Dawasir without a working clutch, but they made it to the bivouac thanks to the solidarity of the Dakar caravan… and a couple of pointers from Dave Klaassen.

The pink Mini of the only all-female crew in the Dakar stands out from dunes and rock fields like a flashy neon sign, but that did not save Maria Gameiro and Rosa Romero from being hit by an overly impetuous truck during stage 2. "We had to get to the finish without our brakes", explains the Portuguese driver. "That's also why we've been racing in the dust ever since. We're among the last to start. Today, it was our clutch's turn to bail out on us after 78 kilometres. We're survivors." Maria had already gone through a similar experience last year. Racing in her first Dakar, she suffered a mechanical that also landed her a penalty. The Portuguese driver, who only made the leap to the international scene in 2022, has since honed her skills. Sharing the cockpit with the experienced Rosa Romero, who is married to Nani Roma and has already entered the Dakar eleven times (including seven on two wheels), Maria Gameiro is progressing step by step. "We make a great combo", she chirps. "We're on the same wavelength and enjoying this shared adventure." Even so, they would have liked to avoid technical problems after the salutary rest day. Maria and Rosa were already pretty shaken by the time they reached the start of the special between Riyadh and Wadi ad-Dawasir. Then, after getting the tag for their time card, their car refused to budge. A truck towed them out of the finish area, but then they had to wait for a charitable soul to bring them to the bivouac. "As a rule of thumb, men tend to be nicer to us", said the Portuguese driver. "But no-one gifts us anything on the course. The race is the same for everyone." Then came along Dave Klaassen. Of course, the Dutchman agreed to tow them and even offered to look under the bonnet. It turns out Maria just needed to take off in first gear to get their Mini up and running again. "We make a great combo, but neither of us is a mechanic", quipped the Portuguese driver as she started accelerating towards the bivouac.