Destination Dakar Eurosport + Dakar Road Book Eurosport + Dakar Stage 01 Highlights Eurosport

 
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Dakar 2012 
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The Dakar Rally (or simply "The Dakar"; formerly known as "The Paris–Dakar" or "Paris to Dakar Rally") is an annual rally raid type of off-road automobile race, 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, the 2009 Dakar Rally was run in South America (Argentina and Chile). It was the first time the race took place outside of Europe and Africa. It has stayed in South America from 2009 to the present (2012). The race is open to amateur and professional entries. Amateurs typically make up about eighty percent of the participants.



History and route

The race originated in 1978, a year after racer Thierry Sabine got lost in the desert and decided that it would be a good location for a regular rally. Originally, the rally was from Paris, France, to Dakar, Senegal, interrupted by a transfer across the Mediterranean. However, due to politics and other factors, the course, including origin and destination, has varied over the years. Dakar has been the destination city on all but four occasions during the period the rally was held in Africa (i.e., prior to 2009). The event started from Paris every year from 1979 to 1994, and also in 1998 and 2001. In 1994 the rally both began and ended in Paris but, due to complaints by the mayor, the finish had to be moved from the Champs-Élysées to Euro Disney. This also caused the organisation to lay out the rally through different locations in following years.


Complete list of routes

    1979–1980: Paris–Dakar
    1981–1988: Paris–Algiers–Dakar
    1989: Paris–Tunis–Dakar
    1990–1991: Paris–Tripoli–Dakar
    1992: Paris–Cape Town
    1993: Paris–Dakar
    1994: Paris–Dakar–Paris
    1995–1996: Granada–Dakar
    1997: Dakar–Agadez–Dakar
    1998: Paris–Granada–Dakar
    1999: Granada–Dakar
    2000: Dakar–Cairo
    2001: Paris–Dakar
    2002: Arras–Madrid–Dakar
    2003: Marseille–Sharm el-Sheikh
    2004: Clermont-Ferrand–Dakar
    2005: Barcelona–Dakar
    2006–2008: Lisbon–Dakar[4]
    2009: Buenos Aires–Valparaíso–Buenos Aires
    2010: Buenos Aires–Antofagasta–Buenos Aires
    2011: Buenos Aires–Arica–Buenos Aires
    2012: Mar del Plata–Copiapó–Lima



Previous Editions


Until the 2008 terrorist attacks, more recent rallies passed through Morocco, Western Sahara and on to the grasslands and deserts of Mauritania. The segments running through Atar and the sand dunes and canyons of Mauritania's Adrar Region may be the most challenging in all off-road racing. It was the Mauritania terrorist attacks that led to the demise of the classic Dakar.

In 1992, Hubert Auriol won the Dakar in an automobile after having previously won the motorcycle competition on two occasions, making him the first driver to win on both two and four wheels. Later on, Stéphane Peterhansel managed to do the same. In 2001, Jutta Kleinschmidt was the first woman to win the Dakar, driving a Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero, co-driving with fellow German Andreas Schulz.

The 2008 Dakar Rally was canceled on January 4, 2008 amid fears of terrorist attacks. This caused serious doubts over the future of the rally. Various newspapers in Africa called the cancellation a "death sentence" for the race. Chile and Argentina, in South America, offered their territory to host the event, as well as the Czech Republic, or Hungary in Central Europe. The ASO finally decided to establish the Dakar Series competition, whose first event was the 2008 Central Europe Rally (Hungary-Romania), between April 20 and April 26, 2008. The 2009 event was organised in the two South American countries, between January 3 and January 18, 2009. The competition has stayed in South America from 2009 to present (2012).


List of Dakar Rally fatal accidents


    1979: Patrick Dodin (Bike)
    1982: Bert Osterhuis (Bike)
    1983: Jean-Noël Pineau (Bike)
    1986: Giampaolo Marinoni (Bike), Jasuo Kaneko (Bike)
    1988: Jean-Claude Huger (Bike), Patrick Canado (Car), Kees van Loevezijn (Truck)
    1991: François Picquot (Car), Charles Cabannes (Truck), Laurent Le Bourgeois (Car), Jean-Marie Sounillac (Car)
    1992: Gilles Lalay (Bike)
    1994: Michel Sansen (Bike)
    1996: Laurent Gueguen (Truck)
    1997: Jean-Pierre Leduc (Bike)
    2002: Daniel Vergnes (Car)
    2003: Bruno Cauvy (Car)
    2005: José Manuel Pérez (Bike), Fabrizio Meoni (Bike)
    2006: Andy Caldecott (Bike)
    2007: Elmer Symons (Bike), Eric Aubijoux (Bike)
    2009: Pascal Terry (Bike)
    2012: Jorge Andrés Martínez Boero (Bike)



Calendar

 
Date  Start                  Finish           KM
01/01 Mar Del PlataSanta     Rosa de la Pampa 856
02/01 Santa Rosa de la Pampa San Rafael       781
03/01 San Rafael             San Juan         563
04/01 San Juan               Chilecito        714
05/01 Chilecito              Fiambala         416
06/01 Fiambala               Copiapo (Deleted) 641
07/01 Copiapo                Copiapo          598
08/01 Rest  
09/01 Copiapo                Antofagasta      686
10/01 Antofagasta            Iquique          566
11/01 Iquique                Arica            694
12/01 Arica                  Arequipa         709
13/01 Arequipa               Nasca            505
14/01 Nasca                  Pisco            352
15/01 Pisco                  Lima             283