The Dakar Rally turned out to be a tragedy for Michael van der Sloot from Oirschot. The mechanic of team De Groot Sport was hit by a rally car at the bivouac on Sunday and went to hospital by ambulance. It is not exactly the only bad luck in the team, because colleague Philip van Duren bruised his ribs after falling down a flight of stairs. To make matters worse, driver William de Groot retired on Tuesday afternoon after crashing his truck into a boulder.
Van der Sloot was on the bivouac with his motorcycle to help another team, when he was overlooked by the driver of a rally car on the way back. “I was immediately examined and then transported to hospital. After examination, it turned out that my hip was broken and dislocated. There is now a pin in my hip to secure everything and then surgery will follow.”
He will remain in the Saudi hospital in the coming days. “After the operation, I will slowly start my recovery. If it heals well, I can go home in a few days. I can move around a bit for the first six weeks, but not lean on it at all.”
His colleague Philip from Kerkdriel in Gelderland also had bad luck and fell down a flight of stairs in the bivouac. “I got off the workshop when the stairs sank a bit in the sand. The fall left me with bruises in my ribs and upper leg. I can no longer do the heavy work, but where I can I provide manual services. I can still drive a truck and, for example, wash windows and tidy up.”
The De Groot Sport team had a total of twelve people and has become considerably smaller after two stages. “A tragedy for our team,” is the reaction of William de Groot on Tuesday morning, who, like his brother Ben, is participating in the Dakar Rally in a truck.
“We already didn’t have a super staff of technicians and then this happens to us. The boys worked until three o’clock last night and it was early again this morning. Fortunately, we agreed with another team that we can receive assistance from a number of technicians. We have to improvise, but we always have to do that along the way.”
On Tuesday afternoon, William crashed into a boulder and the finish of the third stage was no longer feasible. It is unclear whether the driver from Kerkdriel – who says he feels like a real Brabander in everything – can complete the rest of the Dakar Rally without competition.
Look at Da Karretje!
Omroep Brabant is also closely following the Brabant participants in this Dakar Rally. From January 3 to 18 there is Da Karretje every day with the experiences of reporters Nynke Cuperus, Ronald Sträter and Leon Voskamp on YouTube, website and TV.
