Stage 4: Jacobacci – Nuequen
Total length: 488 km
Liaison:  82 km, special: 380 km liaison: 25 km

The 4th stage of the Dakar Rally, which led from Jacobacci to Nuequen, again presented the MAN Rally Team with a few problems. Team Hans Stacey started out strong. From his 5th starting position, Hans was driving in 3rd and 4th place for a long time. But then, a failed Iritrack system and a flat tyre made the team lose a lot of time, pushing them back to a 28th position. The second part of the leg Hans was able to make up for a lot of lost time, so that he came in 13th at the end of this stage.
MAN Rally Team Franz Echter had another good day. This morning he started in 8th position and came in today at a very decent 5th place.
MAN Rally driver Geert Verhoeven suffered some more flats today and eventually came in 27th. In the front, the heat was on between the Dutch Ginaf of de Rooy and the three Russian Kamazzes. Gerard de Rooy eventually won this 4th stage with 4:20:27.

The total length of today’s leg was about 488km, with the special being rerouted for some 78 kilometres, to be shortened to 380 km. The ground was full of obstacles; potholes and rocks and many rivulets along the route made this a tough and Dakar-worthy route.

Today’s results:
 
1 505 DE ROOY (NLD) GINAF 04:20:27 00:00:00 
2 501 CHAGIN (RUS)  KAMAZ 04:21:13 00:00:46 
3 506 KABIROV (RUS) KAMAZ 04:25:22 00:04:55 
4 508 MARDEEV (RUS) KAMAZ 04:29:19 00:08:52 
5 507 ECHTER (DEU)  MAN   04:33:57 00:13:30 
13 500 STACEY (NLD) MAN   05:09:51 00:49:24

For now, De Rooy continues to lead the overall list of rankings. Chagin has to make up for 10.14', Kabirov for 12.41' and Mardeev for 46.58'. MAN Rally Team drivers Franz Echter and Hans Stacey are currently holding the 6th and 10th in the overall ranking.

1  505 DE ROOY (NLD)    GINAF 15:16:41 00:00:00 
2  501 CHAGIN (RUS)     KAMAZ 15:26:55 00:10:14 
3  506 KABIROV (RUS)    KAMAZ 15:29:22 00:12:41 
4  508 MARDEEV (RUS)    KAMAZ 16:03:39 00:46:58 
5  504 DE AZEVEDO (BRA) TATRA 16:27:25 01:10:44 
6  507 ECHTER (DEU)     MAN 16:40:48 01:24:07 
7  520 SPACIL (CZE)     LIAZ 16:46:04 01:29:23 
8  518 DUISTERS (BEL)   GINAF 16:57:49 01:41:08 
9  512 TOMECEK (CZE)    TATRA 17:10:59 01:54:18 
10 500 STACEY (NLD)     MAN 17:33:26 02:16:45

From tomorrow, the scenery will really change, and we will be driving in the sand much more. The race is far from run yet!