Dakar Rally 2009

The Dakar Rally is all set to start on January 3, 2009. It's the world's most grueling and dangerous off-road race and it's watched by millions of people throughout the world (except for the US where it is not as well known). The 2008 Dakar Rally was canceled at the last minute because of security concerns in Mauritania where some French tourists had recently been killed. This was a big deal, with over 500 teams ready to take part, as well as support vehicles, mechanics, food trucks and media from all over the globe. There were a lot of disappointed competitors as well as sponsors in Lisbon that day.

To make sure that doesn't happen again, the Dakar Rally organizers have moved the whole off-road show to an entirely different continent. For the first time in its 30 year history, the 2009 Dakar Rally will take place in Argentina and Chile and not Africa. As of this time the bikes, trucks, quads and cars have been shipped across the Atlantic and will be getting fine tuned over the next few weeks.

South America has its own distinguished rallying history with the famous Patagonia-Atacama Rally and the Las Pampas Rally. So the routes are well planned out and challening. The sun will be at its hottest in the desert (it's summertime in South America) and the locals will hopefully be friendly and supportive.

While I can't help feeling sorry that the Dakar Rally will not end in Dakar this year, I'm hopeful that it will return to Africa next year. If it doesn't, they may want to consider changing the name of the rally to something Spanish and more appropriately South American. If you'd like to still ride the traditional Dakar Rally route in Africa, you can always join a motorcycle tour or check out the low-cost Plymouth-Dakar challenge (which hasn't changed continents!).

More About the Dakar Rally...

_{Image of a typical scene from the Dakar Rally 2006, Sahara Desert -- Free Use Photos}