ABOUT THE DAKAR

“The Dakar” is probably the most challenging annual rally raid for both competitors and vehicles. This particularly applies to the motorcycles and their riders who not only require enormous riding and navigation skills but also superb physical and mental abilities. Traditionally starting on January 1, the race, which has been run annually since 1979, was originally from Paris to Dakar in Senegal although over the years the route and starting and finishing points have often been changed. Since 2009 the Dakar Rally has been held in South America and for the first time in 2013 the route will take riders in a north-south direction starting at Lima, Peru and finishing in Santiago, Chile, taking in four stages in Argentina on the journey south.

When did the Paris – Dakar cease to start and finish at these locations?

Except in 1992 when the rally went from Paris to Cape Town, South Africa, the route was from Paris to Dakar from 1979 to 1994. It was again from Paris to Dakar in 1998 and 2001.

Why did it stop being run from Paris?

In 1994 the rally both began and ended in Paris but, due to complaints by the mayor, the finish had to be moved from the Champs-Elysees to Euro Disney. Organizers then decided to have different locations for the rally in the following years. Other locations in France, Spain and Portugal hosted the start of the rally in the 1990s and the first half of the 2000s.