2009 Dakar ready for kick off

The 2009 Dakar has been totally revamped with competitors facing an all new challenge across Argentina and Chile. The event has been run since 1979 and its original route began under the arches of the Eifel Tower in Paris and finished in the city of Dakar in Senegal.

Over the years the route has been revised with the last edition starting in Lisbon in Portugal, but still finishing in Dakar. In 2008 the prestigious race was cancelled due to terrorist threats leading to a complete new route and new continent for 2009.

This year’s Dakar will see the 530 entrants from 49 countries made up of 230 motorbikes, 30 quads, 188 cars and 82 trucks set to complete a 9500KM loop across Patagonia, the Atacama Desert and the passageway through the Andes Mountains.

The historic event starts and finishes in Buenos Aires  beginning on the 3rd January through to 17th January 2009. The new location for the event has meant massive preparation with the Dakar team having spent 100 days of reconnaciance making sure the South America race lives up to the high standards set over previous years racing across Africa.

From the 230 motorbikes entered KTM men Cyril Despres (Red Bull KTM), Marc Coma (KTM Repsol) and David Casteu (Vectra Racing Team) will start as favorites.

Britain is well represented by Mick Extance (Honda Europe DakarSport) Jonathan Stamper (KTM From Row GB), Stanley Watt (KTM Front Row GB), Ewan Buchan (KTM Team Desert Rose), Craig Bounds (KTM Desert Rose Racing). Irish rider Gary Ennis (KTM Team Dakar Ireland) is also entered along with honorary Brit Simon Pavey (BMW). 

MCN will be covering the event with daily updates and results at motorcyclenews.com