During the Night Stage the front diff has come off and the bolts holding on the crown wheel have all sheared off. The whole thing has to come apart.
With enormous help from our Dutch teams, we find the knowledge and some spare parts to refit the spacer that holds the crown wheel. With the help of our neighbours and Peter Arends, 1 minute before the race we were ready to start 12 laps of the circuit. Fantastic that everyone was so helpful.
We drove well and were able to keep the car in one piece. Eventually, we managed to overtake 13 cars. Marcel quickly memorised the track and provided invaluable information about curves, ditches, etc. He also took on the task of controlling the lockers. A fantastic combination.
Tomorrow morning we start from 09:30, this time from position 23 instead of at the back! The route book we’ve just received shows a 60 km stage with lots of water, swamps and even follows an old railway track (on the rails). It promises to be a tough day and we want to get to bed at a reasonable hour.
In short, to be continued…