THE DAKAR 2013

How long is the Dakar 2013 and how long does it take?

In 2013, the Dakar Rally breaks new ground by traveling in a north south direction, starting in Lima, Peru and finishing in Santiago, Chile. Riders will travel for a total of 8423 km, 4146 km of which will be special timed stages, 14 in total.  Instead of the traditional New Year’s Day start, the rally will commence on January 5 in Lima and finishes in Santiago on January 20. Rest day at the half way mark is scheduled for January 13.

What will be the biggest challenges?

Organizers promise to deliver a new level of difficulty in 2013. Riders will have to face the coastal desert dunes of southern Argentina in the opening stages and say they will be under pressure until the rest day. They will then have to draw on their endurance skills for stage nine after the rest day, the longest in the 2013 edition and a massive ride of 852 km. Riders will also have to master the high altitude ride as they cross the Andes on their southwards journey to Santiago. They will also have to be masters at navigation and show super human levels of physical and mental strength.

How many riders will there be and what must they achieve?

For 2013 there is a starting list of 196 and around 70 riders are on KTM machines. In addition to the riders in the official KTM factory teams, some 40 privateers have signed up for the full KTM Customer Service Package. This year the shortest stage is Stage One with a total of 263 km and the longest is Stage Nine (852 km). The majority of the competitors are amateurs, many competing to fulfill a lifelong dream.

For full list of competing riders go to the official Dakar website: www.dakar.com