JAKARTA - In less than a week, if nothing gets in the way of a year that is still hampered by this pandemic, the Dakar Rally will again try to conquer the ferocious landscape of the desert and sand dunes of Saudi Arabia from January 3 to 15.
In its second year on the Arabian Peninsula, the world's most formidable endurance rally will feature exploration of the same landscape but on a completely different route from last year.
Jeddah will be the starting and finishing point for the participants who will cover a total distance of 7,646km, including 4,767km special stage (SS), which is divided into 12 stages.
A competitor's vehicle scrutineering session takes place on January 1-2 in Jeddah before the 11km prologue session in the second largest city in Saudi Arabia to determine the starting position for the opening stage.
After a day of pause in Ha'il, the Marathon Stage will test the equipment management and endurance quality of the competitors at the start of the second week of the rally and their final three days will be spent following the route around the Red Sea.
"From stage to stage, and often at the same stage, the beautiful landscapes of the region fascinate and amaze us. However, Saudi Arabia reveals only a fraction of the mystery, and leaves many surprises for the next issue in January 2021," said the CEO. Dakar David Castera in the middle of this year was quoted from Antara, Monday.
Dakar 2021 will also bring nostalgia to fans by launching the Dakar Classic category which will be held in conjunction with the main event.
A number of classic vehicles such as the Renault 20, Lada Niva, Toyota Celica, Land Rover Defender and Porsche 959, which descended on the Dakar or other major rally events before 2000 will be tested for consistency.
Even though the corona virus pandemic is still haunting, at least 555 competitors, 54 of whom participated in the Dakar Classic, have registered at the Dakar rally which is entering its 43rd year of being held.
The official Dakar website released this year a total of 321 vehicles consisting of 108 two-wheeled motorbikes, 21 quadbikes, 70 cars, 54 light vehicles (prototypes and SSV), 42 trucks, and 26 Dakar Classic vehicles.
A total of 16 female racers will also enliven the competition which will be attended by participants from 49 countries.
This year's committee is focused on reducing vehicle speed to make the rally safer and emphasizing driving techniques as well as navigation skills.
A number of innovations will also be introduced to improve the safety of competitors in this racing event which is known to be ferocious.
Participants will receive an audio alert when they approach dangerous zones or certain sectors categorized as slow zones where the maximum speed is limited to 90kph.
Vests with airbags are also mandatory for motorbikes and quadbikes to reduce the risk of injury from serious accidents.
Meanwhile, the roadbook will be distributed to participants 15 minutes before the start of each stage.
A number of riders were reported to have landed at King Abdulaziz International Airport on Sunday. Those involved at the rally must undergo a 48-hour quarantine on arrival in Saudi Arabia, with regular tests to be run throughout the competition.
Ricky Brabec and Honda last year ended KTM's 18-winning streak, which will field their stellar riders to restore the Austrian manufacturer to glory.
Meanwhile, the champion of the quad bike category, Ignacio Casale, tried a new challenge in the truck category, the class that introduced him to Dakar in 2010.
Veteran Spanish racer Carlos Sainz will try to defend his title in the car category with the X-Raid Mini team when Toyota's Nasser Al-Attiyah threatens again.
The stiff competition in the car category will be further heated up by the return of Sebastian Loeb after a year absence.
The rally world champion is still seeking to win his first title at Dakar and in his fifth year of participation he will lead the BRX debut team alongside 2014 Dakar champion Nani Roma.
Cyril Despres and Mike Horn will also steal the show in Dakar when they launch an alternative energy vehicle project.
The competitors in the SSV category will try to reduce Francisco "Chaleco" Lopez from Chile in the category that has quite frequently brought out the new champion.
Dakar 2021 is the 43rd edition of an endurance rally that began in 1978 through Paris, France to Dakar, the capital of Senegal.
The 2008 edition of Dakar was discontinued due to security reasons in Mauritania, so from 2009 to 2019 Dakar was held in mainland South America before last year began its third round in the Middle East.
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