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The new “Dakar” announced: Argentina – Chile
South America will take over the responsibility for hosting the longest rally adventure around from Africa next year, the “new” Dakar. Threats from islamic terrorist groups forced the hand of the organisers of the race in Africa and the race has been transferred to Argentina and Chile. Paris was the venue for the presentation of the new race which will be held between 3rd – 18th January 2009.
The Dakar race director, Etienne Lavigne, and the Chairman of the ASO (Amaury Sport Organisation), Patrice Clerc, gave a presentation and outlined the most important facets of the new route that will be used for the competition in an act that was also attended by the Argentinian Secretary of Tourism, Carlos Enrique Meyer, and the Chilean Sports Secretary, Jaime Pizarro Herrera.
Buenos Aires will be the centre of the renewed Rally Dakar as it is the starting point for a rally that will cover 9 000km, 6 000km of them on special sections. The race gets offf with sections towards Patagonia and then immediately crosses the Andes. After a day`s rest in Valparaíso, the cars and drivers will return through the Atacama desert and the Argentinian provinces of Catamarca, Rioja and Córdoba back to the capital of Argentina.
There are eight months left before the start of this new adventure, but the huge amount of machinery and bureaucracy needed for the Dakar is already up and running. From 15th May until 30th June the inscription process for teams and drivers is open. The next important date for the competition is in November, on 26th – 27th the first phase of the technical and administrative verifications will take place in Le Harvre. The second phase is between 31st December – 2nd January in Buenos Aires and then a day later, the show begins.
