40th Dakar rally is a race across 3 countries starting January 6 and 7 stages of sand dunes
There’s less than a month to go until the 2018 Dakar Rally officially commences. Are you ready?
The 40th edition of what is called “the world’s most grueling motorcycle race” will be held in South America starting in Lima, Peru, on January 6. It will then run through Argentina and Bolivia for a rest day in La Paz, ending in Córdoba, Argentina, on January 20 – a total of 14 stages of the competition, 7 of which are on 100% sand dunes, off-road, and almost 9, 000 km.
There will be one marathon stage for all categories and five days at an altitude of more than 3, 000 m.
“Competitors will be faced with all the different sandscapes of the country, setting high standards right from the very start of the Dakar,” said Marc Coma, Sporting Director of the Dakar Rally. “Coming back to Peru, and for longer than in 2012 and 2013, has given us the opportunity to explore unknown territory. The Bolivian stretch—physically demanding yet offering stunning landscapes—will test the adventurers to the limits of their endurance. But decisive challenges will still await them in Argentina, where the Dakar theoretically reaches its most difficult part with the Super Fiambala stage. This is where racers will need to stand out from the crowd if they hope to triumph in Córdoba.”
From Sand Galore to Focused to the Very End, competitors will have to train their hardest to become the champion for Dakar Rally lives up to its name this 2018.
Stage 1 in Lima is called ‘Sand Galore’ because, from the get-go, racers are immediately plunged into the sand towards a downhill section of a lake which will require advanced skills to manage.
With a strong start to the event, ‘Co-Drivers in the Spotlight’ will have to race around the Pisco loop stage that is 90% off-piste, of which the first 40km will not make for an easy ride as canyons and a series of dunes follow them around.
Definitively, Stage 3 will be ‘A Day for Hardened “Off-Roaders”’ at San Juan De Marcona. The racers will be discharged from across a chott in the heart of the canyons where bikes and quads will have to leave the main route for a 15km detour.
The fourth stage requires all participants to ‘Get in Line!’ as they start with neat lines of 15 bikes and 4-abreast acceleration contests for cars. But we’re really just here for the bikers so we’ll move on.
Competitors will already start feeling the weariness in their bodies by Stage 5 but they can’t let their guards down as each goes their separate ways. As bikes and quads take a different route, again, from the cars and trucks, the race will follow the two different sections of special stages starting daybreak.
After they move up a gear in Arequipa, La Paz, they are given a day off on Friday before the race begins again on Saturday.
Racers will have to be ‘Focused to the Very End’ until they cross the finish line.
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