Erik van Loon ends his career in the Dakar

It was one of the great stories of this Dakar 2023. Very close to a victory during the 2^e stage failing 14 seconds behind Nasser Al-Attiyah, Erik van will unfortunately not see the finish of this 45^e edition which was to be his last as he took the start of the event for the 13^e time.

Made a mistake in the 7th^e stage on Saturday and victim of a big box, the Dutchman weighed the pros and cons and made the decision that everyone feared: he will no longer hit the road in this 2023 Dakar. This was to be expected, of course., Explain Erik van Loon. It was my 13^e Dakar and I was aiming for a Top 10. I had great times, great adventures and made friends.

Le Rally Dakar has often been difficult for me, but it has also given me a lot. He made me who I am today. Attack, persevere and achieve something together. I think it's a fantastic sport, but in the meantime I enjoy other rallies more. These two weeks are extremely difficult and the risk is incredibly high at this level. Then, when we experience such a shock, we start to think about it."

Despite this premature retirement, Erik van Loon is not going to leave Saudi Arabia any time soon because for the van Loons the Dakar is a family event. The Batavian will indeed stay nearby to support his wife Anja, currently 73^e in the SSV classification.

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