The biggest rally-raid in the world : the taste of the extreme

The Dakar is a rally raid, but first and foremost, it is an incomparable human adventure.

Its history has been built in the world’s finest deserts with men and women from all horizons, taking on one of the hardest sporting challenges of our era.

A competition of extremes and an orienteering race, the Dakar brings together the leading rally raid riders and drivers, as well as amateur competitors who come to fulfil their dream, experience an adventure and meet the biggest challenge of their life on a bike, on a quad, in a car or in a truck. Over the last 40 years, each year 500 adventurers from more than 60 nationalities have come together for 15 days of a unique competition on which extraordinary feats of human endeavour are played out.

The race

The Dakar is a rally-raid. It consists of one stage per day comprising at least one “special stage” per day (often several hundred kilometres), sometimes off-road, on terrain without tracks (desert, etc.). The total distance covered is several thousand kilometres. The event takes place over a period of between 10-15 days (versus two to three days for cross-country rallies).

Categories

The Dakar features five categories of vehicles. The motorcycles, cars, quads, trucks, and more recently the ‘‘Side by Side” (SxS) categories have afforded their riders and crews the chance to experience an extraordinary adventure, discover breath taking scenery.

From “Factory” cars officially entered by constructors to buggy prototypes assembled in a garage by an enthusiastic amateur, the Dakar vehicles have continued to thrill generations of fans for the past 40 years.

About competitors

Legend are all competitors who have participated in more than ten editions of the Dakar Rally are considered a “Legend”.

Rookie are all competitors who are participating in the Dakar Rally for the first time.

The bivouac

The bivouac is a working area located between the finish time controls and the start of a stage. It is a controlled and secured closed surface area, for private use as part of the Dakar Rally, access to which is exclusively and uniquely reserved for all persons accredited by the Organizer.

Dakar: manifest


For all those who grab life with both hands.

Looking a real challenge, for sensations that are both powerful and extreme.

For all those that are determined, passionate, who love the great outdoors… those driven by a desire to feel alive like never before, those who want to be the heroes of their own story.

For the brave, who know they are taking part in the greatest rally-raid in the world, who know that only a few cross its finish line, but who also know that taking part in the Dakar is so much more than that…

For those ready to push their bodies to the limit, to use the last drop of their mental strength.

For those ready to take on the challenge of the wildness and the forces of nature.

To all those wanting to be bought alive by an incomparable human adventure, in front of passionate fans, proud to share the beauty of their universe as the world looks on.

For you, adventurers in the extreme, ready to realise your wildest dreams.

You have the Dakar spirit, get ready to enter the legend.

Dakar

Dream. Dare. Live it

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