PERFORMANCE OF THE DAY: ZALA SIZES UP
Riders who make the switch to four wheels are not exactly rare. Stéphane Peterhansel is the archetype, but Nani Roma is not far behind, with plenty of victories in both categories. "Chaleco López" also racked up stage wins on a motorbike before continuing the hunt in SSV and Challenger. Late newcomers to the truck category, however, are few and far between. Vaidotas Zala came close to the top 10 many times throughout his nine first Dakar starts. He also claimed the very first special held on Saudi soil back in 2020, beating Peterhansel, Sainz and Al Attiyah! Last year he traded his car for a truck, finishing a decent fifth overall. Today, he has become the first driver to claim stage victories in both categories. This success catapults him to third place overall, bumping Aleš Loprais and moving within 33 minutes of the leader, Mitchel van den Brink.
