The death of Jan de Rooy has caused many emotions in the world of the Dakar Rally. Through his many participations and wins in 1987, he put the event on the map in the Netherlands and – with his mumbling and perpetual butt in the corner of his mouth – grew into a phenomenon. He lives on in many stories. Because trucker Jan de Rooy was a pioneer and ‘a kind of rock star’ in his time.
Jan de Rooy was the godfather of the Dutch Dakar world. Everyone agrees on that. The trucker from Eindhoven was a successful entrepreneur, but will mainly be remembered for his achievements in the Dakar Rally. He put the toughest rally in the world on the map in our country in his often revolutionary DAF trucks. The win in 1987 still appeals to the imagination of many and has contributed enormously to the current popularity of the Dakar Rally.
“When you talk about the Dakar Rally, you are talking about Jan de Rooy,” says Martien Naus, former sports reporter for Omroep Brabant. “Jan was something of a rock star in his day. He received fan mail from all over the world, but he didn’t care at all.”
“If someone didn’t pull over, the mirror came off.”
“Jan was a special man who also communicated in a special way,” says former Dakar participant Hans Bekx. “Yes was yes and no was no. You either agreed with something or you didn’t. Every word was a discussion and according to him unnecessary. It was art, a gift.”
“Some people may have had some difficulty with Jan, but he was a super good guy with his heart in the right place,” continues Bekx, who also drove the Dakar Rally many times in a truck. “Sometimes he had some bold statements, but you could rely on him. If you made Jan feel good, you could do anything with him. If not, the door closed.”
“We weren’t always friends during the rally and if someone didn’t move out of the way, the mirror would come off. We had quite a few conflicts, but later we were laughing again and we just sat and ate together. Later it became real.” became a friendship. We still had regular contact, but his death came suddenly to me.”
“Jan was not very social, but he was an emotional person and very smart.”
Jan de Rooy’s personality and achievements guarantee many stories. This is also the case with former sports reporter Martien Naus, who put the Dakar on the map at Omroep Brabant. “Jan was tough business-wise, but outside of that he was a sweet man,” he says. “Not very socially skilled, but I think he is an emotional person. And I think he was very smart.”
“An example is the time that Jan wanted to organize a press day and found out that his sponsor Gauloises was not allowed on screen. In the Netherlands you were not allowed to advertise cigarettes. So Jan simply rented a plane and we all flew to Northern Spain You were also allowed to smoke on that plane, because he smoked himself total loss at the Caballero. He just paid extra for it. In Spain he simply let the trucks drive around with advertising and the problem was solved.”
“Jan is such a special figure for Brabant that he cannot be buried in silence.”
Jan de Rooy paved the way for all generations after him when it comes to the Dakar Rally. His son Gerard won the event twice and many Dutch people still participate in the trucks every year.
“He has meant a lot to the Dakar Rally,” agrees Marcel Snijders, who has now participated seventeen times as a driver and navigator. “Everyone used to watch Jan de Rooy’s images on television. I did that too as a little boy and it certainly made a difference. Even now when you see how many truckers are still participating. He really is an icon.”
It is not yet known when Jan de Rooy’s farewell will take place and whether it will be accessible. In any case, Hans Bekx hopes that he will have a grand farewell. “He was such a special and special person for Brabant that he cannot be buried in silence,” he says. “I think so, but of course the family will discuss that.”
Jan de Rooy died on Tuesday at the age of 80: