Dakar Comes to South America???

[stewart]

Hello All,

This from AP:

Dakar Rally to shift to South America for 2009: The next Dakar Rally will zoom past the Andes, over Argentine plains and through Chilean desert instead of racing through African scrub and dunes. Forced by the threat of terrorism to cancel this year's race, organizers hope to give the Dakar Rally a new beginning by swapping continents and going to South America in 2009. Race director Etienne Lavigne detailed the route in a telephone interview Monday. He was already in Buenos Aires, scouting out the Argentine capital that will host the start and finish of next year's race. This year marked the first time that the 30-year-old rally, one of the biggest competitions in automobile racing, was called off. Next year will mark the first time that it will not race in Africa. The race will start in Buenos Aires on Jan. 3 and finish in the Argentine capital Jan. 18, organizers said. About 500 competitors signed up for the 2008 edition, which was canceled in January after French government warnings about safety. Lavigne said the race will return to Africa when it can. The 2009 edition will traverse 5,600 miles in Argentina and Chile, with racing over nearly 3,700 miles in 15 days, with one rest day. The race will start in Buenos Aires, go to Patagonia, the Andes mountains and venture into the Atacama desert, the world's driest, Lavigne said. The exact route is still being worked out.(USA Today/Associated Press PR), #7-Robby Gordon was to run the 2008 version and estimates he lost millions of dollars when the race was canceled.(2-12-2008)


Start planning now !

[eragon]

really strange for me that I'm born with the legend of the Paris-Dakar,
it's a strange effect personally but for security problem of course for the moment it's unavoidable , I think....

[livia]

it will be very strange for sure....Paris-Dakar was a legend...let's hope this new race will be as exciting as that one!
I'd be very curious to be there, next year....eh ehe...