Dakar 2010 At A Glance

I woke up on 09-09-09 thinking about 2010, looking forward to Dakar 2010.  Is it bad karma to ignore 09-09-09?  The excitement is building and January can't get here fast enough.

Take a peek at the route for the Dakar.  The first few days on hard soil promise to be the place to set a position and maybe have some fun with trajectories.  Then comes the dunes of Atacama.  The dunes will provide the toughest part of the rally, broke up by a rest day, January 9th, at Antofagasta.  Upon leaving the dunes, there'll be a change of landscape every day thereafter where the view could get quite distracting.

The regulations for the Dakar are always evolving and improving.  This very well may be the final Dakar in which bikes over 450cc can compete. For 2010, amateur riders on bikes over 450cc have to set up a restrictor reducing the power of the engine.  This restrictor will be provided by the rally organization.   Click here for complete regulations.

The Plate.  (see above)  For the 2010 edition, the Dakar has re-designed its official plate to reflect the decisive role that the desert and dunes have in the event.  The Plate is seen on all official documents, doors of the vehicles and the race numbers of the competitors.

Going to Dakar?  Click here for practical information on the basics of getting there.