A team led by IVECO driver Gerard De Rooy has won the truck classification of the gruelling 6,000 km Africa Eco Race. Meanwhile fellow IVECO driver Federico Villagra is a major contender as the Dakar 2018 rally continues onto some of its most demanding stages in Argentina.

The Africa Eco Race follows much of the traditional Dakar route, which now takes place in South America, and started on 31 December in Monaco and ended in Dakar after 12 gruelling stages through West Africa.

Gerard De Rooy, at the wheel of his IVECO Powerstar, followed in the footsteps of his father Jan, who won the rally’s first edition, and was the favourite of the 15 truck participants. More than a hundred vehicles, nearly 200 riders, drivers and co-drivers started the race and de Rooy led throughout.  

Meanwhile, Federico Villagra and his IVECO Powerstar is maintaining his second position in the overall standings of this year’s Dakar 2018 after stage 8. The eventful race has already seen rally legend Sebastian Loeb crash out as well as former Tottenham Hotspur coach Andre Villas Boas.