Dubbed the toughest off-road rally in the world, Dakar has, over the decades, blazed a trail through 30 countries across four continents—and continues to write new chapters in its storied history.
This year’s event features a prologue plus 12 stages, covering a total distance of 7,700km—5,100km of which are competitive special stages—most of it on punishing sand. Participants will race through the Saudi desert before wrapping up on 17 January in Shubaytah.
A journey from Paris to Dakar—and beyond
Originally the brainchild of French motorcyclist Thierry Sabine, the rally began in 1978 under the name “Paris–Dakar,” challenging adventurers to cross the daunting deserts of Africa and finish in Senegal’s capital. Over time, security risks forced the rally to move away from its traditional African routes. Organizers took the bold step of relocating to South America, where competitors encountered radically different conditions—from scorching Atacama heat to bone-chilling Andean cold.
Yet for some, the South American chapters lacked the classic dunes synonymous with Dakar. That changed again in 2020, when Saudi Arabia stepped in as host, offering a vast landscape of desert sands and endless dunes—reviving the “true spirit” of the rally, according to many Dakar purists.
Poland’s prominent place
While France’s 14-time winner Stéphane Peterhansel tops the unofficial “hall of fame,” Poland has etched its own remarkable stories into Dakar lore. In 2023, a then-18-year-old Eryk Goczał made headlines by becoming the youngest-ever Dakar winner, triumphing in the SSV (lightweight vehicles) category shortly after passing his driving test. His photo now features among the event’s greatest legends.
Rafał Sonik claimed victory on a quad in 2015, while Dariusz Rodewald, as a mechanic in a Dutch truck team, contributed to three Dakar triumphs (2012, 2016, 2023), further underscoring Poland’s strong ties to the rally.
Global scale, extreme conditions
From its earliest days, Dakar’s itineraries have amounted to a jaw-dropping 446,000 kilometers in total—enough to circle the globe 11 times. And few have come closer to doing just that than Japan’s Yoshimasa Sugawara, who holds the record for most Dakar appearances with an incredible 36.
The rally’s moves across Africa and South America exposed competitors to searing temperatures of up to 52°C (recorded in Argentina in 2017) and an astonishing -16°C (in Chile, 2015). In Argentina, teams even ascended to 4,972 meters above sea level—the highest altitude in Dakar history.
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Source: PAP