Bisha (January 13, 2026) – Tim and Tom Coronel finished the first day of the second marathon stage in 33rd place, 45 minutes behind the stage winner. The route from Wadi Ad Dawasir to the refuge camp in Bisha had it all: dust, tricky navigation, and massive dunes. “This was a true Dakar stage, everything was in there,” says Tim. “A really tough stage.”
The start required patience. “At the beginning, it was just driving through dust on long tracks,” explains Tom. “We had to be patient. The sentinel kept going off because of teams behind and in front of us. We thought, ‘Yeah, right, everyone’s just driving in the dust.’” The sentinel is the alarm system all participants use to signal overtaking or problems.
Ten meters to the waypoint
The highlight came at a tricky waypoint where many teams got lost. “We saw people losing their way in a cliff,” says Tom. “So we just kept going straight. Tim asked, ‘Are you sure?’ I said, ‘Tim, I’m 100% sure.’ Drove ten meters further, beep, and we had it. That wasn’t normal. A lot of people must have lost time there. That was a strong moment for us.”
Tim adds, “We had navigation points where you couldn’t see anything, and everyone was crisscrossing. Tom said, ‘Just keep driving.’ So I stopped for a second. It was literally ten meters further, and boom, we had it.”
Good rhythm through the dunes
Tim handled the dunes well. “Tim was really pushing it,” Tom noticed. “I was impressed. He had a great rhythm and really wanted to go for it. That was good. The car didn’t give any trouble either.”
Tim enjoyed the open driving after all the dust. “We had to start at the back, which was a shame. But eventually, in the open space, we could do our thing. And yeah, then a few massive dunes after that. We had flats at high speed, but also canyons with rocks. Everything was in there today.”
False alarm about a flat tire
Twenty kilometers before the finish, there was a moment of concern. “Tim thought we had a flat tire,” says Tom. “I said, ‘Well, I’ve seen those top guys drive at least twenty kilometers on a flat, so just step on it!’ And now I’m looking at it. I’ve got news for you: it’s not flat.”
Tim already had his doubts. “At the end, I thought the right rear was flat. So I said, ‘Tom, just six kilometers to go.’ He says, ‘Go for it, keep driving.’ And I drove on, and look here: not flat, so happy.”
A lot of damage for others
Along the way, Tim and Tom saw many participants with problems. “We saw a lot of people stuck. Yeah, a lot with damage and people being impatient,” says Tom. “Simple rule: if you can’t see in the dust, don’t do it. Just wait.”
After a tough day, the brothers are relieved to be in the refuge camp. “Tonight, we’ll sleep well. But first, something to drink and eat, because this one took a lot out of me,” says Tim. Tomorrow, the second half of the marathon stage awaits, with extensive dune sections heading toward Bisha. The tenth stage is 420 kilometers long, and cars and motorcycles will again follow separate tracks.
