New Dakar Replacment

[Kartman]

Three-time Dakar Rally winner Hubert Auriol is planning a new event across the Sahara to replace the famous race after it was switched to South America.

The new race will start in southern Europe and cross Morocco and Mauritania to finish in Dakar and would take place later this year or early 2009.

"This competition will be a great sporting and human event," said the 55-year-old Frenchman.

"It will offer international exposure to this fabulous continent of Africa."

Auriol was the first person to win the Dakar Rally in both the motorcycle and car categories, and the new event will consist of motorbikes, quad vehicles, cars and lorries.

The French organisers of the Dakar Rally cancelled the event after receiving threats from "terrorist organisations".

They said the 2009 race will now take place in Argentina and Chile, a decision which has prompted an outcry in Mauritania and Senegal, which earned millions of dollars from tourism because of the high-profile event.

(Source: BBC)

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[El Chinero]

Goonster ..
I just saw that. Why would it be "better" now than in January? Will those pesky terrorists come out of the woodwork again and kill a few more (French) picnicers and RIFM? Seems like a little Western-style gun play curtails everything. Or perhaps just for the French (gingo-istic comment).

But why, wrt Dakar, did not they wait UNTIL the event to swashbuckle? Woulda made a REAL statement. Or were they simply creeps-on-Toyota-patrol and we like to call them "terrorists" cuz they had firearms and no uniforms. Like 16th and Broadway?

FWIW, I'll go.

[scary fast hummer]

Goonster ..
I just saw that. Why would it be "better" now than in January? Will those pesky terrorists come out of the woodwork again and kill a few more (French) picnicers and RIFM? Seems like a little Western-style gun play curtails everything. Or perhaps just for the French (gingo-istic comment).

But why, wrt Dakar, did not they wait UNTIL the event to swashbuckle? Woulda made a REAL statement. Or were they simply creeps-on-Toyota-patrol and we like to call them "terrorists" cuz they had firearms and no uniforms. Like 16th and Broadway?

FWIW, I'll go.

You've got it exactly; the two events were unrelated. The threat was aimed at french civilians, not the race.

and, FWIW, I would go too but its still waaayyyyy out of my price range

[Desert Dog]

Hot off the press:


Dear members of the media / Dear competitor

You are cordially invited to attend the official UK launch of the new Africa Race 2009, an international rally-raid event, taking place between France and Dakar in Sénégal, starting on December 26th, 2008 and finishing on January 11th, 2009.

The launch will take place at
11.00 on Monday, July 21st
at the Sports Café, 240 Broad Street,
Birmingham, B1 2HG.

The event director Hubert Auriol – a triple winner of the Dakar Rally and the first person ever to win the rally on a bike and in a car - will give a presentation of the exciting new event to members of the media and potential competitors from the UK.

The route will pass through France, Morocco and Mauritania, en route to Dakar and the traditional path of the former Dakar rallies with a rest day at Chinguetti in Mauritania. There will be classes for motorbikes, quads, cars and trucks and a new category for Africa Race Raid and Classics.

Doors open from 10.30am. Refreshments will be served on arrival and there will be a buffet lunch from 13.00hrs.

For further information:
Clive Dredge, Africa Race 2009, UK liaison officer, Desert Rose Racing, Maylea, Ridgeway Close, Heathfield, East Sussex, TN21 8NS, Mobile 07803 623573, E-mail: clive@teamdesertrose.com

www.africarace.com

[dustyhusky]

Hey Clive.

Is this race going to have t-4 and t-5 support for bikes? Or is it like the pre-'98 Dakars with bike racers fixing their own bikes...the so called 'Real Dakar' ?

I thought thats what the website implied "we will carry a box, 2 wheels, and a bag on the truck" but not so sure.

Thanks.