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Dakar 2022: sand and dunes, the route of the 44th edition

2021-11-28T11:17:31.295Z


The event will take place like the last two years in Saudi Arabia, from January 1 to 14. 8,177 km, including 4,258 km of special, awaits


The route of the 44th edition of the Dakar (January 1 to 14, 2022 in Saudi Arabia) was unveiled this Sunday morning.

On the program, 8,177 km including 4,258 km of special for the 1,065 competitors aboard 578 vehicles in various categories.

This will be the third Dakar in a row in the Persian Gulf.

The first stage will take the caravan from Jeddah to Ha'il (834 km including 19 of special which will determine the starting order of the next stage). This year, the winner of this inaugural sprint will be able to choose his position for the next day. “I didn't think it was fair for the winner of the prologue to go first for the first stage, it can be a punishment at times,” explains David Castera, the director of the competition. The idea, now, is really that the first choose the moment when they want to leave. It's a reward. "

The drivers will face the marathon stage from January 3, followed on January 5 by the longest special of this edition, with 465 km between Al Qaisumah and Riyadh.

The route, 70% renewed compared to last year, includes five loops, including two around Riyadh, where the rest day will take place on January 8.

With a start and finish in Jeddah, the layout of the next Dakar has some similarities with the 2021 rally. # Dakar2022https: //t.co/88cGSmjZgY

- francetvsport (@francetvsport) November 28, 2021

“We decided to focus on sand and dunes,” warns David Castera. There will be some every day, that will be the common thread of this Dakar. ”Among the 2022 novelties, three are particularly notable: inclusion in the World Rally Raid Championship, the participation of hybrid prototypes and nearly 130 additional“ Classic ”competitors, with their cars from the 1980s and 1990s.

Winner of the 2021 edition, Stéphane Peterhansel, nicknamed "Monsieur Dakar" and holder of the record for victories in the event (14 victories, including six on motorcycles), and Carlos Sainz, the former double world rally champion and triple winner in 2010, 2018 and 2020, will drive hybrid cars aligned by Audi, for the first time in this race. On the motorcycle side, Toby Price, titled in 2016 and 2019, Sam Sunderland (2017), Matthias Walkner (2018), Ricky Brabec (2020) and title holder Kevin Benavides will be on the starting line again.

Saudi leaders, criticized for the kingdom's human rights abuses, have been using sport as a diplomatic lever for several years to improve the country's image on the international scene.

Besides the Dakar, the country hosts other motorsport events: the Electric Formula, the Extreme E, with electric SUVs, in the middle of the desert, and soon, on December 5, a very first Formula 1 Grand Prix, in Jeddah.

Source: leparis

All sports articles on 2021-11-28

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