The "Official" Dakar 2013 thread

[Ferrari333SP]

The route has finally be unveiled:

http://www.iflymagazine.com/?locale=...cool/helsinki/

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[Dirty Harry]

Finally released? Seems pretty early to me. Crossing back over the Andes twice likely means long liasons and potentially rally roads (bad for Robby), but lots of desert in Peru and Chile (good for Robby). I got the following email from ASO this morning:

The 35th edition of the Dakar will also be the 5th to take place on the South American continent, which has hosted the event since 2009. From 5th to 20th January 2013, the competitors will follow the route between Lima in Peru and Santiago in Chile, with a rest day planned at San Miguel de Tucuman in Argentina. The desert will be on the programme from the first days of the rally, for the first time in its history.

Several weeks ago, the riders and drivers on the Dakar discovered the Peruvian version of the desert. Struck by its splendour but also its technical demands, in this setting of sea and sand, they experienced a highly intense sequence before the finish in Lima. For the next edition, the Peruvian capital will play host to the start of the rally, with the promise of holding an exceptional challenge in store for those who take part; one that is simply equal to the test they have to face each year.

At the end of the journey, the rally will finish for the first time in Santiago. Chile, which, in the Atacama, has been the theatre to most of the unpredictable developments during the last four editions, will have the opportunity to celebrate the heroes of the Dakar in its capital city. Over the thousands of kilometres that they will have to tackle, the competitors will distance themselves from the Pacific Ocean as the event is spiced up by a detour via Argentina. On the other side of the Andes Mountains, the variety of terrains will put all the competitors’ capacities to adapt to the test.

With a reworked spread of difficulties and a new perspective on the discovery of the continent’s geography, the Dakar 2013 is emerging as the event for which both the elite and amateurs of the rally raid discipline prepare all year long. Registration will open for all the categories (bikes, quads, cars and trucks) on 15th May.

[Ferrari333SP]

Haha, I'm just excited to see the new course. Does it not seem a bit short? I guess because it doesn't start near BA next year, it just for some reason seems shorter. Hopefully it means longer race stages and short liason connections(ugh I hate how long they are). Whatever the case, it still looks pretty challenging, and can't wait as usual to see how RG does once again, and whether we'll see Citroen take on the challenge or not.

[Ferrari333SP]

How I entered in the wrong link I'm not sure, but here is a picture of the route:

[Dirty Harry]

Haha, I'm just excited to see the new course. Does it not seem a bit short?

The past few years the race has started with REALLY long liaisons across the pampas of Argentina. This spread out the field and weeded out the vehicles that were not road worthy. Peru has dunes basically right in Lima though, so now they don't need the long liaisons. Don't. E fooled though, this isn't short. They still cross the Andes twice and go further south in Chile than they have previously.

[randy s]

flying down to lima peru is a heluva lot cheaper than buenas aires too. anyone wanna go?

[wheeli]

flying down to lima peru is a heluva lot cheaper than buenas aires too. anyone wanna go?

''yup''

[randy s]

''yup''

well, flying round trip out of tijuana to lima is under a grand. tj is a cool place to fly out of because you avoid alot of the horsechit homeland security stuff you go through flying out of the usa. i mean they have fair security checks but none of that shoe bs. they treat you like human beings. not like terrorists. i wouldn't fly out of us airports for all the farms in cuba.

[Dirty Harry]

Chile just got hit by another big (7.2 magnitude) earthquake. They cannot seem to get a break down there!

[michael_loomis]

Starts on the 5th? That's kinda strange, no?