9th January 2025 – The black-and-white truck from Sedlcany put on a commanding performance in the second leg of the marathon stage, securing another stage win in true start-to-finish fashion. The MM Technology crew stormed through the rocky terrain without a hitch, finishing again ahead of two other EVO4 trucks from the same technology center. In the overall rankings, Martin Macik Jr., Frantisek Tomasek, and David Svanda continue to hold the top spot.

Tyres Were the Key to Success

Although the Prometeon tyres have been performing superbly since the start of Dakar, the sharp rocks took their toll even on them. Therefore, last night was all about minor repairs and securing spare tyres. Fortunately, Dakar spirit is alive and well, and thanks to some teamwork, the truck called Benny hit the special stage this morning in full fighting trim.

“Yesterday, it seemed like everyone ran into trouble, including us, but today was much smoother. We blasted through the stage without having to step out of the cabin even once, which made a huge difference in securing the win. Hats off to Frantisek—so many competitors were getting lost, but we only had one slight hiccup,” said pilot Martin Macik Jr.

Navigation Traps Everywhere

The 428 km-long stage was anything but easy from a navigation standpoint. With countless tricky waypoints and hard-to-spot markers, the entire field struggled.

“While Martin was hammering it, I had my hands full with the navigation. They didn’t go easy on us today, but I have to pat myself on the back—we only missed one waypoint, and we found it quickly. That helped us put nearly 20 minutes on Kees and his EVO4. I’m definitely happy with today’s result and looking forward to the rest day,” said co-pilot Frantisek Tomasek with beaming smile.

Long Stages Await After the Rest Day

The second half of the Dakar will throw even longer stages at the competitors than those seen so far. The weekend kicks off with a 605 km special from Ha’il to Al Duwadimi, where the rocky terrain will give way to sand—dunes included.