Dakar Rally

Dakar Rally

Category	Rally raid
Region	Europe and Africa (1979–2007) South America (2009–present)
Inaugural season	1979
Drivers' champion	Toby Price (Bikes) Marcos Patronelli (ATV/Quads) Stéphane Peterhansel (Cars) Gerard de Rooy (Trucks)
Constructors' champion	KTM (Bikes) Yamaha (ATV/Quads) Peugeot (Cars) Iveco (Trucks)
Official website	www.Dakar.com
Current season

Countries the rally has been through from 1979 to 2007 (orange countries were only travelled through in the 1992 race to Cape Town).

Countries through which the Dakar Rally has been from 2009 to 2014 since it was moved from the previous Paris-Dakar route due to security concerns. Cities included are major start/end points.

2011 Dakar Rally personal main prize (trucks T4)

Cars on display in 1993 in Paris

Toyota, 1993 in Paris

A support truck during the 2004 Dakar

Tracks through the desert

The Dakar Rally (or simply "The Dakar"; formerly known as the "Paris–Dakar Rally") is an annual rally raid organised by the Amaury Sport Organisation. Most events since the inception in 1978 were from Paris, France, to Dakar, Senegal, but due to security threats in Mauritania, which led to the cancellation of the 2008 rally, races since 2009 have been held in South America.^[1][2][3] The race is open to amateur and professional entries, amateurs typically making up about eighty percent of the participants.

The race is an off-road endurance event. The terrain that the competitors traverse is much tougher than that used in conventional rallying, and the vehicles used are true off-road vehicles rather than modified on-road vehicles. Most of the competitive special sections are off-road, crossing dunes, mud, camel grass, rocks, and erg among others. The distances of each stage covered vary from short distances up to 800–900 kilometres (500–560 mi) per day.

History

The race originated in December 1978, a year after Thierry Sabine got lost in the Ténéré desert whilst competing in the Abidjan-Nice rally and decided that the desert would be a good location for a regular rally.^[4] 182 vehicles took the start of the inaugural rally in Paris, with 74 surviving the 10,000-kilometre (6,200 mi) trip to the Senegalese capital of Dakar. Cyril Neveu holds the distinction of being the event's first winner, riding a Yamaha motorcycle. The event rapidly grew in popularity, with 216 vehicles taking the start in 1980 and 291 in 1981.^[5] Neveu won the event for a second time in 1980, Hubert Auriol taking honours in 1981 for BMW. By this stage, the rally had already begun to attract the participation of famous names from elsewhere in motorsport, such as Henri Pescarolo and Jacky Ickx.

Now boasting 382 competitors, more than double the amount that took the start in 1979, Neveu won the event for a third time in 1982, this time riding a Honda motorcycle, while victory in the car class went to the Marreau brothers, driving a privately entered Renault 20, whose buccaneering exploits seemed to perfectly capture the spirit of the early years of the rally. Auriol captured his second bikes class victory in 1983, the first year that Japanese manufacturer Mitsubishi competed in the rally, beginning an association that would last all the way until 2009.

At the behest of 1983 car class winner Jacky Ickx, Porsche entered the Dakar in 1984, with the total number of entries now at 427.^[5] The German marque won the event at their first attempt courtesy of René Metge, who had previously won in the car category in 1981, whilst Ickx finished sixth. Gaston Rahier meanwhile continued BMW's success in the motorcycle category with back-to-back wins in 1984 and 1985, the year of Mitsubishi's first victory of 12 in the car category, Patrick Zaniroli taking the spoils. The 1986 event, won by Metge and Neveu, was marred by the death of event founder Sabine in a helicopter crash, his father Gilbert taking over organisation of the rally.

Peugeot-Citroën domination

The 1987 rally marked the start of an era of increased official factory participation in the car category, as French manufacturer Peugeot arrived and won the event with former World Rally champion Ari Vatanen. The 1987 event was also notable for a ferocious head-to-head duel between Neveu and Auriol in the motorcycle category, the former taking his fifth victory after Auriol was forced to drop out of the rally after breaking both ankles in a fall.^[5] The 1988 event reached its zenith in terms of entry numbers, with 603 starters. Vatanen's title defence was derailed when his Peugeot was stolen from the service area at Bamako. Though it was later found, Vatanen was subsequently disqualified from the event, victory instead going to compatriot and teammate Juha Kankkunen.^[5]

Peugeot and Vatanen returned to winning ways in 1989 and 1990, the latter marking Peugeot's final year of rally competition before switching to the World Sportscar Championship. Sister brand Citroën took Peugeot's place, Vatanen taking a third consecutive victory in 1991. The 1991 event also saw Stéphane Peterhansel take his first title in the motorcycle category with Yamaha, marking the beginning of an era of domination by the Frenchman.

For the 1992 event,the finish line moved to Cape Town, South Africa in a bid to combat a declining number of competitors, where GPS technology was used for the first time.^[5] Auriol became the first person to win in multiple classes after taking Mitsubishi's second victory in the car class, while Peterhansel successfully defended his motorcycle category title. The 1993 rally entry list slumped to 153 competitors, around half of the preceding year's figure and around a quarter of that of 1988. The event was the last to be organised by Gilbert Sabine and the Amaury Sport Organisation took over the following year. With the finish line now back in its traditional location of Dakar, Bruno Saby won a third title for Mitsubishi and Peterhansel took a third straight success in the motorcycle category.

The 1994 event returned to Paris after reaching Dakar, resulting in a particularly grueling event. Pierre Lartigue took Citroën's second win in acrimonious circumstances, as Mitsubishi's leading drivers were forced to withdraw from exhaustion after traversing some particularly demanding sand dunes in the Mauritanian desert that the Citroen crews had opted to skip.^[6] Peterhansel's did not compete due to a disagreement between Yamaha and the race organizers over the regulations. Edi Orioli claimed a third title in the bikes category.^[5] The 1995 and 1996 events begin in the Spanish city of Granada, with Lartigue racking up wins for Citroen in both years. Peterhansel returned to take a fourth bikes category win in 1995, but lost to Orioli in 1996 because of refuelling problems.^[5]

Mitsubishi in the ascendancy

The 1997 rally ran exclusively in Africa for the first time, with the route running from Dakar to Agadez, Niger and back to Dakar. Citroen's withdrawal due to a rule change paved the way for Mitsubishi to take a fourth victory. Japan's Kenjiro Shinozuka became the first non-European to win the event. Peterhansel equalled Neveu's record of five motorcycle category wins in 1997, before going one better in 1998, when the event returned to its traditional Paris-Dakar route. 1998, Dakar veteran Jean-Pierre Fontenay posted another win for Mitsubishi in the car class.

1999 started in Granada and a maiden success for erstwhile Formula One and sports car driver Jean-Louis Schlesser, who had been constructing his own buggies since 1992. With the help of Renault backing, Schlesser overcame the works Mitsubishi and Nissan crews to win, whilst Peterhansel's decision to switch to the car category allowed Richard Sainct to take BMW's first title in the bikes category since 1985. Schlesser and Sainct both successfully defended their titles in 2000, traversing the route from Dakar to the Egyptian capital of Cairo.

2001 was the final time that the rally used the familiar Paris-Dakar route, and was notable for Mitsubishi's Jutta Kleinschmidt, as she was the first woman to win the rally - albeit only after Schlesser was penalised one hour for unsportsmanlike conduct.^[7] Fabrizio Meoni took the first Dakar win for Austrian manufacturer KTM, beginning a winning streak that has lasted until the present day. The 2002 began in the French town of Arras and long-time Dakar participant Hiroshi Masuoka won the event for Mitsubishi (Masouka had led for much of the previous year's rally.) The 2003 rally featured an unorthodox route from Marseille to Sharm El Sheikh. Masuoka defend his title after teammate and long-time leader Peterhansel was plagued by mechanical problems in the penultimate stage.^[8] Sainct meanwhile took honours in the motorcycle category, the third title for both him and KTM.

The Dakar at its peak

The mid-2000s saw the Dakar Rally reach the height of its popularity. The entry list by 2004 increased to 595, up from 358 in 2001, with a record 688 competitors starting in 2005.^[5] Alongside Mitsubishi and Nissan, Volkswagen now boasted a full factory effort, while Schlesser's Ford-powered buggies and BMWs of the German X-Raid team proved thorns in the side of the big budget works teams. The 2004 route was from Clermont-Ferrand to Dakar, and was the year Peterhansel emulated Hubert Auriol's feat of winning the rally on both two wheels and four. The Frenchman defended his title in 2005, when the rally began for the first time in Barcelona. In the bikes category, KTM continued their success with Nani Roma in 2004, who switched to the car category the following year, and Cyril Despres in 2005.

The 2006 moved to Lisbon. Nissan pulled out having failed to provide effective opposition to Mitsubishi, who took a sixth consecutive victory, this time with former skiing champion Luc Alphand after Peterhansel committed a series of errors late in the rally.^[9] Peterhansel made amends in 2007, however, taking his third title in the car category for Mitsubishi after a close contest with Alphand after the increasingly competitive Volkswagens retired with mechanical problems. In what would be the final African event of the Dakar, Despres took his second title in the bikes category, having conceded victory in 2006 to Marc Coma after suffering an injury.

The 2008 event, due to depart Lisbon as per the previous two years, was cancelled on January 4, 2008 amid fears of terrorist attacks in Mauritania, causing serious doubts over the future of the rally. Chile and Argentina offered to host subsequent events,^[10][11] an offer later accepted by the ASO.^[12] The ASO also decided to establish the Dakar Series competition, whose first event was the 2008 Central Europe Rally, located in Hungary and Romania, which acted as a replacement for the cancelled 2008 edition of the Dakar.

South America

The 2009 event, the first held in South America with a respectable entry of 501, saw Volkswagen finally take its first win in the Dakar as a works entrant courtesy of Giniel de Villiers. Teammate and former WRC champion Carlos Sainz had been leading comfortably until crashing out,^[13] but seized the opportunity to win the event in 2010. After a poor showing in 2009, Mitsubishi withdrew from the competition and left Volkswagen as the sole works entrant. The German marque duly won the race for a third time in 2011, this time with Nasser Al-Attiyah, before they withdrew to focus on their upcoming WRC entry and leaving the Dakar with no factory participants in the car class. In the bikes, Despres and Coma stretched KTM's incredible unbroken run of success. Both tied on three victories apiece after Coma's third win in 2011.

In the 2012 rally, the X-Raid team come to the fore, now using Minis in lieu of BMWs. Peterhansel had joined the team in 2010 after Mitsubishi's departure, but had been unable to challenge the Volkswagen drivers. Following Volkswagen's withdrawal, Peterhansel was able to secure his fourth win in the car category and his tenth in total, his main opposition coming from within his own team. Peterhansel successfully defended his title in 2013 as the Damen Jefferies buggies of Sainz and Al-Attiyah failed to last the distance. Despres also racked up a further two wins for KTM in the bikes class in 2012 and 2013, bringing his tally to five, aided by Coma's absence due to injury in the latter year. Coma struck back on his return to the Dakar in 2014, taking a comfortable fourth title and a 13th in succession for KTM, whilst Nani Roma emulated Auriol and Peterhansel by taking his maiden title in the cars class a decade on from his victory on two wheels - albeit only after team orders by X-Raid slowed down Peterhansel.^[14]

Peugeot returned for the 2015 event with an all-new, diesel-powered, two-wheel drive contender, but failed to make an impact as X-Raid's Minis once more dominated. Al-Attiyah won the event in his second year for the team, while Coma racked up a fifth title in the bikes after the defection of long-time rival Despres to the car class and Peugeot.

Vehicles and classes

The four major competitive groups in the Dakar are the motorcycles, quads, the cars class, (which range from buggies to small SUVs) and the trucks class. Many vehicle manufacturers exploit the harsh environment the rally offers as a testing ground and consequently to demonstrate the durability of their vehicles, although most vehicles are heavily modified or purpose built.

Motorbikes

As of 2011, the engine capacity limit for all motorbikes competing in the Dakar Rally is 450cc. Engines may be either single or twin cylinder. Riders are divided into two groups, "Elite" (Group 1) and Non-Elite (Group 2), with the latter subdivided into two further groups - the "Super Production" (Group 2.1) and "Marathon" (Group 2.2) classes. "Marathon" competitors are not permitted to change such key components as the engine (including the engine case, cylinders and cylinder heads), the frame, the forks or swinging arm, whereas those in the "Super Production" and "Elite" classes may replace these components.^[15]

KTM has dominated the motorcycle class in recent years, although Honda, Yamaha, Sherco and Gas Gas also compete currently. BMW and Cagiva have also enjoyed success in the past.

Quads

Prior to 2009, Quads were a subdivision of the motorbike category, but they were granted their own separate classification in 2009 and are designated Group 3 in the current regulations. They are divided into two subgroups - Group 3.1, which features two-wheel drive quads with a single cylinder engine with a maximum capacity of 750cc, and Group 3.2, which permits four-wheel drive quads with a maximum engine capacity of 900cc, in either single or twin cylinder layout.^[15]

Yamaha are unbeaten in the Quad category since 2009, with their main current opposition coming courtesy of Honda and Can-Am.

Cars

Vladimir Chagin, "The Tsar of Dakar", is the most successful Dakar driver in the truck category and the second most successful Dakar driver in any category.

The car class is made up of vehicles weighing less than 3,500 kg (7,716 lb), which are subdivided into several categories. The T1 Group is made up of "Improved Cross-Country Vehicles", subdivided according to engine type (petrol or diesel) and drive type (two-wheel or four-wheel drive). The T2 Group is made up of "Cross-Country Series Production Vehicles", which are subdivided into petrol and diesel categories, while the T3 Group is for "Light Vehicles". There is also an "Open" category catering for vehicles conforming to SCORE regulations.^[16]

Mini have been the most successful marque in the car category in recent years, thanks to the efforts of the non-factory X-Raid team, with limited involvement currently coming from Toyota, Ford and Haval. Several constructors also produce bespoke buggies for the event, most notably SMG and Damen Jefferies.

Mitsubishi is historically the most successful manufacturer in the car class, with Volkswagen, Citroen, Peugeot and Porsche having all tasted success in the past with factory teams. Jean-Louis Schlesser has also won the event twice with his Renault-supported buggies. Factory teams from Nissan and SEAT have also won stages, as has BMW, courtesy of the X-Raid team.

Trucks

The Truck class (T4), first run as a separate category in 1980, is made up of vehicles weighing more than 3,500 kg (7,716 lb). Trucks participating in the competition are subdivided into "Series Production" trucks (T4.1) and "Modified" trucks (T4.2), whilst Group T4.3 (formerly known as T5) trucks are rally support trucks - meaning they travel from bivouac to bivouac to support the competition vehicles.^[16] These were introduced to the rally in 1998. The truck event was not run in 1989 after it was decided the vehicles, by this stage with twin engines generating in excess of 1000 horsepower, were too dangerous following the death of a DAF crew member in an accident during the 1988 rally.^[5]

Kamaz has dominated the truck category since the turn of the century, although it has come under increasing pressure from rivals such as Iveco, MAN, Renault and Tatra, which enjoyed much success in the 1990s. Hino, DAF, Perlini and Mercedes-Benz have also been among the winners in the past.

List of winners

Year	Route	Cars		Motorcycles		Trucks		Quads
		Driver Co-driver	Make & model	Rider	Make & model	Driver Co-drivers	Make & model	Rider	Make & model
2017	Asunción– La Paz– Buenos Aires
2016	Buenos Aires– Salta- Rosario	Stéphane Peterhansel Jean-Paul Cottret	Peugeot 2008 DKR	Toby Price	KTM 450 Rally	Gerard de Rooy Moises Torrallardona Darek Rodewald	Iveco PowerStar	Marcos Patronelli	Yamaha
2015	Buenos Aires– Iquique- Buenos Aires	Nasser Al-Attiyah Matthieu Baumel	Mini All 4 Racing	Marc Coma	KTM 450 Rally	Ayrat Mardeev Aydar Belyaev Dmitriy Svistunov	Kamaz	Rafał Sonik	Yamaha
2014	Rosario- Salta– Valparaíso	Nani Roma Michel Périn	Mini All 4 Racing	Marc Coma	KTM 450 Rally	Andrey Karginov Andrey Mokeev Igor Devyatkin	Kamaz	Ignacio Casale	Yamaha
2013	Lima– Tucumán– Santiago	Stéphane Peterhansel Jean-Paul Cottret	Mini All 4 Racing	Cyril Despres	KTM 450 Rally	Eduard Nikolaev Sergey Savostin Vladimir Rybakov	Kamaz	Marcos Patronelli	Yamaha
2012	Mar del Plata– Arica– Lima	Stéphane Peterhansel Jean-Paul Cottret	Mini All 4 Racing	Cyril Despres	KTM 450 Rally	Gérard de Rooy Tom Colsoul Darek Rodewald	Iveco PowerStar	Alejandro Patronelli	Yamaha Raptor 700
2011	Buenos Aires– Arica– Buenos Aires	Nasser Al-Attiyah Timo Gottschalk	Volkswagen Touareg 3	Marc Coma	KTM 450 Rally	Vladimir Chagin Sergey Savostin Ildar Shaysultanov	Kamaz	Alejandro Patronelli	Yamaha
2010	Buenos Aires– Antofagasta– Buenos Aires	Carlos Sainz Lucas Cruz	Volkswagen Touareg 2	Cyril Despres	KTM 690 Rally	Vladimir Chagin Sergey Savostin Eduard Nikolaev	Kamaz	Marcos Patronelli	Yamaha
2009	Buenos Aires– Valparaiso– Buenos Aires	Giniel de Villiers Dirk von Zitzewitz	Volkswagen Touareg 2	Marc Coma	KTM 690 Rally	Firdaus Kabirov Aydar Belyaev Andrey Mokeev	Kamaz	Josef Macháček	Yamaha
2008	Not Held
2007	Lisbon–Dakar	Stéphane Peterhansel Jean-Paul Cottret	Mitsubishi Pajero	Cyril Despres	KTM 690 Rally	Hans Stacey Charly Gotlib Bernard der Kinderen	MAN TGA	Not held
2006	Lisbon–Dakar	Luc Alphand Gilles Picard	Mitsubishi Pajero	Marc Coma	KTM LC4 660R	Vladimir Chagin Semen Yakubov Sergey Savostin	Kamaz
2005	Barcelona–Dakar	Stéphane Peterhansel Jean-Paul Cottret	Mitsubishi Pajero	Cyril Despres	KTM LC4 660R	Firdaus Kabirov Aydar Belyaev Andrey Mokeev	Kamaz
2004	Clermont-Ferrand– Dakar	Stéphane Peterhansel Jean-Paul Cottret	Mitsubishi Pajero	Nani Roma	KTM LC4 660R	Vladimir Chagin Semen Yakubov Sergey Savostin	Kamaz
2003	Marseille– Sharm el Sheikh	Hiroshi Masuoka Andreas Schulz	Mitsubishi Pajero	Richard Sainct	KTM LC4 660R	Vladimir Chagin Semen Yakubov Sergey Savostin	Kamaz
2002	Arras–Madrid– Dakar	Hiroshi Masuoka Pascal Maimon	Mitsubishi Pajero	Fabrizio Meoni	KTM LC8 950R	Vladimir Chagin Semen Yakubov Sergey Savostin	Kamaz
2001	Paris–Dakar	Jutta Kleinschmidt Andreas Schulz	Mitsubishi Pajero	Fabrizio Meoni	KTM LC4 660R	Karel Loprais Josef Kalina Petr Hamerla	Tatra 815
2000	Paris–Dakar–Cairo	Jean-Louis Schlesser Henri Magne	Schlesser-Renault Buggy	Richard Sainct	BMW F650RR	Vladimir Chagin Semen Yakubov Sergey Savostin	Kamaz
1999	Granada–Dakar	Jean-Louis Schlesser Philippe Monnet	Schlesser-Renault Buggy	Richard Sainct	BMW F650RR	Karel Loprais Radomir Stachura Josef Kalina	Tatra 815
1998	Paris–Granada– Dakar	Jean-Pierre Fontenay Gilles Picard	Mitsubishi Pajero	Stéphane Peterhansel	Yamaha YZE850T	Karel Loprais Radomir Stachura Jan Cermak	Tatra 815
1997	Dakar–Agades– Dakar	Kenjiro Shinozuka Henri Magne	Mitsubishi Pajero	Stéphane Peterhansel	Yamaha YZE850T	Peter Reif Johann Deinhofer	Hino
1996	Granada–Dakar	Pierre Lartigue Michel Périn	Citroën ZX	Edi Orioli	Yamaha YZE850T	Viktor Moskovskikh Anatoli Kouzmine Nail Bagavetdinov	Kamaz
1995	Granada–Dakar	Pierre Lartigue Michel Périn	Citroën ZX	Stéphane Peterhansel	Yamaha YZE850T	Karel Loprais Radomir Stachura Tomas Tomecek	Tatra 815
1994	Paris–Dakar–Paris	Pierre Lartigue Michel Périn	Citroën ZX	Edi Orioli	Cagiva Elefant 900	Karel Loprais Radomir Stachura Josef Kalina	Tatra 815
1993	Paris–Dakar	Bruno Saby Dominique Serieys	Mitsubishi Pajero	Stéphane Peterhansel	Yamaha YZE850T	Francesco Perlini Giorgio Albiero Claudio Vinante	Perlini
1992	Paris–Sirte– Cape Town	Hubert Auriol Philippe Monnet	Mitsubishi Pajero	Stéphane Peterhansel	Yamaha YZE850T	Francesco Perlini Giorgio Albiero Claudio Vinante	Perlini
1991	Paris–Tripoli– Dakar	Ari Vatanen Bruno Berglund	Citroën ZX	Stéphane Peterhansel	Yamaha YZE750T	Jacques Houssat Thierry de Saulieu Danilo Bottaro	Perlini
1990	Paris–Tripoli– Dakar	Ari Vatanen Bruno Berglund	Peugeot 405 T16	Edi Orioli	Cagiva Elefant 900	Giorgio Villa Giorgio Delfino Claudio Vinante	Perlini
1989	Paris–Tunis–Dakar	Ari Vatanen Bruno Berglund	Peugeot 405 T16	Gilles Lalay	Honda NXR800V	Not held
1988	Paris–Alger–Dakar	Juha Kankkunen Juha Piironen	Peugeot 205 T16	Edi Orioli	Honda NXR800V	Karel Loprais Radomir Stachura Tomas Muck	Tatra 815
1987	Paris-Alger–Dakar	Ari Vatanen Bernard Giroux	Peugeot 205 T16	Cyril Neveu	Honda NXR750V	Jan de Rooy Yvo Geusens Theo van de Rijt	DAF
1986	Paris-Alger–Dakar	René Metge Dominique Lemoyne	Porsche 959	Cyril Neveu	Honda NXR750V	Giacomo Vismara Giulio Minelli	Mercedes-Benz
1985	Paris-Alger–Dakar	Patrick Zaniroli Jean Da Silva	Mitsubishi Pajero	Gaston Rahier	BMW R100GS	Karl-Friedrich Capito Jost Capito Klaus Schweikarl	Mercedes-Benz 1936 AK
1984	Paris-Alger–Dakar	René Metge Dominique Lemoyne	Porsche 911 (953)	Gaston Rahier	BMW R100GS	Pierre Laleu Daniel Durce Patrick Venturini	Mercedes-Benz 1936 AK
1983	Paris-Alger–Dakar	Jacky Ickx Claude Brasseur	Mercedes 280 G	Hubert Auriol	BMW R100GS	Georges Groine Thierry de Saulieu Bernard Malferiol	Mercedes-Benz 1936 AK
1982	Paris-Alger–Dakar	Claude Marreau Bernard Marreau	Renault 20	Cyril Neveu	Honda XR550	Georges Groine Thierry de Saulieu Bernard Malferiol	Mercedes-Benz U 1700L
1981	Paris–Dakar	René Metge Bernard Giroux	Range Rover	Hubert Auriol	BMW R80G/S	Adrien Villette Henri Gabrelle Alain Voillereau	ALM/ACMAT
1980	Paris–Dakar	Freddy Kottulinsky Gerd Löffelmann	Volkswagen Iltis	Cyril Neveu	Yamaha XT500	Zohra Ataouat Hadj Daou Boukrif Mahiedine Kaloua	Sonacome
1979	Paris–Dakar	Alain Génestier Joseph Terbiaut Jean Lemordant	Range Rover	Cyril Neveu	Yamaha XT500	Jean-François Dunac Jean-Pierre Chapel François Beau	Pinzgauer

Source: "Dakar Retrospective 1979-2009" (PDF). Official website of the Dakar rally raid. Amaury Sport Organisation. Retrieved 19 July 2013.

Stage winners

Update: after 2016 Dakar Rally Bold denotes current competitors (as of 2016).

By category

Bikes Pos. Rider Wins 1 Stéphane Peterhansel 33 2 Cyril Despres 32 3 Jordi Arcarons 27 4 Marc Coma 25 5 Hubert Auriol 24 6 Alessandro De Petri 19 7 Edi Orioli 17 Gaston Rahier 9 Richard Sainct 15 10 Fabrizio Meoni 14 Joan Barreda Bikes

Quads (since 2009) Pos. Rider Wins 1 Marcos Patronelli 16 2 Ignacio Casale 11 3 Alejandro Patronelli 10 4 Christophe Declerck 8 5 Tomas Maffei 6 6 Josef Macháček 5 7 Rafał Sonik 4 Sebastian Halpern 9 Sergio Lafuente 3 Sebastian Husseini Juan Manuel González Łukasz Łaskawiec

Cars Pos. Driver Wins 1 Ari Vatanen 50 2 Stéphane Peterhansel 35 3 Jacky Ickx 29 Carlos Sainz 5 Nasser Al-Attiyah 26 6 Hiroshi Masuoka 25 7 Jean-Pierre Fontenay 24 8 Pierre Lartigue 21^1 Kenjiro Shinozuka 10 Bruno Saby 15 Jean-Louis Schlesser Cars

Trucks (since 1999) Pos. Driver Wins 1 Vladimir Chagin 63^2 2 Firdaus Kabirov 37 3 Gérard de Rooy 30 4 Hans Stacey 18 5 Karel Loprais 16 6 Eduard Nikolaev 10 7 Andrey Karginov 9 André de Azevedo 9 Aleš Loprais 8 10 Ayrat Mardeev 4 Peter Versluis Trucks

Combined

Rank	Driver	Stage Wins	Category
1	Stéphane Peterhansel	68	Bikes/Cars
2	Vladimir Chagin	63^2	Trucks
3	Ari Vatanen	50	Cars
4	Firdaus Kabirov	37	Trucks
	Hubert Auriol		Bikes/Cars
6	Cyril Despres	32	Bikes
7	Gérard de Rooy	30	Trucks
8	Jacky Ickx	29	Cars
	Carlos Sainz		Cars
10	Jordi Arcarons	27	Bikes
11	Nasser Al-Attiyah	26	Cars
12	Hiroshi Masuoka	25	Cars
	Marc Coma		Bikes
14	Jean-Pierre Fontenay	24	Cars
	Nani Roma		Bikes/Cars
16	Pierre Lartigue	21^1	Cars
	Kenjiro Shinozuka		Cars
18	Alessandro de Petri	19	Bikes
19	Hans Stacey	18	Trucks
20	Edi Orioli	17	Bikes
	Gaston Rahier		Bikes
22	Karel Loprais	16	Trucks
	Marcos Patronelli		Quads
24	Richard Sainct	15	Bikes
	Bruno Saby		Cars
	Jean-Louis Schlesser		Cars

Source:^[5] Notes: The source fails to mention 21-time stage winner Kenjiro Shinozuka^1 , while also including Chagin's wins as a navigator for Viktor Moskovskikh during the 1999 event.^2 and also includes incorrectly Cyril Despres as winner of stage 9 of 2010 Dakar (it was Marc Coma)

Television coverage

Over 190 different countries take the international feed of the event with a roundup of every day being made into a 26-minute programme. This has been commentated on by Toby Moody for ten years, and most recently Ben Constanduros.

The organisers provide 20 edit stations for various countries to produce their own programmes. There are four TV helicopters, six stage cameras, and three bivouac crews to make over 1,000 hours of TV over the two-week period. In the United States, coverage can be seen on NBC Sports Network.

A 2006 television documentary Race to Dakar described the experiences of a team, including the English actor Charley Boorman, in preparation for and entry into the 2006 Dakar Rally.

According to Gert Vermersch, the media coverage of the Dakar rally, particularly in Europe, has been decreasing. This has been triggered by the fact that the new South American edition of the race has proven to be less spectacular, at least in regards to the scenery as the original edition.^[17]

Incidents

In 1982, Mark Thatcher, son of the then British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, along with his French co-driver Anne-Charlotte Verney and their mechanic, disappeared for six days. On January 9, the trio became separated from a convoy of vehicles after they stopped to make repairs to a faulty steering arm. They were declared missing on January 12; after a large-scale search, a Lockheed L100 search plane from the Algerian military spotted their white Peugeot 504 some 50 kilometres (31 mi) off course. Thatcher, Verney, and the mechanic were all unharmed.

The organiser of the rally, Thierry Sabine, was killed when his Ecureuil helicopter ("Squirrel-copter") crashed at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday 14 January 1986, into a dune at Mali during a sudden sand-storm. Also killed onboard was the singer-songwriter Daniel Balavoine, helicopter pilot François-Xavier Bagnoud, journalist Nathalie Odent, and Jean-Paul Lefur who was a radiophonic engineer for RTL.^[18]

Six people were killed during the 1988 race, three participants and three local residents. In one incident, Baye Sibi, a 10-year-old Malian girl, was killed by a racer while she crossed a road. A film crew's vehicle killed a mother and daughter in Mauritania on the last day of the race. The race participants killed, in three separate crashes, were a Dutch navigator on the DAF Trucks team, a French privateer, and a French rider. Racers were also blamed for starting a wildfire that caused a panic on a train running between Dakar and Bamako, where three more people were killed.^[19]

In 2003, French driver Daniel Nebot both rolled and crashed his Toyota heavily at high speed killing his co-driver Bruno Cauvy.^[20][21] In 2005, Spanish motorcyclist José Manuel Pérez died in a Spanish hospital on Monday, January 10 after crashing the week before on the 7th stage. Italian motorcyclist Fabrizio Meoni, a two-time winner of the event, became the second Dakar Rally rider to die in two days, following Pérez on January 11 on stage 11. Meoni was the 11th motorcyclist and the 45th person overall to die in the history of the race. On January 13, a five-year-old Senegalese girl was hit and killed by a service lorry after wandering onto a main road, bringing the total deaths to five.

In 2006, 41-year-old Australian KTM motorcyclist Andy Caldecott, in his third time in the Dakar, died January 9 as a result of neck injuries sustained in a crash approximately 250 kilometres (160 mi) into stage 9, between Nouakchott and Kiffa, only a few kilometers (miles) from the location where Meoni had his fatal wreck the year before. He won the third stage of the 2006 event between Nador and Er Rachidia only a few days before his death. The death occurred despite efforts by the event organisers to improve competitor safety, including limiting speed, mandatory rest at fuel stops, and reduced fuel capacity requirements for the bike classes. On January 13, a 10-year-old boy died while crossing the course after being hit by a car driven by Latvian Māris Saukāns, while on January 14 a 12-year-old boy was killed after being hit by a support lorry.^[22]

In 2007, 29-year-old South African motor racer Elmer Symons died of injuries sustained in a crash during the fourth stage of the Rally. Symons crashed with his bike in the desert between Er Rachidia and Ouarzazate, Morocco.^[23] Another death occurred on January 20, the night before the race's finish, when 42-year-old motorcyclist Eric Aubijoux died suddenly. The cause of death was initially believed to be a heart attack,^[24] however it was later suggested that Aubijoux had died of internal injuries sustained in a crash earlier that day while competing in the 14th stage of the race.

The 2008 Dakar Rally was cancelled due to security concerns after al-Qaeda's murder of four French tourists on Christmas Eve in December 2007 in Mauritania (a country in which the rally spent eight days), various accusations against the rally calling it "neo-colonialist", and al-Qaeda's accusations against Mauritania calling it a supporter of "crusaders, apostates and infidels". The French-based Amaury Sport Organisation in charge of the 6,000-kilometre (3,700 mi) rally said in a statement that they had been advised by the French government to cancel the race, which had been due to begin on January 5, 2008 from Lisbon. They said direct threats had also been made against the event by al-Qaeda related organisations.^[25][26]

Omar Osama bin Laden, the son of Osama bin Laden, attracted news coverage in 2008 by promoting himself as an "ambassador of peace" and proposing a 3,000-mile (4,800 km) horse race across North Africa as a replacement to the Dakar Rally, with sponsors' money going to support child victims of war, saying "I heard the rally was stopped because of al-Qaida. I don't think they are going to stop me."^[27]

On 7 January 2009, the body of 49-year-old motorcyclist Pascal Terry from France was found. He had been missing for three days and his body lay on a remote part of the second stage between Santa Rosa de la Pampa and Puerto Madryn.

On 4 January 2010, a woman watching the Dakar Rally was killed when a vehicle taking part in the race veered off the course and hit her during the opening stage.

On 1 January 2012, motorcyclist Jorge Martinez Boero of Argentina died after suffering a cardiac arrest after a fall. He was treated by medical staff within five minutes of the accident, but died on the way to hospital.

On 7 January 2015, motorcycle rider Michal Hernik died from unknown circumstances during Stage 3 of the 2015 rally.^[28]

Overall 70 people, including 28 competitors, have died in the Dakar Rally.

Criticism

When the race was held in Africa, it was subject to criticism from several sources, generally focusing on the race's impact on the inhabitants of the African countries through which it passed.

Some African residents along the race's course in previous years have said they saw limited benefits from the race; that race participants spent little money on the goods and services local residents can offer. The racers produced substantial amounts of dust along the course, and were blamed for hitting and killing livestock, in addition to occasionally injuring or killing people.^[29]

After the 1988 race, when three Africans were killed in collisions with vehicles involved in the race, PANA, a Dakar-based news agency, wrote that the deaths were "insignificant for the [race's] organisers". The Vatican City newspaper L'Osservatore Romano called the race a "vulgar display of power and wealth in places where men continue to die from hunger and thirst."^[30] During a 2002 protest at the race's start in Arras, France, a Green Party of France statement described the race as "colonialism that needs to be eradicated".^[31]

The environmental impact of the race has been another area of criticism. This criticism of the race is notably the topic of the song "500 connards sur la ligne de départ" ("500 Arseholes at the Starting Line"), on the album Marchand de cailloux by French singer Renaud. According to recent figures provided by the Dakar Rally, the carbon emissions of the two-week race are approximately equivalent to a single Formula One race.^[32]

Gallery

Nissan Patrol at the Lisbon-Dakar 2007.  Russian Kamaz 4911, twelve time Dakar winner.  Bowler Wildcat on the Dakar Rally in 2007.  SsangYong Kyron driven by Isidre Esteve Pujol in 2009.  Dakar Rally finish 2007.  Team Dakar USA 2007.  Monument in Salar de Uyuni.

See also

• Africa Eco Race - rally raid launched in 2009 in response to the Dakar's move to South America
• Budapest-Bamako – Desert Rally
• Rallye des Pharaons

References

1. "Motorcycle competitors race away as Dakar Rally leaves Buenos Aires". Clutch & Chrome. 2009-01-03. Archived from the original on January 20, 2009. Retrieved 2009-01-03.
2. "DAKAR IN ARGENTINA, CHILE AND PERU". ASO. 2009-02-24. Retrieved 2009-03-05.
3. "Dakar stays in South America for 2011". Autosport. 2010-03-23.
4. "History". Dakar.com. Retrieved 2014-01-07.
5. "Dakar: Retrospective, 1979-2014" (PDF). Dakar.com. Retrieved 2016-01-16.
6. "1994 Paris-Dakar-Paris". Mitsubishi Motors. Retrieved 2014-01-07.
7. "Schlesser penalised after taking lead". BBC Sport. 20 January 2001. Retrieved 2009-02-28.
8. "Peterhansel's Dakar dream dies". BBC Sport. 18 January 2003. Retrieved 2009-02-28.
9. "Alphand takes charge with victory". BBC Sport. 12 January 2006. Retrieved 2009-03-01.
10. "world motorsport | dakar Chile offers to host Dakar 2008". motoring.iafrica.com. Retrieved 2011-08-08.
11. "Index – Két pótvesennyel pótolnák idén a Dakart". Index.hu. Retrieved 2011-08-08.
12. "Argentina, Chile to host 2009 Dakar Rally". Agence France-Presse. 2008-02-11.
13. "Sainz crashes out of Dakar Rally". autosport.com. 2009-01-15. Retrieved 2014-01-08.
14. Stephane Peterhansel frustrated by controversial finish autosport.com. Retrieved January 18, 2014.
15. "Dakar Bike-Quad regulations" (PDF).
16. "Dakar Car-Truck regulations" (PDF).
17. Dakar hobbelt naar zijn eind, Het Nieuwsblad, 15 January 2012
18. The Motorsport Memorial Team, [e-mail]. "Motorsport Memorial". Motorsport Memorial. Retrieved 2011-08-08.
19. Brown, Robert Carlton (1988-02-01). "Disastrous days in the desert". Sports Illustrated 68 (5): 20(4).
20. "Article: French Driver Dies in Paris-Dakar Rally – AP Online | HighBeam Research – FREE trial". Highbeam.com. Retrieved 2011-08-08.
21. The Motorsport Memorial Team, [e-mail]. "Motorsport Memorial". Motorsport Memorial. Retrieved 2011-08-08.
22. "Second boy dies during Dakar". motoring.co.za. 2006-01-14. Retrieved 2008-01-04.
23. "Symons dies after crash". eurosport.co.uk. January 1, 2007. Archived from the original on January 13, 2007. Retrieved March 1, 2016.
24. "Dakar hit by second death on eve of finish". London: The Guardian. 2007-01-20.
25. "News – Africa". Reuters.
26. The Times – Article Archived February 28, 2015, at the Wayback Machine.
27. Paul Schemm (2008-01-17). "Bin Laden Son Wants to Be Peace Activist". Bismarck Tribune.
28. "Polish rider dies in Argentina during Dakar Rally". Fox News.
29. Doggett, Gina (2004-01-18). "Paris-Dakar rally brings 'little but dust', Senegalese villagers say". Agence France-Presse.
30. Brooke, James (1988-03-13). "Dangerous Paris-Dakar race is endangered". The New York Times. p. 8.
31. Paterne, Elodie (2001-12-28). "Protests overshadow start of Paris-Dakar race". Agence France-Presse.
32. Environment and Power Economy Agency, under "Carbon Footprint", demonstrating that the Dakar Rally emits 22,000 metric tons of carbon, compared with the 2007 Rugby World Cup, which emitted 570,000 metric tons (see methodology)

External links

• dakar.com (multilingual)