If you are looking for exciting and dangerous challenges as a rider then you must travel in South America. The region offers you the roughest terrain which will test you physically and mentally. Driving over sand dunes, mountains, deserts and even salt flats will present you a refreshingly different experience. You get the rare chance to experience South America’s most gorgeous scenery.
The Dakar rally is the most famous race held every year in South America. The first event was held in 1979. Pre 2008 the race was held from Paris to Dakar in Senegal. Due to increasing terrorist threats and dangerous roads which traversed through the African desert the race had to be shifted to South America. From 2009 it is held in Argentina and Chile. The event is held for a period of two weeks and racers travel over thousands of kilometers in a day. There have been more than 60 fatalities in the history of this event. The race is open to both amateurs and professionals though amateurs make up 80% of the competitors.
Why Is The Dakar rally so popular?
- Dakar rally is one in which your endurance is tested to the fullest.
- It is a race over 5600 miles which starts from Buenos Aires in Argentina which involves traveling almost 800-900 km every day.
- It is one in which you can prove your driving, navigating and repairing skills. Every year around 170 motorcyclists, 130 quad riders, 150 cars each with two riders and 120 trucks take part in this race.
- Riders travel from Buenos Aires, west across Argentina, over the Andes and the Chilean coast before getting back to the place from where they started in two weeks time.
- It is a no-brainer that very few manage to finish the race. It has a very high attrition rate because of the rough terrain and the hectic schedule. Unfortunately, there are a few fatalities every year.
- Your bikes may often be in the air. You must be crafty in repairing as your bike takes a lot of beating in this race and so it will be onerous to keep it running.
The race started after Thierry Sabine got lost in a rally and decided that a desert would be the perfect place for a rally. The first race was held from Paris to Dakar in Senegal. The event saw an overwhelming participation with 82 participants starting the race but only 74 managed to finish. Cyril Neveau was the first winner riding on a Yamaha. By the beginning of the 1980s, the rally began to attract famous names like Henri Pescarolo and Jacky Ickx.
During the mid-2000s the Dakar rally reached its zenith. The number of competitors had increased to 688 in 2005.
In 2004 the route was from Clermont-Ferrand to Dakar and in that year Peterhansel achieved the rare feat of winning the event both on motorcycles and cars. He defended his title in 2005 when the rally was held in Barcelona. KTM was successful in 2004 and 2005 with Nani Roma and Cyril Despres respectively. In 2006 it was held in Lisbon when Nissan didn’t complete as it failed to impress in the previous years and failed to provide a strong opponent to Mitsubishi. Luke Alphand won the event in that year with Mitsubishi in the cars category and Marc Coma came out on top in motorcycles.
In 2004 the route was from Clermont-Ferrand to Dakar and in that year Peterhansel achieved the rare feat of winning the event both on motorcycles and cars. He defended his title in 2005 when the rally was held in Barcelona. KTM was successful in 2004 and 2005 with Nani Roma and Cyril Despres respectively. In 2006 it was held in Lisbon when Nissan didn’t complete as it failed to impress in the previous years and failed to provide a strong opponent to Mitsubishi. Luke Alphand won the event in that year with Mitsubishi in the cars category and Marc Coma came out on top in motorcycles.
In the final event in Africa, Cyril Despres won the title for the second time. The 2008 event was canceled due to security reasons. There were reports of security attacks expected in Mauritania. This raised serious doubts about the future of this event. Chile and Argentina offered to host the event in the coming years.
The first event in South America saw Volkswagen emerge as a winner. There are some regulations in the Dakar Rally. The engine capacity of all participating bikes is limited at 450cc. Engines can be both single and twin cylinder. Two groups of riders participate in the event- Elite and Non-elite. The non-elite group has two further subgroups which are Super Production and Marathon. The racers in the latter category cannot replace some components like engine case, cylinders, frame while Super Production and Elite classes can do so. So take your positions, change your gear and get ready to get set go.
