Man With a Mission Team Stacey turned up first again at the finishing line of the trial today. Stacey and his team recorded a time of 5h41'42. This has placed Stacey, after yesterday’s problems, fully back in the race. Teammate Franz Echter posted a neat third place with a time of 6h22’47, with which he proves, once again, that he is a fierce competitor with his standard truck in this gruesomely taxing rally.

The leader of the list until today, Gerard de Rooy, was forced to withdraw from the race. During today’s trial, a leak in his truck’s turbo pipe and sand in the engine caused him to come to a complete standstill. After the truck has been repaired, the team will drive straight on to Beijing.

Today’s results are as follows:

1. Stacey         5h 41'42
2. Vila Roca    6h 17'25
3. Echter         6h 22'47
4. Paccani       6h 50'18
5. Jacquot       6h 52'33
6. Coquelle     7h 04'17
7. Bekx           8h 24'39 

After Stacey’s victory of today and the elimination of De Rooy, the leading overall standings also show a different picture. Hans Stacey is at the top of the list with a lead of about 2 hours and 45 minutes over number two, Vila Roca. The new leading overall standings:

1. Stacey             27h41’06
2. Vila Roca       30h06’29
3. Bekx               31h43’55
4. Echter                         32h04’13

Early tomorrow morning, the competitors will set out on the 14th stage of this extremely difficult and unpredictable Trans Orientale Rally. A distance of 636 km will have to be covered, including the special of 268 km. After having crossed deep valleys along narrow paths, the competitors will mainly have to negotiate gravel, grass and sand dunes. Navigation will not be easy, but the drivers will also have to be patient and alert, qualities which obviously become increasingly difficult to uphold as time goes by.

Still four days to go, in which anything can happen. To have a single day of bad luck can already have disastrous effects, as we saw happening earlier to Chagin and today to De Rooy. But in spite of the tiredness, there is still the adrenaline and the motivation to give it everything one’s got, and that goes for all the teams. And especially for the men of MAN; they will do their utmost in these last few days to both take their places on the victory platform.