The Dakar Rally will be held this year in Saudi Arabia, a country that is celebrating its fourth edition. From December 31 to January 15, the 45th edition of this tough test where participants from the five categories made up of: Motorcycles, Quads, Light Vehicles, Cars and Trucks pilots and co-drivers will face a most challenging route .
The route day by day and stage by stage.
December 31 – Prologue: Jeddah to Hail / 10 km
On the Red Sea coast, west of the city of Al’Ula, there will be a bivouac during the days prior to departure. The opening ceremony is held there on New Year’s Eve. A brief prologue along the shore will establish the starting order for the first stage.
The spectacular Audi RS Q e-tron
January 1 – Stage 1: Hail / 603 km (368 km of timed special)
The race will really get underway on New Year’s Day, with a section that is technically not very demanding. After a first step through sandy terrain, you will find yourself in a slightly rockier area. Towards the end of the stage, the first dunes will arrive, a preview of the next two weeks.
January 2 – Stage 2: Hail – Al Qaisumah / 590 km (441 km of timed special)
Despite the appearance of some cannons on the way to Al’Ula, navigation shouldn’t be too difficult. But it will require good piloting. In addition, a series of dunes will largely decide the result of the second day. You will also pass by ancient temples of the Nabateans.
January 3 – Stage 3: Al Qaisumah / 669 km (447 km of timed special)
Crews will continue east through the interior. According to the rally director, David Castera, the first 50 kilometers are the most beautiful of the rally. The fastest route passes through several canyons, so navigation to find the right path will be key.
January 4 – Stage 4: Al Qaisumah – Riyadh / 573 km (425 km of timed special)
The first of the two sections around Ha’il will head north. The first 100 kilometers are characterized by sand and high dunes. Perfect navigation is required on the way back to Ha’il over the sand.
January 5 – Stage 5: Riyadh / 646 km (375 km of timed special)
The second section will go to the west of Ha’il. Sand, sand and more sand characterize this stage. This is where the desert experts come into play, whoever jumps the best over the high dunes can win a lot of time. It could be said that it will be the first resistance test.
Everyone faces the same route, and many times -unbelievable though it may seem- truck crews and motorcycle riders help each other.
January 6 – Stage 6: Riyadh / 877 km (466 km of timed special)
The crews will continue south, until they reach Ad-Dawadimi. It is the longest stage of the whole. The first part is at high speed around some plateaus. While the last third is made up of a series of somewhat different dunes that could be problematic for some crews.
January 7 – Stage 7: Riyadh – Al Dawadimi / 641km (473km of timed special)
Southwest of the city they will find challenging and varied terrain. The sandy plateaus will give way to some terrain composed purely of dunes. Both navigation and driving will be put to the test in this complicated day.
January 8 – Stage 8: Al Dawadimi – Wadi Ad Dawasir / 722 km (407 km of timed special)
The convoy will head to the capital of Saudi Arabia. Riyadh is already familiar terrain from the Dakar Rally, but this year’s stage is new. They will first go over the mountains, through the valleys, before reaching the open desert. The remaining two hundred kilometers will be very fast.
The “Quads”
January 9: Rest day in Riyadh
January 10 – Stage 9: Riyadh – Haradh / 710 km (439 km of timed special)
The crews will return to action and head east. The road will go through the occasional canyon again. Perfect navigation will be needed here, because going off-road could be very difficult. Towards the end, some small dunes will conclude the stage.
January 11 – Stage 10: Wadi Ad Dawasir – Bisha / 623 km (114 km of timed special)
Shaiba is an oil field located in the eastern part of the Rub al-Khali desert, not far from the border with the United Arab Emirates. It will be a fairly short special and not very complicated.
January 12 – Stage 11: Bisha – Jeddah / 426 km (275 km of timed special)
The first part of the marathon stage begins in Schaiba. In the meantime, 4,000 kilometers will already have been completed. The route will go into some pretty extreme territory with sand of all kinds, it will be a test of endurance for crews and vehicles in the largest sand desert in the world.
January 13 – Stage 12: Bisha / 375 km (185 km of timed special)
Dunes and sand of all kinds will once again await the riders in the second marathon stage. The rally could be decided in these two stages, because in addition to racing, they will also have to protect the vehicle a lot.
January 14 – Stage 13: Schaiba – Hofuf – 669km (154km of timed special)
The route will turn north, passing not far from the Qatari border. First of all, it will be the last chance to recover time in the dunes, in a special cut where some teams will be able to attack.
January 15 – Stage 14: Hofuf to Dammam – 414 km (136 of timed special)
The last kilometers will take the crews along the Persian Gulf. It is a special that will be very fast and will leave them little room to gain positions. When the participants have reached the port city of Dammam they will find the finish arch.
