DAKAR 2019,    100% PERU

Initially it was a little difficult to get all the correct information, but we knew that an event with 500 competitors, the rally world media from around the world locations of the Bivacs known it wouldn’t be hard to find people in the know. And with the help of some of our friends we did meet the correct people and locations.

Fernando Amigo muchas gracias por tu ayuda y te debo un gran favor. También mi agradecimiento a Gino, Gerston y todas las personas que hicieron del Dakar una oportunidad especial para nosotros. Robert and Clary.

The Dakar is known as the ‘world’s toughest motor race’. A gruelling off-road endurance contest where finishing is an achievement. The toughest rally in the world imposes high respect. the most extreme, longest and arguably most exciting race going is the Dakar Rally. Now in its 41st year, the Dakar remains as gruelling as ever You are a winner when after 10 race days and 5,601 km climbing steep sandhills you and your vehicle made it to the finish line.

Many Dakar drivers have called the race the most physically and mentally challenging rally in the world. unforgiving and deceptive terrain, enormous dunes, steep soft sandy slopes and concealed dips in combination with thick dust making driving very risky as the drivers are driving blind. Stages up to over 700KM long, drivers in their vehicles up to 14 hours, limited vison, heat, and no time to make a toilet stop all amounts to the risk of one second of loss of concentration and the end of your race or even your life.

(I am told 28 competitors have lost their life and nearly 40 spectators over the last 40 years of the Dakar. This is why, the competitors call it the most physically and mentally challenging rally in the world.

For those not aware of the history on how the Dakar started.
1. 1977, French Rally driver Thierry Sabine got lost during the Abidjan to Nice Rally
2. Thierry Sabine set up a 10000KM route from Paris to Dakar via Algeria and Niger.
3. 1979, 181 vehicles participated in the Paris to Dakar Rally only 74 finished.
4. 1992 the route was changed due to political unrest (ending in Cape town)
5. Since then the route changed yearly even starting in Spain (1995) and finishing once in Egypt (2000)
6. 2008 the Rally was cancelled due to a suspected Al Qaeda attack (4 French and 3 Mauritanian soldiers were killed in an attack.
7. 2009, Chile and Argentina made a bid to stage the Dakar as a replacement
8. 2009 till 2018 the Dakar rally has been held across Chile-Argentina-Bolivia and Peru.
9. 2019, Dakar 100% Peru.

Who knows what next year will hold but one thing is for sure I have never seen dunes as high and steep as we have seen in Peru. With 500 competitors the world Media and millions of spectators I feel Peru deserves another Dakar Rally. But it is $$$$$$ that talk.

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