This morning at Santiago, on the occasion of the presentation of the Chilean part of the route for the 2012 edition, the rally’s organisers announced that the final finish of the Dakar 2013 will also be judged in the country.
Sebastián Piñera, President of the Republic, had already expressed his desire to see the Dakar finish in Chile. This morning he received confirmation that this project will come to fruition with the 2013 edition, of which no other details were unveiled. The Head of State had dispatched the Government spokeswoman Ena von Baer to the presentation ceremony, entrusted with the responsibility of greeting and commenting on the news. “We are very proud to receive this honour, which the country has been waiting for since the day when our involvement with the Dakar began” the Minister explained, looking ahead to the future with emotion. For the moment however, it was the map for the 2012 route that was on the agenda. With one rest day and five legs on the programme, the Chilean stay looks set to be decisive once again for the Dakar drivers and riders, who will be back in four towns that have already entered the event’s history, having been included in the three previous editions. In the heart of the Atacama Desert, an action-packed competition is once again to be expected at Copiapó, Antofagasta, Iquique and Arica.
In the first row of the spectators gathered at the Centro de Eventos Casa de Piedra, Francisco “Chaleco” Lopez was also one of the most attentive members of the audience. He is already immersed in the objective of winning a place on the podium, which he narrowly missed a few weeks ago with his handlebars close to the finish line. The elite of Chilean motorcyclists including, amongst others, Daniel Gouet and the two Prohens brothers, all ranked in the Top 25 in 2011, had the opportunity of discussing their prospects in the company of the numerous journalists present. For them too, the roadmap runs into January 2013.
