Nani Roma once again enjoyed driving in the sands and speeding through the canyons in Dakar 2024. He smiled again behind the wheel of the race of his life. However, the most difficult event in the world reminded him of its other side, the immense cruelty of this race that generates so many mixed feelings among its participants. You can love him and hate him at the same time. And that’s how the Folgueroles driver must feel this Sunday. The 51-year-old driver suffered a mechanical problem with his Ford at kilometer 24 of stage 7 of the Dakar 2024.
Nani, winner of the 2004 Dakar on motorcycles (the first Spaniard to do so) and on cars in 2014, returns to the 2024 Dakar after missing the 2023 edition, the first in which he did not start after 26 consecutive participation due to having overcome bladder cancer. In 2024, he returns after winning the most important and hardest race of his life. And on his return, Joan returned with his co-driver Àlex Haro, with high hopes of launching a long-term project with Ford and M-Sport.
The aim of the first year of this new Dakar challenge with the signing of the oval is for the team to add experience to a race they do not know, at the wheel of a Ford Ranger T1+ modified by Roma in recent months, in that it needs to be stable and reliable first, that it is clear that the sure big step will be made in Dakar next year with a completely new car designed to fight everything.
Nani was 13th overall, far from the lead because this year’s car was not ready to win, but it allowed him to look at the Top-10. He is only 8 minutes away overall from that 10th position. And with 6 stages ahead, with a total of 2,384 special kilometers still to be completed, he can still think of a more ambitious result, as he has 8th place just 17 minutes away. Despite this, the main goal had to be to reach the final goal, the first after the nightmare he had experienced in the last two years. But Dakar finally reminded him of his bitterest side. He was not allowed to reach the end because of an accident with his car.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
