Dakar: The last of the great adventures
More than 150 rally drivers are currently trekking across South American desert dunes in one of motorsport's last great adventures. David Evans explains the enduring magic of the Dakar Rally
Dakar. One word which means everything. Everything except the capital of Senegal, that is.
Dakar is the start of the season. It's those amazing television pictures of cars, bikes and trucks flying through the dunes, howling along the desert floor or picking their way past Charles Bronson on what looks like the set of Once Upon a Time in the West.
Whether you're a Dakar die-hard or just marking time until Melbourne, you can't ignore this great event. This year's event is going to be slightly different, without the massive Volkswagen effort which has gone into winning the marathon for the last three years. But the fact that Carlos Sainz won't be trading times in a Race Touareg hasn't deterred almost 500 others from joining the fun.
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