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The Dakar Rally kicks off in Saudi Arabia on Saturday, the second time the world’s most grueling event on the motorsport calendar has been held in the kingdom, amid continuing accusations of “sports washing.”
Launched in 1979 between Paris and Dakar, the Senegalese capital, the notorious resistance challenge moved to Saudi Arabia for the first time last year after a decade in South America, prompting an angry backlash from human rights organizations.
The organizers of the Dakar Rally defended their choice of Saudi Arabia as the host.
As part of its “2030 vision” to increase its openness, the country has recently held high-profile football and boxing matches and will also celebrate its first Formula One grand prix in 2021.
However, among the drivers, “sports washing,” that is, using sport to divert attention from human rights issues, was not on the agenda.
Defending champion Carlos Sainz summed up the general feeling of relief at actually being able to race after a season ruined by the coronavirus pandemic.
“I am happy to be here after such a difficult year,” said the Spaniard, a three-time Dakar winner.
The Dakar starts with Saturday’s prologue ahead of 12 stages, with a rest day on January 9.
It begins and ends in the city of Jeddah, on the Red Sea.
Qatar’s Nasser al-Attiyah, like Sainz, also a three-time winner (2011, 2015, 2019) said it was “very important to be here and race.”
“Our goal is to win … My dream is to win again,” said the Qatari, whose busy 2021 also includes aiming for a seventh Olympiad and going better than his bronze plate in London in 2012 with gold at the Tokyo Games. postponed one year due to Covid-19.
The 43rd Dakar sees a new class joining the collection of cars, bikes, quads, trucks, buggies and SSVs, with the Dakar Classic category limited to vehicles from the 80s and 90s.
The Dakar is no stranger to tragedy, with last year’s rally claiming the lives of motorcyclists Paulo Goncalves and Edwin Straver.
In all, 26 participants, including 21 motorcyclists, have died since the inaugural rally in 1979.
A number of new safety measures include mandatory airbag vests for motorcyclists, warnings that will notify competitors on approach of potential hazards with designated “slow zones” that limit speed to 90 km / h in especially difficult sectors.
Defending motorcycle champion Ricky Brabec became the first American to win the Dakar last year, breaking KTM’s 18-year winning monopoly as he claimed victory on his Monster Energy Honda Team motorcycle.
The 29-year-old felt confident after a “wild year,” saying he was “comfortable” with the unforgiving terrain of the Saudi desert because it was so similar to his base in Southern California.
“Where I live, my hometown looks more or less like almost everything we covered last year,” he said.
“I can go as fast as necessary and not really think about what lies ahead because it comes naturally from training at home.”
Leveling the competition are two other rule changes.
Firstly, the road books used to navigate each stage will be distributed 20 minutes before each daily departure rather than the night before, allowing competitors much less time to plot their route.
And secondly, riders in the bike category will only be able to use six rear tires, and tire management often plays a decisive role in how bikes can be pushed in pursuit of glory.
“I’m not sure that’s a good way to do it,” Brabec replied, before adding: “Strategy will definitely come into play. We’ll see how it goes when we get to our sixth tire.”
Brabec will face a formidable selection of previous winners in Australia’s Toby Price (2019, 2016), Britain’s Sam Sunderland (2017) and Austrian Matthias Walkner (2018)
“There are many more than four drivers who can win the Dakar,” said Brabec. “It will be reduced to the last two kilometers.”
Price acknowledged that he was a “tough class.”
“There are 10 solid guys who can get the win,” said the Australian.
