Dakar 2010 route unveiled

03-06-09

The Dakar organisers this morning unveiled the stage cities of the 2010 Dakar, which will be held in Argentina and by Chile for the second consecutive year. The Dakar rally will mark the start of celebrations of the bicentennial of the countries' independence and will start in Buenos Aires on 1st January for an 8600km journey, including around 5200km of specials.

The 2010 course, designed as an anti-clockwise loop, moves rapidly north with the first stages favouring those competitors who prefer hard soil. After crossing the Andes, the rally's journey through Chile will focus on a detailed discovery of the Atacama Desert - the driest place in the world - with five sand stages, very short liaisons and a journey all the way to the city of Iquique. The clock will never stop.

The return trip towards the Argentinean capital will highlight the diversity of terrain, encompassing plains, dunes and sandy tracks, testing the resistance of the competitors and their vehicles.

New regulations will come in force in 2010 to put the emphasis on driver talent. In the car category, a 2mm increase in the diameter of the air intake flange should allow the the best amateurs to compete with the diesel technology that has built up a considerable advantage over the past few years.

Competitors on two wheels will be subject to a new restriction that was expected by many for a long time, with only bikes under 450cc to be accepted from 2011. As a transitional measure, amateurs with 660cc bikes will still be able to compete with a limiter fitted. This regulation will not apply to certain professional and semi-professional competitors, who will compete on sub-450cc bikes from next year.

For detailed information, visit www.dakar.com