Van Schaik defends title

Dutchman Peter van schaikhas won the 10th annual Caterpillar Operator Challenge for the third year running. The competition was held from 2 to 5 October at Cat's training facility in Malaga, Spain. Fellow Dutchman Jan-Maarten Schuurman came second, followed by Krister Persson from Sweden. The country competition was won by the Netherlands followed by Sweden and Germany.

The result came as no surprise to Caterpillar's event organiser Bob Brice “The Dutch always send a very good team over here and expected to win,” he said.

The challenge comprised six machine tests – backhoe loader, off highway truck, multi terrain loader, large hydraulic excavator, wheel excavator and medium size wheel loader – all demanding precise movements, discipline and high levels of concentration. Mr Vahigh Van Schaik took first place at two out of the six tests.

The Caterpillar Operator Challenge 2007 hosted 48 participants from 22 countries. The finalists came from Belgium, Bosnia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Mongolia, the Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Russia, Serbia-Montenegro, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and United Arab Emirates. To reach the Malaga finals all the participants had to win a series of local and national events. Each country selected from one or two best operators to represent their country.

In the past six years, the winners of the competition have come from the Netherlands. Peter van Schaik also won the competition in 2006 and 2005 while his countryman Ton Verdam took the title for three consecutive years in 2002, 2003 and 2004.